diff --git a/mysql-test/README.suites b/mysql-test/README.suites
index 99155f37485..076fc216a0e 100644
--- a/mysql-test/README.suites
+++ b/mysql-test/README.suites
@@ -20,11 +20,18 @@ subdirectories under the suitedir or directly in the suitedir
 (that is suitedir/t/*.test or suitedir/*.test, same for *.result))
 
 ==========================
-A suite can contain a suite.opt file - at the same location where .test
-files are. As usual, the .opt file can use $-substitutions for the
-environment variables.
+A suite can contain a suite.opt file - at the same location where .test files
+are or in the suite directory. As usual, the .opt file can use $-substitutions
+for the environment variables.
 
 Usually, using my.cnf template (see below) is preferrable.
+
+But command line options (.opt files and combinations file) get special
+treatment - they can have special options that affect mtr behavior. cnf
+files cannot. Special options are
+ --timezone, --plugin-load, --result-file, --config-file-template,
+ --default-time-zone, --force-restart
+
 ==========================
 A suite can have suite.pm file in the suitedir. It must declare a
 package that inherits from My::Suite.
@@ -108,8 +115,8 @@ Most probably a suite my.cnf will need to start from
   !include include/default_my.cnf
 
 and then modify the configuration as necessary.
-==========================
 
+==========================
 A suite can have combinations file in the suitedir. It uses my.cnf syntax
 but it cannot use @-substitutions. Instead, it can use $-substitutions for
 the environment variables. Because the combination options will not be
diff --git a/mysql-test/include/have_archive.inc b/mysql-test/include/have_archive.inc
index 82399ca4c6c..0fd85fa576f 100644
--- a/mysql-test/include/have_archive.inc
+++ b/mysql-test/include/have_archive.inc
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
---disable_query_log
---require r/true.require
-select (support = 'YES' or support = 'DEFAULT') as `TRUE` from information_schema.engines where engine = 'archive';
---enable_query_log
+if (!`SELECT count(*) FROM information_schema.engines WHERE
+      (support = 'YES' OR support = 'DEFAULT') AND
+      engine = 'archive'`){
+  skip Need archive engine;
+}
diff --git a/mysql-test/include/have_archive.opt b/mysql-test/include/have_archive.opt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cf9309d9fb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/include/have_archive.opt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+--loose-archive
+--plugin-load=$HA_ARCHIVE_SO
diff --git a/mysql-test/include/have_blackhole.opt b/mysql-test/include/have_blackhole.opt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b600b468390
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/include/have_blackhole.opt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+--loose-blackhole
+--plugin-load=$HA_BLACKHOLE_SO
diff --git a/mysql-test/include/have_innodb.opt b/mysql-test/include/have_innodb.opt
index 48457b17309..4fb96229a7b 100644
--- a/mysql-test/include/have_innodb.opt
+++ b/mysql-test/include/have_innodb.opt
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 --loose-innodb
+--plugin-load=$HA_XTRADB_SO
diff --git a/mysql-test/include/have_pbxt.inc b/mysql-test/include/have_pbxt.inc
index a8afc2c8324..b11aee2617f 100644
--- a/mysql-test/include/have_pbxt.inc
+++ b/mysql-test/include/have_pbxt.inc
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-disable_query_log;
---require r/true.require
-select (support = 'YES' or support = 'DEFAULT') as `TRUE` from information_schema.engines where engine = 'pbxt';
-enable_query_log;
+if (!`SELECT count(*) FROM information_schema.engines WHERE
+      (support = 'YES' OR support = 'DEFAULT') AND
+      engine = 'pbxt'`){
+  skip Need PBXT engine;
+}
diff --git a/mysql-test/lib/mtr_cases.pm b/mysql-test/lib/mtr_cases.pm
index f9c0c762753..f7794d1964d 100644
--- a/mysql-test/lib/mtr_cases.pm
+++ b/mysql-test/lib/mtr_cases.pm
@@ -325,12 +325,8 @@ sub collect_one_suite
   }
 
   # Read suite.opt file
-  my $suite_opt_file=  "$testdir/suite.opt";
-  my $suite_opts= [];
-  if ( -f $suite_opt_file )
-  {
-    $suite_opts= opts_from_file($suite_opt_file);
-  }
+  my $suite_opts= [ opts_from_file("$testdir/suite.opt") ];
+  $suite_opts = [ opts_from_file("$suitedir/suite.opt") ] unless @$suite_opts;
 
   if ( @$opt_cases )
   {
@@ -618,67 +614,78 @@ sub optimize_cases {
 # Read options from the given opt file and append them as an array
 # to $tinfo->{$opt_name}
 #
-sub process_opts_file {
-  my ($tinfo, $opt_file, $opt_name)= @_;
+sub process_opts {
+  my ($tinfo, $opt_name)= @_;
 
-  if ( -f $opt_file )
+  my @opts= @{$tinfo->{$opt_name}};
+  $tinfo->{$opt_name} = [];
+
+  my @plugins;
+
+  foreach my $opt (@opts)
   {
-    my $opts= opts_from_file($opt_file);
+    my $value;
 
-    foreach my $opt ( @$opts )
+    # The opt file is used both to send special options to the mysqld
+    # as well as pass special test case specific options to this
+    # script
+
+    $value= mtr_match_prefix($opt, "--timezone=");
+    if ( defined $value )
     {
-      my $value;
-
-      # The opt file is used both to send special options to the mysqld
-      # as well as pass special test case specific options to this
-      # script
-
-      $value= mtr_match_prefix($opt, "--timezone=");
-      if ( defined $value )
-      {
-	$tinfo->{'timezone'}= $value;
-	next;
-      }
-
-      $value= mtr_match_prefix($opt, "--result-file=");
-      if ( defined $value )
-      {
-	# Specifies the file mysqltest should compare
-	# output against
-	$tinfo->{'result_file'}= "r/$value.result";
-	next;
-      }
-
-      $value= mtr_match_prefix($opt, "--config-file-template=");
-      if ( defined $value)
-      {
-	# Specifies the configuration file to use for this test
-	$tinfo->{'template_path'}= dirname($tinfo->{path})."/$value";
-	next;
-      }
-
-      # If we set default time zone, remove the one we have
-      $value= mtr_match_prefix($opt, "--default-time-zone=");
-      if ( defined $value )
-      {
-	# Set timezone for this test case to something different
-	$tinfo->{'timezone'}= "GMT-8";
-	# Fallthrough, add the --default-time-zone option
-      }
-
-      # The --restart option forces a restart even if no special
-      # option is set. If the options are the same as next testcase
-      # there is no need to restart after the testcase
-      # has completed
-      if ( $opt eq "--force-restart" )
-      {
-	$tinfo->{'force_restart'}= 1;
-	next;
-      }
-
-      # Ok, this was a real option, add it
-      push(@{$tinfo->{$opt_name}}, $opt);
+      $tinfo->{'timezone'}= $value;
+      next;
     }
+
+    $value= mtr_match_prefix($opt, "--plugin-load=");
+    if (defined $value)
+    {
+      push @plugins, $value;
+      next;
+    }
+
+    $value= mtr_match_prefix($opt, "--result-file=");
+    if ( defined $value )
+    {
+      # Specifies the file mysqltest should compare
+      # output against
+      $tinfo->{'result_file'}= "r/$value.result";
+      next;
+    }
+
+    $value= mtr_match_prefix($opt, "--config-file-template=");
+    if ( defined $value)
+    {
+      # Specifies the configuration file to use for this test
+      $tinfo->{'template_path'}= dirname($tinfo->{path})."/$value";
+      next;
+    }
+
+    # If we set default time zone, remove the one we have
+    $value= mtr_match_prefix($opt, "--default-time-zone=");
+    if ( defined $value )
+    {
+      # Set timezone for this test case to something different
+      $tinfo->{'timezone'}= "GMT-8";
+      # Fallthrough, add the --default-time-zone option
+    }
+
+    # The --restart option forces a restart even if no special
+    # option is set. If the options are the same as next testcase
+    # there is no need to restart after the testcase
+    # has completed
+    if ( $opt eq "--force-restart" )
+    {
+      $tinfo->{'force_restart'}= 1;
+      next;
+    }
+
+    # Ok, this was a real option, add it
+    push(@{$tinfo->{$opt_name}}, $opt);
+  }
+
+  if (@plugins) {
+    push @{$tinfo->{$opt_name}}, "--plugin-load=" . join(':', @plugins);
   }
 }
 
@@ -1009,15 +1016,17 @@ sub collect_one_test_case {
   # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
   for (@source_files) {
     s/\.\w+$//;
-    process_opts_file($tinfo, "$_.opt", 'master_opt');
-    process_opts_file($tinfo, "$_.opt", 'slave_opt');
-    process_opts_file($tinfo, "$_-master.opt", 'master_opt');
-    process_opts_file($tinfo, "$_-slave.opt", 'slave_opt');
+    push @{$tinfo->{master_opt}}, opts_from_file("$_.opt");
+    push @{$tinfo->{slave_opt}}, opts_from_file("$_.opt");
+    push @{$tinfo->{master_opt}}, opts_from_file("$_-master.opt");
+    push @{$tinfo->{slave_opt}}, opts_from_file("$_-slave.opt");
   }
 
   push(@{$tinfo->{'master_opt'}}, @::opt_extra_mysqld_opt);
   push(@{$tinfo->{'slave_opt'}}, @::opt_extra_mysqld_opt);
 
+  process_opts($tinfo, 'master_opt');
+  process_opts($tinfo, 'slave_opt');
 
   return $tinfo;
 }
@@ -1103,6 +1112,8 @@ sub opts_from_file ($) {
   my $file=  shift;
   local $_;
 
+  return () unless -f $file;
+
   open(FILE,"<",$file) or mtr_error("can't open file \"$file\": $!");
   my @args;
   while ( <FILE> )
@@ -1143,7 +1154,7 @@ sub opts_from_file ($) {
     }
   }
   close FILE;
-  return \@args;
+  return @args;
 }
 
 sub print_testcases {
diff --git a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
index 25b881488db..98e116b4217 100755
--- a/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
+++ b/mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl
@@ -3564,8 +3564,9 @@ sub timezone {
   my ($tinfo)= @_;
   local $_ = $tinfo->{timezone};
   return 'DEFAULT' unless defined $_;
-  s/\$\{(\w+)\}/envsubst($1)/ge;
-  s/\$(\w+)/envsubst($1)/ge;
+  no warnings 'uninitialized';
+  s/\$\{(\w+)\}/$ENV{$1}/ge;
+  s/\$(\w+)/$ENV{$1}/ge;
   $_;
 }
 
@@ -5071,18 +5072,6 @@ sub started { return grep(defined $_, map($_->{proc}, @_));  }
 sub stopped { return grep(!defined $_, map($_->{proc}, @_)); }
 
 
-sub envsubst {
-  my $string= shift;
-
-  if ( ! defined $ENV{$string} )
-  {
-    mtr_error(".opt file references '$string' which is not set");
-  }
-
-  return $ENV{$string};
-}
-
-
 sub get_extra_opts {
   my ($mysqld, $tinfo)= @_;
 
@@ -5093,8 +5082,9 @@ sub get_extra_opts {
   # Expand environment variables
   foreach my $opt ( @$opts )
   {
-    $opt =~ s/\$\{(\w+)\}/envsubst($1)/ge;
-    $opt =~ s/\$(\w+)/envsubst($1)/ge;
+    no warnings 'uninitialized';
+    $opt =~ s/\$\{(\w+)\}/$ENV{$1}/ge;
+    $opt =~ s/\$(\w+)/$ENV{$1}/ge;
   }
   return $opts;
 }
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/federated/federated_innodb-slave.opt b/mysql-test/suite/federated/federated_innodb-slave.opt
deleted file mode 100644
index 48457b17309..00000000000
--- a/mysql-test/suite/federated/federated_innodb-slave.opt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
---loose-innodb
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/federated/federated_transactions-slave.opt b/mysql-test/suite/federated/federated_transactions-slave.opt
deleted file mode 100644
index 48457b17309..00000000000
--- a/mysql-test/suite/federated/federated_transactions-slave.opt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
---loose-innodb
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/federated/my.cnf b/mysql-test/suite/federated/my.cnf
index 7556abad300..3962c2aca77 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/federated/my.cnf
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/federated/my.cnf
@@ -3,10 +3,8 @@
 
 [mysqld.1]
 log-bin=                 master-bin
-loose-federated
 
 [mysqld.2]
-loose-federated
 
 [ENV]
 MASTER_MYPORT=           @mysqld.1.port
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/federated/suite.opt b/mysql-test/suite/federated/suite.opt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2cce1887441
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/federated/suite.opt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+--federated
+--plugin-load=$HA_FEDERATEDX_SO
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/mysqltest_ps.test b/mysql-test/t/mysqltest_ps.test
index c91f6dcb409..c5a332f691f 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/mysqltest_ps.test
+++ b/mysql-test/t/mysqltest_ps.test
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 if (`SELECT $PS_PROTOCOL = 0`)
 {
-  --skip Need prepared statement protocol
+   --skip Need ps-protocol
 }
 
 #