diff --git a/src/test.ts b/src/test.ts
index 9955787f172..3bac7fde607 100644
--- a/src/test.ts
+++ b/src/test.ts
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ export interface TestResult {
     };
 }
 
-export function runTest(testDirectory: string): TestResult {
+export function runTest(testDirectory: string, rulesDirectory?: string | string[]): TestResult {
     const filesToLint = glob.sync(path.join(testDirectory, `**/*${FILE_EXTENSION}`));
-    const tslintConfig = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(testDirectory, "tslint.json"), "utf8"));
+    const tslintConfig = Linter.findConfiguration(path.join(testDirectory, "tslint.json"), null);
     const results: TestResult = { directory: testDirectory, results: {} };
 
     for (const fileToLint of filesToLint) {
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export function runTest(testDirectory: string): TestResult {
             configuration: tslintConfig,
             formatter: "prose",
             formattersDirectory: "",
-            rulesDirectory: "",
+            rulesDirectory,
         };
         const linter = new Linter(fileBasename, fileTextWithoutMarkup, lintOptions);
         const errorsFromLinter: LintError[] = linter.lint().failures.map((failure) => {
diff --git a/src/tslint-cli.ts b/src/tslint-cli.ts
index 9c0430bd993..3851d26c63a 100644
--- a/src/tslint-cli.ts
+++ b/src/tslint-cli.ts
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ if (argv.i != null) {
 }
 
 if (argv.test != null) {
-    const results = runTest(argv.test);
+    const results = runTest(argv.test, argv.r);
     const didAllTestsPass = consoleTestResultHandler(results);
     process.exit(didAllTestsPass ? 0 : 1);
 }
diff --git a/test/check-bin.sh b/test/check-bin.sh
index 254e0658ad0..07c65f364ec 100755
--- a/test/check-bin.sh
+++ b/test/check-bin.sh
@@ -101,6 +101,13 @@ expectOut $? 0 "tslint --test did not exit correctly for a passing test"
 ./bin/tslint --test test/files/incorrect-rule-test
 expectOut $? 1 "tslint --test did not exit correctly for a failing test"
 
+# ensure --test command works correctly with custom rules
+./bin/tslint --test test/files/custom-rule-rule-test
+expectOut $? 0 "tslint --test did not exit correctly for a passing test with custom rules"
+
+./bin/tslint -r test/files/custom-rules-2 --test test/files/custom-rule-cli-rule-test
+expectOut $? 0 "tslint --test did not exit correctly for a passing test with custom rules from the CLI"
+
 if [ $num_failures != 0 ]; then
   echo "Failed $num_failures tests"
   exit 1
diff --git a/test/files/custom-rule-cli-rule-test/test.ts.lint b/test/files/custom-rule-cli-rule-test/test.ts.lint
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d879311be7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/files/custom-rule-cli-rule-test/test.ts.lint
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+var test = 5;
diff --git a/test/files/custom-rule-cli-rule-test/tslint.json b/test/files/custom-rule-cli-rule-test/tslint.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..03debafdccb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/files/custom-rule-cli-rule-test/tslint.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+    "rules": {
+        "no-fail": true
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/files/custom-rule-rule-test/test.ts.lint b/test/files/custom-rule-rule-test/test.ts.lint
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d879311be7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/files/custom-rule-rule-test/test.ts.lint
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+var test = 5;
diff --git a/test/files/custom-rule-rule-test/tslint.json b/test/files/custom-rule-rule-test/tslint.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..569530971c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/files/custom-rule-rule-test/tslint.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+    "rulesDirectory": "../custom-rules-2",
+    "rules": {
+        "no-fail": true
+    }
+}