diff --git a/src/fitnesse/junit/CustomVariableProvider.java b/src/fitnesse/junit/CustomVariableProvider.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a5074d0b9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/fitnesse/junit/CustomVariableProvider.java
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+package fitnesse.junit;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+
+/**
+ * Provide custom variables to override page variables in a similar way as done with URL-Parameters
+ * when using the fitnesse-stabdalone runner
+ * @author mwyraz
+ */
+public interface CustomVariableProvider {
+	public Map<String,String> getCustomVariables();
+}
diff --git a/src/fitnesse/junit/FitNesseRunner.java b/src/fitnesse/junit/FitNesseRunner.java
index 90904746c6..25670d4405 100644
--- a/src/fitnesse/junit/FitNesseRunner.java
+++ b/src/fitnesse/junit/FitNesseRunner.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 
 import fitnesse.ConfigurationParameter;
 import fitnesse.ContextConfigurator;
@@ -68,6 +69,16 @@ public class FitNesseRunner extends ParentRunner<WikiPage> {
     boolean value() default true;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * The <code>CustomVariableProviderClass</code> annotation specifies an optional {@link CustomVariableProvider} to overwrite page variables
+   */
+  @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+  @Target(ElementType.TYPE)
+  public @interface CustomVariableProviderClass {
+
+    Class<? extends CustomVariableProvider> value();
+  }
+  
   /**
    * The <code>SuiteFilter</code> annotation specifies the suite filter of the Fitnesse suite
    * to be run, e.g.: fasttests
@@ -165,6 +176,7 @@ public class FitNesseRunner extends ParentRunner<WikiPage> {
   private FitNesseContext context;
   private DescriptionFactory descriptionFactory;
   private List<WikiPage> children;
+  private Map<String,String> customVariables;
 
   public FitNesseRunner(Class<?> suiteClass) throws InitializationError {
     super(suiteClass);
@@ -219,6 +231,13 @@ protected void collectInitializationErrors(List<Throwable> errors) {
     } catch (Exception e) {
       errors.add(e);
     }
+
+    try {
+      this.customVariables = getCustomVariables(suiteClass);
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      errors.add(e);
+    }
+    
     try {
       this.context = createContext(suiteClass);
     } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -320,6 +339,15 @@ protected boolean shouldPreventSystemExit(Class<?> klass) throws Exception {
     return preventSystemExitAnnotation.value();
   }
 
+
+  protected Map<String,String> getCustomVariables(Class<?> klass) throws Exception {
+	CustomVariableProviderClass customVariableProviderClass = klass.getAnnotation(CustomVariableProviderClass.class);
+    if (null == customVariableProviderClass) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    return customVariableProviderClass.value().newInstance().getCustomVariables();
+  }
+  
   protected String getFitNesseDir(Class<?> klass)
           throws InitializationError {
     FitnesseDir fitnesseDirAnnotation = klass.getAnnotation(FitnesseDir.class);
@@ -416,6 +444,13 @@ protected void addExecutionLogListener(RunNotifier notifier, MultipleTestsRunner
     testRunner.addExecutionLogListener(new ConsoleExecutionLogListener());
   }
 
+  protected WikiPage getRootPage() {
+	  if (this.customVariables==null) {
+		  return context.getRootPage();
+	  }
+	  return context.getRootPage(customVariables);
+  }
+  
   protected List<WikiPage> initChildren() {
     WikiPage suiteRoot = getSuiteRootPage();
     if (suiteRoot == null) {
@@ -423,7 +458,7 @@ protected List<WikiPage> initChildren() {
     }
     List<WikiPage> children;
     if (suiteRoot.getData().hasAttribute("Suite")) {
-      children = new SuiteContentsFinder(suiteRoot, getSuiteFilter(), context.getRootPage()).getAllPagesToRunForThisSuite();
+      children = new SuiteContentsFinder(suiteRoot, getSuiteFilter(), getRootPage()).getAllPagesToRunForThisSuite();
     } else {
       children = Collections.singletonList(suiteRoot);
     }
@@ -460,12 +495,12 @@ protected ContextConfigurator initContextConfigurator() throws InitializationErr
 
   private WikiPage getSuiteRootPage() {
     WikiPagePath path = PathParser.parse(this.suiteName);
-    PageCrawler crawler = context.getRootPage().getPageCrawler();
+    PageCrawler crawler = getRootPage().getPageCrawler();
     return crawler.getPage(path);
   }
 
   private MultipleTestsRunner createTestRunner(List<WikiPage> pages) {
-    final PagesByTestSystem pagesByTestSystem = new PagesByTestSystem(pages, context.getRootPage());
+    final PagesByTestSystem pagesByTestSystem = new PagesByTestSystem(pages, getRootPage());
 
     MultipleTestsRunner runner = new MultipleTestsRunner(pagesByTestSystem,
             context.testSystemFactory);