diff --git a/bin/tests/system/run.sh.in b/bin/tests/system/run.sh.in
index 7d38c0e3e6..839bb34bf1 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/run.sh.in
+++ b/bin/tests/system/run.sh.in
@@ -43,8 +43,9 @@ else
 fi
 
 do_run=false
+restart=false
 log_flags="-r"
-while getopts "sknp:r-:" OPT; do
+while getopts "sknp:r-:t" OPT; do
     log_flags="$log_flags -$OPT$OPTARG"
     if [ "$OPT" = "-" ] && [ -n "$OPTARG" ]; then
         OPT="${OPTARG%%=*}"
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ while getopts "sknp:r-:" OPT; do
         p | port) baseport=$OPTARG ;;
         r | run) do_run=true ;;
         s | skip) exit 77 ;;
+        t | restart) restart=true ;;
         -) break ;;
         *) echo "invalid option" >&2; exit 1 ;;
     esac
@@ -113,22 +115,14 @@ fi
 # Determine which ports to use for this system test.
 eval "$(cd "${srcdir}" && ./get_ports.sh -p "$baseport" -t "$systest")"
 
-restart=false
-
-start_servers_failed() {
-    echoinfo "I:$systest:starting servers failed"
-    echofail "R:$systest:FAIL"
-    echoend  "E:$systest:$(date_with_args)"
-    exit 1
-}
-
 start_servers() {
     echoinfo "I:$systest:starting servers"
     if $restart; then
-        $PERL start.pl --restart --port "$PORT" "$systest" || start_servers_failed
-    else
-        restart=true
-        $PERL start.pl --port "$PORT" "$systest" || start_servers_failed
+        restart_opt="--restart"
+    fi
+    if ! $PERL start.pl ${restart_opt} --port "$PORT" "$systest"; then
+        echoinfo "I:$systest:starting servers failed"
+        return 1
     fi
 }
 
@@ -179,14 +173,16 @@ else
     exit 0
 fi
 
-# Clean up files left from any potential previous runs
-if test -f "$systest/clean.sh"
-then
-    if ! ( cd "${systest}" && $SHELL clean.sh "$@" ); then
-        echowarn "I:$systest:clean.sh script failed"
-        echofail "R:$systest:FAIL"
-        echoend  "E:$systest:$(date_with_args)"
-        exit 1
+# Clean up files left from any potential previous runs except when
+# started with the --restart option.
+if ! $restart; then
+    if test -f "$systest/clean.sh"; then
+        if ! ( cd "${systest}" && $SHELL clean.sh "$@" ); then
+            echowarn "I:$systest:clean.sh script failed"
+            echofail "R:$systest:FAIL"
+            echoend  "E:$systest:$(date_with_args)"
+            exit 1
+        fi
     fi
 fi
 
@@ -205,29 +201,38 @@ status=0
 run=0
 # Run the tests
 if [ -r "$systest/tests.sh" ]; then
-    start_servers
-    ( cd "$systest" && $SHELL tests.sh "$@" )
-    status=$?
-    run=$((run+1))
-    stop_servers || status=1
+    if start_servers; then
+        ( cd "$systest" && $SHELL tests.sh "$@" )
+        status=$?
+        run=$((run+1))
+        stop_servers || status=1
+    else
+        status=1
+    fi
 fi
 
-if [ -n "$PYTEST" ]; then
-    run=$((run+1))
-    for test in $(cd "${systest}" && find . -name "tests*.py"); do
-        start_servers
-        rm -f "$systest/$test.status"
-        test_status=0
-        (cd "$systest" && "$PYTEST" -v "$test" "$@" || echo "$?" > "$test.status") | SYSTESTDIR="$systest" cat_d
-        if [ -f "$systest/$test.status" ]; then
-            echo_i "FAILED"
-            test_status=$(cat "$systest/$test.status")
-        fi
-        status=$((status+test_status))
-        stop_servers || status=1
-    done
-else
-    echoinfo "I:$systest:pytest not installed, skipping python tests"
+if [ $status -eq 0 ]; then
+    if [ -n "$PYTEST" ]; then
+        run=$((run+1))
+        for test in $(cd "${systest}" && find . -name "tests*.py"); do
+            if start_servers; then
+                rm -f "$systest/$test.status"
+                test_status=0
+                (cd "$systest" && "$PYTEST" -v "$test" "$@" || echo "$?" > "$test.status") | SYSTESTDIR="$systest" cat_d
+                if [ -f "$systest/$test.status" ]; then
+                    echo_i "FAILED"
+                    test_status=$(cat "$systest/$test.status")
+                fi
+                status=$((status+test_status))
+                stop_servers || status=1
+            else
+                status=1
+                break
+            fi
+        done
+    else
+        echoinfo "I:$systest:pytest not installed, skipping python tests"
+    fi
 fi
 
 if [ "$run" -eq "0" ]; then
@@ -291,9 +296,9 @@ fi
 print_outstanding_files() {
     if test -d ${srcdir}/../../../.git; then
         git status -su --ignored "${systest}/" 2>/dev/null | \
-        sed -n -e 's|^?? \(.*\)|I:'${systest}':file \1 not removed|p' \
-            -e 's|^!! \(.*/named.run\)$|I:'${systest}':file \1 not removed|p' \
-            -e 's|^!! \(.*/named.memstats\)$|I:'${systest}':file \1 not removed|p'
+        sed -n -e 's|^?? \(.*\)|I:'"${systest}"':file \1 not removed|p' \
+            -e 's|^!! \(.*/named.run\)$|I:'"${systest}"':file \1 not removed|p' \
+            -e 's|^!! \(.*/named.memstats\)$|I:'"${systest}"':file \1 not removed|p'
     fi
 }
 
@@ -310,7 +315,7 @@ if [ $status -ne 0 ]; then
     echofail "R:$systest:FAIL"
 else
     echopass "R:$systest:PASS"
-    if $clean; then
+    if $clean && ! $restart; then
         ( cd "${systest}" && $SHELL clean.sh "$@" )
         if [ "${srcdir}" = "${builddir}" ]; then
             print_outstanding_files
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/start.pl b/bin/tests/system/start.pl
index 307fd25d5f..ea82e61500 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/start.pl
+++ b/bin/tests/system/start.pl
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ sub construct_ans_command {
 	if ($restart) {
 		$command .= " >>ans.run 2>&1 &";
 	} else {
-			$command .= " >ans.run 2>&1 &";
+		$command .= " >ans.run 2>&1 &";
 	}
 
 	# get the shell to report the pid of the server ($!)