diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 3cdbaeed4..919e44627 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -651,7 +651,12 @@ config_options = [
            files in the subdirectory defined by 'prefix'. This layout is best
            with a prefix like '/opt/cantera'. 'debian' installs to the stage
            directory in a layout used for generating Debian packages.""",
-        defaults.fsLayout, ('standard','compact','debian'))
+        defaults.fsLayout, ('standard','compact','debian')),
+    BoolVariable(
+        "fast_fail_tests",
+        """If enabled, tests will exit at the first failure.""",
+        False,
+    )
 ]
 
 opts.AddVariables(*config_options)
diff --git a/site_scons/buildutils.py b/site_scons/buildutils.py
index 51fd25f3d..5fa945db4 100644
--- a/site_scons/buildutils.py
+++ b/site_scons/buildutils.py
@@ -172,9 +172,12 @@ def regression_test(target, source, env):
             os.path.unlink(target[0].abspath)
 
         testResults.failed[env['active_test_name']] = 1
+        if env["fast_fail_tests"]:
+            sys.exit(1)
     else:
         print('PASSED')
-        open(target[0].path, 'w').write(time.asctime()+'\n')
+        with open(target[0].path, 'w') as passed_file:
+            passed_file.write(time.asctime()+'\n')
         testResults.passed[env['active_test_name']] = 1
 
 
diff --git a/test/SConscript b/test/SConscript
index 55a71ea86..6d501f15d 100644
--- a/test/SConscript
+++ b/test/SConscript
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ if env['googletest'] == 'submodule':
 if env['googletest'] != 'none':
     localenv.Append(LIBS=['gtest', 'gmock'])
 
-# Turn of optimization to speed up compilation
+# Turn off optimization to speed up compilation
 ccflags = localenv['CCFLAGS']
 for optimize_flag in ('-O3', '-O2', '/O2'):
     if optimize_flag in ccflags:
@@ -58,13 +58,18 @@ def addTestProgram(subdir, progName, env_vars={}):
             os.mkdir(workDir)
         cmd = [program.abspath, '--gtest_output=xml:'+resultsFile]
         cmd.extend(env['gtest_flags'].split())
+        if env["fast_fail_tests"]:
+            env["ENV"]["GTEST_BREAK_ON_FAILURE"] = "1"
         code = subprocess.call(cmd, env=env['ENV'], cwd=workDir)
 
         if code:
             print("FAILED: Test '{0}' exited with code {1}".format(progName, code))
+            if env["fast_fail_tests"]:
+                sys.exit(1)
         else:
             # Test was successful
-            open(passedFile.path, 'w').write(time.asctime()+'\n')
+            with open(passedFile.path, 'w') as passed_file:
+                passed_file.write(time.asctime()+'\n')
 
         if os.path.exists(resultsFile):
             # Determine individual test status
@@ -123,11 +128,21 @@ def addPythonTest(testname, subdir, script, interpreter, outfile,
         for k,v in env_vars.items():
             print(k,v)
             environ[k] = v
-        code = subprocess.call([env.subst(interpreter), source[0].abspath] + args.split(),
-                               env=environ)
+
+        cmdargs = args.split()
+        if env["fast_fail_tests"]:
+            cmdargs.insert(0, "fast_fail")
+
+        code = subprocess.call(
+            [env.subst(interpreter), source[0].abspath] + cmdargs,
+            env=environ
+        )
         if not code:
             # Test was successful
-            open(target[0].path, 'w').write(time.asctime()+'\n')
+            with open(target[0].path, 'w') as passed_file:
+                passed_file.write(time.asctime()+'\n')
+        elif env["fast_fail_tests"]:
+            sys.exit(1)
 
         failures = 0
         if os.path.exists(outfile):
@@ -187,8 +202,11 @@ def addMatlabTest(script, testName, dependencies=None, env_vars=()):
         code = subprocess.call([pjoin(env['matlab_path'], 'bin', 'matlab')] +
                                matlabOptions + ['-r', runCommand],
                                env=environ, cwd=Dir('#test/matlab').abspath)
+        if code and env["fast_fail_tests"]:
+            sys.exit(1)
         try:
-            results = open(outfile).read()
+            with open(outfile, "r") as output_file:
+                results = output_file.read()
         except EnvironmentError: # TODO: replace with 'FileNotFoundError' after end of Python 2.7 support
             testResults.failed['Matlab' +
                 ' ***no results for entire test suite***'] = 100
diff --git a/test/python/runCythonTests.py b/test/python/runCythonTests.py
index 5a60cfc35..99ad181e9 100644
--- a/test/python/runCythonTests.py
+++ b/test/python/runCythonTests.py
@@ -75,11 +75,19 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     print('* INFO: Git commit:', cantera.__git_commit__, '\n')
     sys.stdout.flush()
 
+    if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == "fast_fail":
+        fast_fail = True
+        subset_start = 2
+    else:
+        fast_fail = False
+        subset_start = 1
     loader = unittest.TestLoader()
-    runner = unittest.TextTestRunner(verbosity=2, resultclass=TestResult)
+    runner = unittest.TextTestRunner(
+        verbosity=2, resultclass=TestResult, failfast=fast_fail
+    )
     suite = unittest.TestSuite()
     subsets = []
-    for name in sys.argv[1:]:
+    for name in sys.argv[subset_start:]:
         subsets.append('cantera.test.test_' + name)
 
     if not subsets: