diff --git a/tests/jats.nim b/tests/jats.nim
index bdc8388..372c8d7 100644
--- a/tests/jats.nim
+++ b/tests/jats.nim
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ when isMainModule:
     var targetFiles: seq[string]
     var verbose = true
     var quitVal = QuitValue.Success
+    var testDir = "japl"
 
     proc evalKey(key: string) =
         ## Modifies the globals that define what JATS does based on the 
@@ -69,6 +70,10 @@ when isMainModule:
             verbose = false
         elif key == "stdout":
             debugActions.add(DebugAction.Stdout)
+        elif key == "f" or key == "force":
+            force = true
+        elif key == "e" or key == "enumerate":
+            enumerate = true
         else:
             echo &"Unknown flag: {key}"
             action = Action.Help
@@ -88,6 +93,24 @@ when isMainModule:
                 echo "Can't parse non-integer option passed to -j/--jobs."
                 action = Action.Help
                 quitVal = QuitValue.ArgParseErr
+        elif key == "t" or key == "test" or key == "tests":
+            testDir = val
+        elif key == "timeout":
+            try:
+                var timeoutSeconds = parseFloat(val)
+                # a round is 100 ms, so let's not get close to that
+                if timeoutSeconds < 0.3:
+                    timeoutSeconds = 0.3
+                # I don't want anything not nicely convertible to int, 
+                # so how about cut it off at 10 hours. Open an issue
+                # if that's not enough... or just tweak it you lunatic
+                if timeoutSeconds > 36000.0:
+                    timeoutSeconds = 36000.0
+                timeout = (timeoutSeconds * 10).int
+            except ValueError:
+                echo "Can't parse invalid timeout value " & val
+                action = Action.Help
+                quitVal = QuitValue.ArgParseErr
         else:
             echo &"Unknown option: {key}"
             action = Action.Help
@@ -119,15 +142,18 @@ when isMainModule:
         echo """
 JATS - Just Another Test Suite
 
-Usage:
-jats 
-Runs the tests
-Flags:
+Usage: ./jats <flags>
+Debug output flags:
 -i (or --interactive) displays all debug info
 -o:<filename> (or --output:<filename>) saves debug info to a file
 -s (or --silent) will disable all output (except --stdout)
 --stdout will put all debug info to stdout
+-e (or --enumerate) will list all tests that fail, crash or get killed
+Test behavior flags:
 -j:<parallel test count> (or --jobs:<parallel test count>) to specify number of tests to run parallel
+-t:<test file or dir> (or --test:<path> or --tests:<path>) to specify where tests are
+-f (or --force) will run skipped tests
+Miscellaneous flags:
 -h (or --help) displays this help message
 -v (or --version) displays the version number of JATS
 """
@@ -167,18 +193,24 @@ Flags:
         # the second half of the test suite defined in ~japl/tests/japl
         # Find ~japl/tests/japl and the test runner JATR
         var jatr = "jatr"
-        var testDir = "japl"
         if not fileExists(jatr):
             if fileExists("tests" / jatr):
                 log(LogLevel.Debug, 
-                    &"Must be in root: prepending \"tests\" to paths")
+                    &"Must be in root: prepending \"tests\" to jatr path")
                 jatr = "tests" / jatr
-                testDir = "tests" / testDir
             else:
                 # only those two dirs are realistically useful for now,
-                echo "The tests directory couldn't be found."
+                echo "The test runner was not found."
                 quit int(QuitValue.JatrNotFound)
 
+        if not dirExists(testDir) and not fileExists(testDir):
+          if dirExists("tests" / testDir) or fileExists("tests" / testDir):
+            log(LogLevel.Debug, "Prepending \"tests\" to test path")
+            testDir = "tests" / testDir
+          else:
+            echo "The test dir/file was not found."
+            quit int(QuitValue.JatrNotFound)
+
         # set the global var which specifies the path to the test runner
         testRunner = jatr
         log(LogLevel.Info, &"Running JAPL tests.")
diff --git a/tests/logutils.nim b/tests/logutils.nim
index 5c55f15..2df5d86 100644
--- a/tests/logutils.nim
+++ b/tests/logutils.nim
@@ -35,20 +35,24 @@ type LogLevel* {.pure.} = enum
     ## All the different possible log levels
     Debug, # always written to file only (large outputs, such as the entire output of the failing test or stacktrace)
     Info, # important information about the progress of the test suite
+    Enumeration, # a white output for the enumerate option
     Error, # failing tests (printed with yellow)
     Fatal # always printed with red, halts the entire suite (test parsing errors, printed with red)
 
 # log config: which log levels to show, show in silent mode and save to the
 # detailed debug logs
-const echoedLogs = {LogLevel.Info, LogLevel.Error, LogLevel.Fatal}
-const echoedLogsSilent = {LogLevel.Fatal} # will be echoed even if test suite is silent
-const savedLogs = {LogLevel.Debug, LogLevel.Info, LogLevel.Error, LogLevel.Fatal}
+const echoedLogs = {LogLevel.Info, LogLevel.Error, LogLevel.Fatal, 
+                    LogLevel.Enumeration}
+const echoedLogsSilent = {LogLevel.Fatal, LogLevel.Enumeration} # will be echoed even if test suite is silent
+const savedLogs = {LogLevel.Debug, LogLevel.Info, LogLevel.Error, 
+                   LogLevel.Fatal, LogLevel.Enumeration}
 
 # aesthetic config:
 # progress bar length
 const progbarLength = 25
 # log level colors
 const logColors = [LogLevel.Debug: fgDefault, LogLevel.Info: fgGreen, 
+                   LogLevel.Enumeration: fgDefault,
                    LogLevel.Error: fgYellow, LogLevel.Fatal: fgRed]
 
 # global vars for the proc log
diff --git a/tests/testbuilder.nim b/tests/testbuilder.nim
index 71ca0c5..42289bf 100644
--- a/tests/testbuilder.nim
+++ b/tests/testbuilder.nim
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 import testobject
 import logutils
+import testconfig
 
 import os
 import strutils
@@ -136,7 +137,9 @@ proc buildTest(lines: seq[string], i: var int, name: string, path: string): Test
                     fatal &"Invalid mode {parsed.mode} when inside a block (currently in mode {mode}) at line {i} in {path}."
             else: # still if modal, but not inside
                 if parsed.mode == "skip":
-                    result.skip()
+                    result.m_skipped = true
+                    if not force:
+                        result.skip()
                 elif parsed.mode == "end":
                     # end of test
                     return result
@@ -175,6 +178,15 @@ proc buildTestFile(path: string): seq[Test] =
 
 proc buildTests*(testDir: string): seq[Test] =
     ## Builds all test within the directory testDir
+    ## if testDir is a file, only build that one file
+    if not dirExists(testDir):
+        if fileExists(testDir):
+            result &= buildTestFile(testDir)
+            for test in result:
+                test.important = true
+        else:
+            fatal "test dir/file doesn't exist"
+
     for candidateObj in walkDir(testDir):
         let candidate = candidateObj.path
         if dirExists(candidate):
diff --git a/tests/testconfig.nim b/tests/testconfig.nim
index 327e4e9..5728100 100644
--- a/tests/testconfig.nim
+++ b/tests/testconfig.nim
@@ -16,8 +16,11 @@ const jatsVersion* = "(dev)"
 
 var maxAliveTests* = 16 # number of tests that can run parallel
 const testWait* = 100 # number of milliseconds per cycle
-const timeout* = 50 # number of cycles after which a test is killed for timeout
+var timeout* = 50 # number of cycles after which a test is killed for timeout
 
 var testRunner* = "jatr"
+var force*: bool = false # if skipped tests get executed
+var enumerate*: bool = false # if true, all failed/crashed and killed tests
+                             # are enumerated to stdout
 
 const outputIgnore* = [ "^DEBUG.*$" ]
diff --git a/tests/testeval.nim b/tests/testeval.nim
index 989b9f2..1ee3b13 100644
--- a/tests/testeval.nim
+++ b/tests/testeval.nim
@@ -43,18 +43,31 @@ proc printResults*(tests: seq[Test]): bool =
         crash = 0
         killed = 0
     for test in tests:
-        log(LogLevel.Debug, &"Test {test.name}@{test.path} result: {test.result}")
+        var level = LogLevel.Debug
+        var detailLevel = LogLevel.Debug
+
+        if test.important:
+            level = LogLevel.Info
+            detailLevel = LogLevel.Info
+        if (test.result in {TestResult.Crash, TestResult.Mismatch, TestResult.Killed} and enumerate): 
+            level = LogLevel.Enumeration
+
+
+        log(level, &"Test {test.name}@{test.path} result: {test.result}")
+
         case test.result:
             of TestResult.Skip:
                 inc skipped
             of TestResult.Mismatch:
                 inc fail
-                log(LogLevel.Debug, &"[{test.name}@{test.path}\nstdout:\n{test.output}\nstderr:\n{test.error}\nexpected stdout:\n{test.expectedOutput}\nexpected stderr:\n{test.expectedError}\n]")
-                log(LogLevel.Debug, &"\nMismatch pos for stdout: {test.mismatchPos}\nMismatch pos for stderr: {test.errorMismatchPos}")
+                log(detailLevel, &"[{test.name}@{test.path}\nstdout:\n{test.output}\nstderr:\n{test.error}\nexpected stdout:\n{test.expectedOutput}\nexpected stderr:\n{test.expectedError}\n]")
+                log(detailLevel, &"\nMismatch pos for stdout: {test.mismatchPos}\nMismatch pos for stderr: {test.errorMismatchPos}")
             of TestResult.Crash:
                 inc crash
-                log(LogLevel.Debug, &"{test.name}@{test.path} \ncrash:\n{test.error}")
+                log(detailLevel, &"{test.name}@{test.path} \ncrash:\n{test.error}")
             of TestResult.Success:
+                if test.m_skipped:
+                    log(LogLevel.Info, &"Test {test.name}@{test.path} succeeded, despite being marked to be skipped.")
                 inc success
             of TestResult.Killed:
                 inc killed
diff --git a/tests/testobject.nim b/tests/testobject.nim
index eea7e37..1c34320 100644
--- a/tests/testobject.nim
+++ b/tests/testobject.nim
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ type
         source*: string
         path*: string
         name*: string
+        important*: bool # if set to true, the stdout/stderr and extra debug
+                         # will get printed when finished
+        m_skipped*: bool # metadata, whether the skipped mode is in the file
+                         # NOT WHETHER THE TEST IS ACTUALLY SKIPPED
         # generated after building
         expectedOutput*: seq[ExpectedLine]
         expectedError*: seq[ExpectedLine]
@@ -122,6 +126,8 @@ proc newTest*(name: string, path: string): Test =
     result.name = name
     result.mismatchPos = -1
     result.errorMismatchPos = -1
+    result.important = false
+    result.m_skipped = false
 
 proc skip*(test: Test) =
     test.result = TestResult.Skip