diff --git a/src/rebar.erl b/src/rebar.erl
index aec516b..32c95d2 100644
--- a/src/rebar.erl
+++ b/src/rebar.erl
@@ -300,6 +300,11 @@ generate-appups   previous_release=path  Generate appup files
 eunit       [suites=foo]             Run eunit tests [foo.erl and test/foo_tests.erl]
             [suites=foo] [tests=bar] Run specific eunit tests [first test name starting
                                      with 'bar' in foo.erl and test/foo_tests.erl]
+            [tests=bar]              For every existing suite, run the first test whose
+                                     name starts with bar and, if no such test exists,
+                                     run the test whose name starts with bar in
+                                     the suite's _tests module
+
 ct          [suites=] [case=]        Run common_test suites
 
 qc                                   Test QuickCheck properties
diff --git a/src/rebar_eunit.erl b/src/rebar_eunit.erl
index be9417e..765f59f 100644
--- a/src/rebar_eunit.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_eunit.erl
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@
 %%      suites="foo,bar" tests="baz"- runs first test with name starting
 %%      with 'baz' in foo.erl, test/foo_tests.erl and tests in bar.erl,
 %%      test/bar_tests.erl
+%%   </li>
+%%   <li>
+%%      tests="baz"- For every existing suite, run the first test whose
+%%      name starts with bar and, if no such test exists, run the test
+%%      whose name starts with bar in the suite's _tests module
+%%   </li>
 %% </ul>
 %% Additionally, for projects that have separate folders for the core
 %% implementation, and for the unit tests, then the following
@@ -112,7 +118,8 @@ run_eunit(Config, CodePath, SrcErls) ->
     %% Get modules to be run in eunit
     AllModules = [rebar_utils:beam_to_mod(?EUNIT_DIR, N) || N <- AllBeamFiles],
     {SuitesProvided, FilteredModules} = filter_suites(Config, AllModules),
-    %% TODO: make tests= work with no suites= provided
+
+    %% build the tests
     Tests = get_tests(Config, SuitesProvided, ModuleBeamFiles, FilteredModules),
 
     SrcModules = [rebar_utils:erl_to_mod(M) || M <- SrcErls],
@@ -174,7 +181,7 @@ filter_suites1(Modules, Suites) ->
     [M || M <- Modules, lists:member(M, Suites)].
 
 get_tests(Config, SuitesProvided, ModuleBeamFiles, FilteredModules) ->
-    case SuitesProvided of
+    Modules = case SuitesProvided of
         false ->
             %% No specific suites have been provided, use ModuleBeamFiles
             %% which filters out "*_tests" modules so eunit won't doubly run
@@ -194,18 +201,19 @@ get_tests(Config, SuitesProvided, ModuleBeamFiles, FilteredModules) ->
             %% public interface of the main module (and no other code)."
             [rebar_utils:beam_to_mod(?EUNIT_DIR, N) || N <- ModuleBeamFiles];
         true ->
-            %% Specific suites have been provided, return the existing modules
-            build_tests(Config, FilteredModules)
-    end.
+            %% Specific suites have been provided, return the filtered modules
+            FilteredModules
+    end,
+    build_tests(Config, Modules).
 
-build_tests(Config, SuitesModules) ->
+build_tests(Config, Modules) ->
     RawFunctions = rebar_utils:get_experimental_global(Config, tests, ""),
     Tests = [list_to_atom(F1) || F1 <- string:tokens(RawFunctions, ",")],
     case Tests of
         [] ->
-            SuitesModules;
+            Modules;
         Functions ->
-            case build_tests1(SuitesModules, Functions, []) of
+            case build_tests1(Modules, Functions, []) of
                 [] ->
                     [];
                 RawTests ->
diff --git a/test/rebar_eunit_tests.erl b/test/rebar_eunit_tests.erl
index d70d4b7..bf2428b 100644
--- a/test/rebar_eunit_tests.erl
+++ b/test/rebar_eunit_tests.erl
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ eunit_with_suites_and_tests_test_() ->
                {"Selected suite tests are run once",
                 ?_assert(string:str(RebarOut, "All 3 tests passed") =/= 0)}]
       end},
-     {"Ensure EUnit runs specific test in _tests suites",
+     {"Ensure EUnit runs specific test in a _tests suite",
       setup,
       fun() ->
               setup_project_with_multiple_modules(),
@@ -155,6 +155,24 @@ eunit_with_suites_and_tests_test_() ->
 
                {"Selected suite tests is run once",
                 ?_assert(string:str(RebarOut, "Test passed") =/= 0)}]
+      end},
+     {"Ensure EUnit runs a specific test without a specified suite",
+      setup,
+      fun() ->
+              setup_project_with_multiple_modules(),
+              rebar("-v eunit tests=myprivate")
+      end,
+      fun teardown/1,
+      fun(RebarOut) ->
+              [{"Only selected suite tests are found and run",
+                [?_assert(string:str(RebarOut,
+                                     "myapp_mymod:myprivate_test/0") =/= 0),
+                 ?_assert(string:str(RebarOut,
+                                     "myapp_mymod2:myprivate2_test/0")
+                          =/= 0)]},
+
+               {"Selected suite tests is run once",
+                ?_assert(string:str(RebarOut, "All 2 tests passed") =/= 0)}]
       end}].
 
 cover_test_() ->