diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/__init__.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/__init__.py
index 0f776bfea46..9d577d65397 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/__init__.py
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@
 ##############################################################################
 import sys
 import unittest
+import nose
 
+from spack.test.tally_plugin import Tally
 import llnl.util.tty as tty
 from llnl.util.tty.colify import colify
 
@@ -81,28 +83,23 @@ def run(names, verbose=False):
                           "Valid names are:")
                 colify(sorted(test_names), indent=4)
                 sys.exit(1)
-
-    runner = unittest.TextTestRunner(verbosity=verbosity)
-
-    testsRun = errors = failures = 0
+    
+    tally = Tally()
+    tally.enabled = True
     for test in names:
         module = 'spack.test.' + test
         print module
-        suite = unittest.defaultTestLoader.loadTestsFromName(module)
-
+        
         tty.msg("Running test: %s" % test)
-        result = runner.run(suite)
-        testsRun += result.testsRun
-        errors   += len(result.errors)
-        failures += len(result.failures)
+        result = nose.run(argv=["", module], plugins=[tally])
 
-    succeeded = not errors and not failures
+    succeeded = not tally.failCount and not tally.errorCount
     tty.msg("Tests Complete.",
-            "%5d tests run" % testsRun,
-            "%5d failures" % failures,
-            "%5d errors" % errors)
+            "%5d tests run" % tally.numberOfTests,
+            "%5d failures" % tally.failCount,
+            "%5d errors" % tally.errorCount)
 
-    if not errors and not failures:
+    if succeeded:
         tty.info("OK", format='g')
     else:
         tty.info("FAIL", format='r')
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/tally_plugin.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/tally_plugin.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d8638bf7e3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/tally_plugin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+##############################################################################
+# Copyright (c) 2013, Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC.
+# Produced at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
+#
+# This file is part of Spack.
+# Written by Todd Gamblin, tgamblin@llnl.gov, All rights reserved.
+# LLNL-CODE-647188
+#
+# For details, see https://scalability-llnl.github.io/spack
+# Please also see the LICENSE file for our notice and the LGPL.
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License (as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation) version 2.1 dated February 1999.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the terms and
+# conditions of the GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+# along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+# Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+##############################################################################
+from nose.plugins import Plugin
+
+import os
+
+class Tally(Plugin):
+    name = 'tally'
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        super(Tally, self).__init__()
+        self.successes = set()
+        self.failures = set()
+        self.errors = set()
+
+    @property
+    def successCount(self):
+        return len(self.successes)
+    
+    @property
+    def failCount(self):
+        return len(self.failures)
+    
+    @property
+    def errorCount(self):
+        return len(self.errors)
+    
+    @property
+    def numberOfTests(self):
+        return self.errorCount + self.failCount + self.successCount
+
+    def options(self, parser, env=os.environ):
+        super(Tally, self).options(parser, env=env)
+
+    def configure(self, options, conf):
+        super(Tally, self).configure(options, conf)
+
+    def begin(self):
+        print ">>> TALLY PLUGIN BEGIN"
+
+    def addSuccess(self, test):
+        self.successes.add(test)
+        
+    def addError(self, test, err):
+        self.errors.add(test)
+            
+    def addFailure(self, test, err):
+        test.failures.add(test)
+
+    def finalize(self, result):
+        pass
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/unit_install.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/unit_install.py
index c4b9092f051..0bcb3f37671 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/unit_install.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/unit_install.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def test_installing_both(self):
         
         pkgX.installed = True
         pkgY.installed = True
-        test_install.create_test_output(specX, [specX, specY], mo, getLogFunc=test_fetch_log)
+        test_install.create_test_output(specX, [specX, specY], mo, getLogFunc=mock_fetch_log)
         
         self.assertEqual(mo.results, 
             {bIdX:test_install.TestResult.PASSED, 
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def test_dependency_already_installed(self):
         
         pkgX.installed = True
         pkgY.installed = True
-        test_install.create_test_output(specX, [specX], mo, getLogFunc=test_fetch_log)
+        test_install.create_test_output(specX, [specX], mo, getLogFunc=mock_fetch_log)
         
         self.assertEqual(mo.results, {bIdX:test_install.TestResult.PASSED})
 
@@ -116,6 +116,6 @@ def __init__(self, init=None):
     def get(self, spec):
         return self.specToPkg[spec]
 
-def test_fetch_log(path):
+def mock_fetch_log(path):
     return []
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/util/executable.py b/lib/spack/spack/util/executable.py
index d1dfb62ffb6..6848a7e2a54 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/util/executable.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/util/executable.py
@@ -95,11 +95,14 @@ def streamify(arg, mode):
             proc = subprocess.Popen(
                 cmd,
                 stdin=input,
-                stderr=error,
-                stdout=subprocess.PIPE if return_output else output)
+                stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+                stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
             out, err = proc.communicate()
             self.returncode = proc.returncode
 
+            output.write(out)
+            error.write(err)
+
             rc = proc.returncode
             if fail_on_error and rc != 0 and (rc not in ignore_errors):
                 raise ProcessError("Command exited with status %d:"