diff --git a/src/Makefile.test.include b/src/Makefile.test.include
index 69d44dbde6f..9f9bdbbd0cd 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.test.include
+++ b/src/Makefile.test.include
@@ -419,7 +419,9 @@ bitcoin_test_check: $(TEST_BINARY) FORCE
 bitcoin_test_clean : FORCE
 	rm -f $(CLEAN_BITCOIN_TEST) $(test_test_bitcoin_OBJECTS) $(TEST_BINARY)
 
-check-local: $(BITCOIN_TESTS:.cpp=.cpp.test)
+check-unit: $(BITCOIN_TESTS:.cpp=.cpp.test)
+
+check-local: check-unit
 if BUILD_BITCOIN_TX
 	@echo "Running test/util/test_runner.py..."
 	$(PYTHON) $(top_builddir)/test/util/test_runner.py
diff --git a/src/test/README.md b/src/test/README.md
index 90d0e7102d0..0876db7a72e 100644
--- a/src/test/README.md
+++ b/src/test/README.md
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ that runs all of the unit tests. The main source file for the test library is fo
 Unit tests will be automatically compiled if dependencies were met in `./configure`
 and tests weren't explicitly disabled.
 
-After configuring, they can be run with `make check`.
+After configuring, they can be run with `make check`, which includes unit tests from
+subtrees, or `make && make -C src check-unit` for just the unit tests.
 
 To run the unit tests manually, launch `src/test/test_bitcoin`. To recompile
 after a test file was modified, run `make` and then run the test again. If you