diff --git a/.github/workflows/run-canary-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/run-canary-tests.yml
index cd79eb6..2348b6b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run-canary-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run-canary-tests.yml
@@ -17,4 +17,4 @@ jobs:
           poetry env info  # display poetry's env info for debugging
           poetry install  --with test
     - name: Run Canary Tests
-      run: poetry run python tom_app/tests/run_canary_tests.py
+      run: poetry run python tom_app/tests/run_tests.py --canary
diff --git a/tom_app/tests/run_canary_tests.py b/tom_app/tests/run_canary_tests.py
deleted file mode 100755
index fd1ee43..0000000
--- a/tom_app/tests/run_canary_tests.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
-# django_shell.py
-
-from django.core.management import call_command
-from boot_django import boot_django, APP_NAME  # noqa
-
-
-boot_django()
-print(f'running canary tests for {APP_NAME}')
-call_command('test', APP_NAME, '--tag=canary', verbosity=2)
-
-# TODO: consider collecting switches and arguments
-#  from the command line (like -v or a specific test module
-#  or function) and passing them on to call command
diff --git a/tom_app/tests/run_tests.py b/tom_app/tests/run_tests.py
index c5e163c..546d7bf 100755
--- a/tom_app/tests/run_tests.py
+++ b/tom_app/tests/run_tests.py
@@ -1,11 +1,37 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # django_shell.py
-import sys
+
+import argparse
 
 from django.core.management import call_command
 from boot_django import boot_django, APP_NAME  # noqa
 
 
-boot_django()
-print(f'running test for {APP_NAME}')
-call_command('test', *sys.argv[1:], '--exclude-tag=canary', verbosity=2)
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument('testname', default='', nargs='?',
+                        help='Module paths to test; '
+                             'can be modulename, modulename.TestCase or modulename.TestCase.test_method')
+    parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbosity', default=2, type=int, choices=[0, 1, 2, 3],
+                        help='Verbosity level;'
+                             ' 0=minimal output, 1=normal output, 2=verbose output, 3=very verbose output')
+    parser.add_argument('--canary', action='store_true', help='Run only canary tests (skips canary tests by default)')
+
+    testname = parser.parse_args().testname
+    verbosity = parser.parse_args().verbosity
+    run_canary = parser.parse_args().canary
+
+    # We still only want to test this app's tests, so if no specific test is supplied,
+    # we use the app name to restrict testing
+    if not testname:
+        testname = APP_NAME
+
+    # If the canary flag is set, we want to run only the canary tests, otherwise we want to exclude them
+    if run_canary:
+        canary_command_flag = '--tag=canary'
+    else:
+        canary_command_flag = '--exclude-tag=canary'
+
+    boot_django()
+    print(f'running test(s) for {APP_NAME}')
+    call_command('test', testname, canary_command_flag, verbosity=verbosity)