diff --git a/tools/pretty_tox.sh b/tools/pretty_tox.sh
index ddbf2220c3..137f7df3f6 100755
--- a/tools/pretty_tox.sh
+++ b/tools/pretty_tox.sh
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 set -o pipefail
 
 TESTRARGS=$1
-python -m nova.openstack.common.lockutils python setup.py testr --slowest --testr-args="--subunit $TESTRARGS" | $(dirname $0)/subunit-trace.py --no-failure-debug -f
+python -m nova.openstack.common.lockutils python setup.py testr --slowest --testr-args="--subunit $TESTRARGS" | $(dirname $0)/subunit-trace.py -f
diff --git a/tools/subunit-trace.py b/tools/subunit-trace.py
index 8ad59bbabb..9501b1e1ab 100755
--- a/tools/subunit-trace.py
+++ b/tools/subunit-trace.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 import argparse
 import functools
+import os
 import re
 import sys
 
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ def print_attachments(stream, test, all_channels=False):
                 stream.write("    %s\n" % line)
 
 
-def show_outcome(stream, test, print_failures=False):
+def show_outcome(stream, test, print_failures=False, failonly=False):
     global RESULTS
     status = test['status']
     # TODO(sdague): ask lifeless why on this?
@@ -171,24 +172,25 @@ def show_outcome(stream, test, print_failures=False):
     if name == 'process-returncode':
         return
 
-    if status == 'success':
-        stream.write('{%s} %s [%s] ... ok\n' % (
-            worker, name, duration))
-        print_attachments(stream, test)
-    elif status == 'fail':
+    if status == 'fail':
         FAILS.append(test)
         stream.write('{%s} %s [%s] ... FAILED\n' % (
             worker, name, duration))
         if not print_failures:
             print_attachments(stream, test, all_channels=True)
-    elif status == 'skip':
-        stream.write('{%s} %s ... SKIPPED: %s\n' % (
-            worker, name, test['details']['reason'].as_text()))
-    else:
-        stream.write('{%s} %s [%s] ... %s\n' % (
-            worker, name, duration, test['status']))
-        if not print_failures:
-            print_attachments(stream, test, all_channels=True)
+    elif not failonly:
+        if status == 'success':
+            stream.write('{%s} %s [%s] ... ok\n' % (
+                worker, name, duration))
+            print_attachments(stream, test)
+        elif status == 'skip':
+            stream.write('{%s} %s ... SKIPPED: %s\n' % (
+                worker, name, test['details']['reason'].as_text()))
+        else:
+            stream.write('{%s} %s [%s] ... %s\n' % (
+                worker, name, duration, test['status']))
+            if not print_failures:
+                print_attachments(stream, test, all_channels=True)
 
     stream.flush()
 
@@ -267,6 +269,11 @@ def parse_args():
     parser.add_argument('--fails', '-f', action='store_true',
                         dest='post_fails', help='Print failure debug '
                         'information after the stream is proccesed')
+    parser.add_argument('--failonly', action='store_true',
+                        dest='failonly', help="Don't print success items",
+                        default=(
+                            os.environ.get('TRACE_FAILONLY', False)
+                            is not False))
     return parser.parse_args()
 
 
@@ -277,7 +284,9 @@ def main():
     starts = Starts(sys.stdout)
     outcomes = testtools.StreamToDict(
         functools.partial(show_outcome, sys.stdout,
-                          print_failures=args.print_failures))
+                          print_failures=args.print_failures,
+                          failonly=args.failonly
+                      ))
     summary = testtools.StreamSummary()
     result = testtools.CopyStreamResult([starts, outcomes, summary])
     result.startTestRun()
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 954d3e09ad..46e560799c 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ deps = -r{toxinidir}/requirements.txt
 commands =
   find . -type f -name "*.pyc" -delete
   bash tools/pretty_tox.sh '{posargs}'
+# there is also secret magic in pretty_tox.sh which lets you run in a fail only
+# mode. To do this define the TRACE_FAILONLY environmental variable.
 
 [tox:jenkins]
 downloadcache = ~/cache/pip