diff --git a/test/decode_to_md5.sh b/test/decode_to_md5.sh
index 28e29c683..6cb7d0e6e 100755
--- a/test/decode_to_md5.sh
+++ b/test/decode_to_md5.sh
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ decode_to_md5() {
     return 1
   fi
 
-  eval "${decoder}" "${input_file}" "${output_file}" ${devnull}
+  eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${decoder}" "${input_file}" "${output_file}" \
+      ${devnull}
 
   [ -e "${output_file}" ] || return 1
 
diff --git a/test/decode_with_drops.sh b/test/decode_with_drops.sh
index 12e17de38..9b2edb642 100755
--- a/test/decode_with_drops.sh
+++ b/test/decode_with_drops.sh
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ decode_with_drops() {
     return 1
   fi
 
-  eval "${decoder}" "${input_file}" "${output_file}" "${drop_mode}" ${devnull}
+  eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${decoder}" "${input_file}" "${output_file}" \
+      "${drop_mode}" ${devnull}
 
   [ -e "${output_file}" ] || return 1
 }
diff --git a/test/postproc.sh b/test/postproc.sh
index c9c4e5813..939a3e762 100755
--- a/test/postproc.sh
+++ b/test/postproc.sh
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ postproc() {
     return 1
   fi
 
-  eval "${decoder}" "${input_file}" "${output_file}" ${devnull}
+  eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${decoder}" "${input_file}" "${output_file}" \
+      ${devnull}
 
   [ -e "${output_file}" ] || return 1
 }
diff --git a/test/resize_util.sh b/test/resize_util.sh
index ab3dfd151..5e472716d 100755
--- a/test/resize_util.sh
+++ b/test/resize_util.sh
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ resize_util() {
       return 1
     fi
 
-    eval "${resizer}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT}" \
+    eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${resizer}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT}" \
         "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_WIDTH}x${YUV_RAW_INPUT_HEIGHT}" \
         "${target_dimensions}" "${output_file}" ${frames_to_resize} \
         ${devnull}
diff --git a/test/simple_decoder.sh b/test/simple_decoder.sh
index 0be48e6b7..7eeaf71b1 100755
--- a/test/simple_decoder.sh
+++ b/test/simple_decoder.sh
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ simple_decoder() {
     return 1
   fi
 
-  eval "${decoder}" "${input_file}" "${output_file}" ${devnull}
+  eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${decoder}" "${input_file}" "${output_file}" \
+      ${devnull}
 
   [ -e "${output_file}" ] || return 1
 }
diff --git a/test/simple_encoder.sh b/test/simple_encoder.sh
index a0b0e132e..c4a628030 100755
--- a/test/simple_encoder.sh
+++ b/test/simple_encoder.sh
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ simple_encoder() {
     return 1
   fi
 
-  eval "${encoder}" "${codec}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_WIDTH}" \
+  eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${encoder}" "${codec}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_WIDTH}" \
       "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_HEIGHT}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT}" "${output_file}" 9999 \
       ${devnull}
 
diff --git a/test/tools_common.sh b/test/tools_common.sh
index 7f32905f2..3e69c3687 100755
--- a/test/tools_common.sh
+++ b/test/tools_common.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ VPX_TEST_TOOLS_COMMON_SH=included
 
 set -e
 devnull='> /dev/null 2>&1'
+VPX_TEST_PREFIX=""
 
 elog() {
   echo "$@" 1>&2
@@ -204,9 +205,12 @@ vpxdec() {
   local decoder="${LIBVPX_BIN_PATH}/vpxdec${VPX_TEST_EXE_SUFFIX}"
 
   if [ -z "${pipe_input}" ]; then
-    eval "${decoder}" "$input" --summary --noblit "$@" ${devnull}
+    eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${decoder}" "$input" --summary --noblit "$@" \
+        ${devnull}
   else
-    cat "${input}" | eval "${decoder}" - --summary --noblit "$@" ${devnull}
+    cat "${input}" \
+        | eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${decoder}" - --summary --noblit "$@" \
+            ${devnull}
   fi
 }
 
@@ -252,16 +256,14 @@ vpxenc() {
   fi
 
   if [ -z "${pipe_input}" ]; then
-    eval "${encoder}" --codec=${codec} --width=${width} --height=${height} \
-        --limit=${frames} ${use_ivf} ${extra_flags} --output="${output}" \
-        "${input}" \
-        ${devnull}
+    eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${encoder}" --codec=${codec} --width=${width} \
+        --height=${height} --limit=${frames} ${use_ivf} ${extra_flags} \
+        --output="${output}" "${input}" ${devnull}
   else
     cat "${input}" \
-        | eval "${encoder}" --codec=${codec} --width=${width} \
-              --height=${height} --limit=${frames} ${use_ivf} ${extra_flags} \
-              --output="${output}" - \
-              ${devnull}
+        | eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${encoder}" --codec=${codec} \
+            --width=${width} --height=${height} --limit=${frames} ${use_ivf} \
+            ${extra_flags} --output="${output}" - ${devnull}
   fi
 
   if [ ! -e "${output}" ]; then
@@ -351,6 +353,9 @@ cat << EOF
     --help: Display this message and exit.
     --test-data-path <path to libvpx test data directory>
     --show-program-output: Shows output from all programs being tested.
+    --prefix: Allows for a user specified prefix to be inserted before all test
+              programs. Grants the ability, for example, to run test programs
+              within valgrind.
     --verbose: Verbose output.
 
     When the --bin-path option is not specified the script attempts to use
@@ -400,6 +405,10 @@ while [ -n "$1" ]; do
       LIBVPX_TEST_DATA_PATH="$2"
       shift
       ;;
+    --prefix)
+      VPX_TEST_PREFIX="$2"
+      shift
+      ;;
     --verbose)
       VPX_TEST_VERBOSE_OUTPUT=yes
       ;;
@@ -466,6 +475,7 @@ vlog "$(basename "${0%.*}") test configuration:
   VPX_TEST_EXE_SUFFIX=${VPX_TEST_EXE_SUFFIX}
   VPX_TEST_FILTER=${VPX_TEST_FILTER}
   VPX_TEST_OUTPUT_DIR=${VPX_TEST_OUTPUT_DIR}
+  VPX_TEST_PREFIX=${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}
   VPX_TEST_RAND=${VPX_TEST_RAND}
   VPX_TEST_RUN_DISABLED_TESTS=${VPX_TEST_RUN_DISABLED_TESTS}
   VPX_TEST_SHOW_PROGRAM_OUTPUT=${VPX_TEST_SHOW_PROGRAM_OUTPUT}
diff --git a/test/twopass_encoder.sh b/test/twopass_encoder.sh
index 95d49d6e8..1189e5131 100755
--- a/test/twopass_encoder.sh
+++ b/test/twopass_encoder.sh
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ twopass_encoder() {
     return 1
   fi
 
-  eval "${encoder}" "${codec}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_WIDTH}" \
+  eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${encoder}" "${codec}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_WIDTH}" \
       "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_HEIGHT}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT}" "${output_file}" \
       ${devnull}
 
diff --git a/test/vp8cx_set_ref.sh b/test/vp8cx_set_ref.sh
index ee1005678..5d760bcde 100755
--- a/test/vp8cx_set_ref.sh
+++ b/test/vp8cx_set_ref.sh
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ vpx_set_ref() {
     return 1
   fi
 
-  eval "${encoder}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_WIDTH}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_HEIGHT}" \
-      "${YUV_RAW_INPUT}" "${output_file}" "${ref_frame_num}" \
-      ${devnull}
+  eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${encoder}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_WIDTH}" \
+      "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_HEIGHT}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT}" "${output_file}" \
+      "${ref_frame_num}" ${devnull}
 
   [ -e "${output_file}" ] || return 1
 }
diff --git a/test/vp9_spatial_svc_encoder.sh b/test/vp9_spatial_svc_encoder.sh
index 8c9d13072..a5728f677 100755
--- a/test/vp9_spatial_svc_encoder.sh
+++ b/test/vp9_spatial_svc_encoder.sh
@@ -39,10 +39,9 @@ vp9_spatial_svc_encoder() {
     return 1
   fi
 
-  eval "${encoder}" -w "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_WIDTH}" -h "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_HEIGHT}" \
-      -k "${max_kf}" -f "${frames_to_encode}" "$@" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT}" \
-      "${output_file}" \
-      ${devnull}
+  eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${encoder}" -w "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_WIDTH}" \
+      -h "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_HEIGHT}" -k "${max_kf}" -f "${frames_to_encode}" \
+      "$@" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT}" "${output_file}" ${devnull}
 
   [ -e "${output_file}" ] || return 1
 }
diff --git a/test/vpx_temporal_svc_encoder.sh b/test/vpx_temporal_svc_encoder.sh
index b2e968fa8..f113feb60 100755
--- a/test/vpx_temporal_svc_encoder.sh
+++ b/test/vpx_temporal_svc_encoder.sh
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ vpx_tsvc_encoder() {
     return 1
   fi
 
-  eval "${encoder}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT}" "${output_file}" "${codec}" \
-      "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_WIDTH}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_HEIGHT}" \
+  eval "${VPX_TEST_PREFIX}" "${encoder}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT}" "${output_file}" \
+      "${codec}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_WIDTH}" "${YUV_RAW_INPUT_HEIGHT}" \
       "${timebase_num}" "${timebase_den}" "${speed}" "${frame_drop_thresh}" \
       "$@" \
       ${devnull}