diff --git a/Makefile-tests.am b/Makefile-tests.am
index f7f360e5..9490f217 100644
--- a/Makefile-tests.am
+++ b/Makefile-tests.am
@@ -13,3 +13,12 @@ installed_test_scripts = \
 test_programs = \
 	tests/jsonutil			\
 	$(NULL)
+
+check-local:
+	@echo "  *** NOTE ***"
+	@echo "  *** NOTE ***"
+	@echo " \"make check\" only runs a subset of rpm-ostree's tests."
+	@echo " The other tests use: use https://live.gnome.org/GnomeGoals/InstalledTests"
+	@echo " To run them, ostree must be configured with --enable-installed-tests and installed"
+	@echo "  *** NOTE ***"
+	@echo "  *** NOTE ***"