diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 63d22914f..4cd1b1f90 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ class TestCommand(TestBaseCommand):
         '''
         Finds all the tests modules in tests/, and runs them.
         '''
-        excludes = ["test_urls.py", "test_inject.py"]
+        excludes = ["dist.py", "test_urls.py", "test_inject.py"]
         testfiles = self._find_tests_in_dir("tests", excludes)
 
         # Put clitest at the end, since it takes the longest
@@ -556,6 +556,14 @@ class TestInitrdInject(TestBaseCommand):
         TestBaseCommand.run(self)
 
 
+class TestDist(TestBaseCommand):
+    description = "Tests to run before cutting a release"
+
+    def run(self):
+        self._testfiles = ["tests.dist"]
+        TestBaseCommand.run(self)
+
+
 class CheckPylint(distutils.core.Command):
     user_options = [
         ("jobs=", "j", "use multiple processes to speed up Pylint"),
@@ -672,6 +680,7 @@ distutils.core.setup(
         'test_ui': TestUI,
         'test_urls': TestURLFetch,
         'test_initrd_inject': TestInitrdInject,
+        'test_dist': TestDist,
     },
 
     distclass=VMMDistribution,
diff --git a/tests/misc.py b/tests/dist.py
similarity index 98%
rename from tests/misc.py
rename to tests/dist.py
index f8cb1199a..e08e67438 100644
--- a/tests/misc.py
+++ b/tests/dist.py
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ def _find_py(dirname):
     return ret
 
 
-class TestMisc(unittest.TestCase):
+class TestDist(unittest.TestCase):
     """
-    Miscellaneous tests
+    Tests to run before release
     """
     def _check_modules(self, files):
         for f in files: