diff --git a/cmake/external/python.cmake b/cmake/external/python.cmake
index 9fd3afd0998b38c18b4490e6fb1c6fe0222ed142..fc66d6b2154b73d8f6a259ecfa55c7ef5ce999fa 100644
--- a/cmake/external/python.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/python.cmake
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2016 PaddlePaddle Authors. All Rights Reserve.
-# 
+#
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 # You may obtain a copy of the License at
-# 
+#
 # http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-# 
+#
 # Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 # distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ FIND_PACKAGE(PythonInterp 2.7)
 FIND_PACKAGE(PythonLibs 2.7)
 
 SET(py_env "")
-
+SET(USE_VIRTUALENV_FOR_TEST 1)
 IF(PYTHONLIBS_FOUND AND PYTHONINTERP_FOUND)
     find_python_module(pip REQUIRED)
     find_python_module(numpy REQUIRED)
diff --git a/cmake/util.cmake b/cmake/util.cmake
index be4c591da849f4777cb4783025a39e6c46cb86eb..966e0a7bf60fdeaac575b9d9c19c7095e104b13c 100644
--- a/cmake/util.cmake
+++ b/cmake/util.cmake
@@ -144,3 +144,14 @@ function(create_resources res_file output_file)
     COMMAND python ARGS ${PROJ_ROOT}/cmake/make_resource.py ${res_file} ${output_file}
     DEPENDS ${res_file} ${PROJ_ROOT}/cmake/make_resource.py)
 endfunction()
+
+
+# Create a python unittest using run_python_tests.sh,
+# which takes care of making correct running environment
+function(add_python_test TEST_NAME)
+    message("PYTHON: ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
+    add_test(NAME ${TEST_NAME}
+        COMMAND bash ${PROJ_ROOT}/paddle/scripts/run_python_tests.sh
+        ${USE_VIRTUALENV_FOR_TEST} ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${ARGN}
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
+endfunction()
diff --git a/paddle/api/test/CMakeLists.txt b/paddle/api/test/CMakeLists.txt
index a2fa623c80087d42e6a2a5c05f62eba4997f8ec4..f3b1c2c4d438b5d3e776ef27ce8f8b78f710f2ab 100644
--- a/paddle/api/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/paddle/api/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-add_test(NAME test_swig_api
-    COMMAND bash ${PROJ_ROOT}/paddle/api/test/run_tests.sh ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
+add_python_test(test_swig_api
+    testArguments.py testGradientMachine.py testMatrix.py testVector.py testTrain.py testTrainer.py)
diff --git a/paddle/api/test/run_tests.sh b/paddle/scripts/run_python_tests.sh
similarity index 63%
rename from paddle/api/test/run_tests.sh
rename to paddle/scripts/run_python_tests.sh
index bcf06afa86aaa1a3151aeb966b54f69657c541e3..05c187522cabc5d9b7688f2a1999c25672e4c550 100755
--- a/paddle/api/test/run_tests.sh
+++ b/paddle/scripts/run_python_tests.sh
@@ -18,19 +18,29 @@ pushd `dirname $0` > /dev/null
 SCRIPTPATH=$PWD
 popd > /dev/null
 
-cd $SCRIPTPATH
+USE_VIRTUALENV_FOR_TEST=$1; shift
+PYTHON=$1; shift
 
-$1 -m pip install ../../dist/*.whl
+if [ $USE_VIRTUALENV_FOR_TEST -ne 0 ]; then
+   rm -rf .test_env
+   virtualenv .test_env
+   source .test_env/bin/activate
+   PYTHON=python
+fi
 
-test_list="testArguments.py testGradientMachine.py testMatrix.py  testVector.py testTrain.py testTrainer.py"
+export PYTHONPATH=$SCRIPTPATH/../../python/
+$PYTHON -m pip install $SCRIPTPATH/../dist/*.whl requests matplotlib ipython==5.3
 
-export PYTHONPATH=$PWD/../../../python/
-
-for fn in $test_list
+for fn in "$@"
 do
   echo "test $fn"
-  $1 $fn
+  $PYTHON $fn
   if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
     exit 1
   fi
 done
+
+if [ $USE_VIRTUALENV_FOR_TEST -ne 0 ]; then
+    deactivate
+    rm -rf .test_env
+fi
diff --git a/python/paddle/v2/plot/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/python/paddle/v2/plot/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index da550a178ce0fe4832b640e0c23505279dedd27a..b1132f131737e26bfeeb31f6b3f062710bdf6f75 100644
--- a/python/paddle/v2/plot/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python/paddle/v2/plot/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-add_test(NAME test_ploter
-  COMMAND bash ${PROJ_ROOT}/python/paddle/v2/plot/tests/run_tests.sh
-  ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
+add_python_test(test_ploter test_ploter.py)
diff --git a/python/paddle/v2/plot/tests/run_tests.sh b/python/paddle/v2/plot/tests/run_tests.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 9c1a4a71ce43f285c4f970eddf6af46a2821a40a..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/python/paddle/v2/plot/tests/run_tests.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,36 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-# Copyright (c) 2016 PaddlePaddle Authors. All Rights Reserved
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-# You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-# limitations under the License.
-
-
-pushd `dirname $0` > /dev/null
-SCRIPTPATH=$PWD
-popd > /dev/null
-
-cd $SCRIPTPATH
-$1 -m pip install ../../../../../paddle/dist/*.whl
-
-export DISABLE_PLOT="True"
-test_list="test_ploter.py"
-
-export PYTHONPATH=$PWD/../../../../../python/
-
-for fn in $test_list
-do
-  echo "test $fn"
-  $1 $fn
-  if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-    exit 1
-  fi
-done
diff --git a/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index a51f700406b48f8186e45f1ced94765e343a8b5e..6a1d337b232c7a849a8793894bf16d26d609d3dd 100644
--- a/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
-add_test(NAME reader_tests
-  COMMAND bash ${PROJ_ROOT}/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/run_tests.sh
-  ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
+add_python_test(reader_tests creator_test.py decorator_test.py)
diff --git a/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/run_tests.sh b/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/run_tests.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index a544a5636021bcf8bd9a35966c91ae343c149d14..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/python/paddle/v2/reader/tests/run_tests.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-# Copyright (c) 2016 PaddlePaddle Authors. All Rights Reserved
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-# You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-# limitations under the License.
-
-
-pushd `dirname $0` > /dev/null
-SCRIPTPATH=$PWD
-popd > /dev/null
-
-cd $SCRIPTPATH
-$1 -m pip install ../../../../../paddle/dist/*.whl
-
-test_list="creator_test.py decorator_test.py"
-
-export PYTHONPATH=$PWD/../../../../../python/
-
-for fn in $test_list
-do
-  echo "test $fn"
-  $1 $fn
-  if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-    exit 1
-  fi
-done
diff --git a/python/paddle/v2/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/python/paddle/v2/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 572deaff356712cac23cd7911cdf289db100564c..5554a37df03cb31b37e9bbf68faa606d7c2cadde 100644
--- a/python/paddle/v2/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python/paddle/v2/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,16 +1 @@
-add_test(NAME test_v2_api
-        COMMAND bash ${PROJ_ROOT}/python/paddle/v2/tests/run_tests.sh ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
-
-add_test(NAME test_v2_layer
-        COMMAND ${PROJ_ROOT}/paddle/.set_python_path.sh -d ${PROJ_ROOT}/python/
-        ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${PROJ_ROOT}/python/paddle/v2/tests/test_layer.py
-        WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJ_ROOT}/python/paddle)
-
-add_test(NAME test_v2_rnn_layer
-        COMMAND ${PROJ_ROOT}/paddle/.set_python_path.sh -d ${PROJ_ROOT}/python/
-        ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${PROJ_ROOT}/python/paddle/v2/tests/test_rnn_layer.py)
-
-add_test(NAME test_topology
-        COMMAND ${PROJ_ROOT}/paddle/.set_python_path.sh -d ${PROJ_ROOT}/python/
-        ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${PROJ_ROOT}/python/paddle/v2/tests/test_topology.py
-        WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJ_ROOT}/python/paddle)
+add_python_test(test_v2_api test_data_feeder.py test_parameters.py test_layer.py test_rnn_layer.py test_topology.py)
diff --git a/python/paddle/v2/tests/run_tests.sh b/python/paddle/v2/tests/run_tests.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index dda1b1bd222a9f226db1a4bd730e9637ab882196..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/python/paddle/v2/tests/run_tests.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,36 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-# Copyright (c) 2016 PaddlePaddle Authors. All Rights Reserved
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-# You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-# limitations under the License.
-
-
-pushd `dirname $0` > /dev/null
-SCRIPTPATH=$PWD
-popd > /dev/null
-
-cd $SCRIPTPATH
-
-$1 -m pip install ../../../../paddle/dist/*.whl
-
-test_list="test_data_feeder.py test_parameters.py"
-
-export PYTHONPATH=$PWD/../../../../python/
-
-for fn in $test_list
-do
-  echo "test $fn"
-  $1 $fn
-  if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-    exit 1
-  fi
-done