diff --git a/contrib/oid2name/Makefile b/contrib/oid2name/Makefile
index 908e078714..361a80a7a1 100644
--- a/contrib/oid2name/Makefile
+++ b/contrib/oid2name/Makefile
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ PGAPPICON = win32
 PROGRAM = oid2name
 OBJS	= oid2name.o $(WIN32RES)
 
+TAP_TESTS = 1
+
 PG_CPPFLAGS = -I$(libpq_srcdir)
 PG_LIBS_INTERNAL = $(libpq_pgport)
 
-EXTRA_CLEAN = tmp_check
-
 ifdef USE_PGXS
 PG_CONFIG = pg_config
 PGXS := $(shell $(PG_CONFIG) --pgxs)
@@ -21,9 +21,3 @@ top_builddir = ../..
 include $(top_builddir)/src/Makefile.global
 include $(top_srcdir)/contrib/contrib-global.mk
 endif
-
-check:
-	$(prove_check)
-
-installcheck:
-	$(prove_installcheck)
diff --git a/contrib/vacuumlo/Makefile b/contrib/vacuumlo/Makefile
index 5de506151e..3efcb46735 100644
--- a/contrib/vacuumlo/Makefile
+++ b/contrib/vacuumlo/Makefile
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ PGAPPICON = win32
 PROGRAM = vacuumlo
 OBJS	= vacuumlo.o $(WIN32RES)
 
+TAP_TESTS = 1
+
 PG_CPPFLAGS = -I$(libpq_srcdir)
 PG_LIBS_INTERNAL = $(libpq_pgport)
 
-EXTRA_CLEAN = tmp_check
-
 ifdef USE_PGXS
 PG_CONFIG = pg_config
 PGXS := $(shell $(PG_CONFIG) --pgxs)
@@ -21,9 +21,3 @@ top_builddir = ../..
 include $(top_builddir)/src/Makefile.global
 include $(top_srcdir)/contrib/contrib-global.mk
 endif
-
-check:
-	$(prove_check)
-
-installcheck:
-	$(prove_installcheck)
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/extend.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/extend.sgml
index d5731621e7..4759d09823 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/extend.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/extend.sgml
@@ -1283,6 +1283,15 @@ include $(PGXS)
       </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
 
+     <varlistentry>
+      <term><varname>TAP_TESTS</varname></term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+        switch defining if TAP tests need to be run
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
      <varlistentry>
       <term><varname>NO_INSTALLCHECK</varname></term>
       <listitem>
diff --git a/src/makefiles/pgxs.mk b/src/makefiles/pgxs.mk
index 8deb356958..453b117dc5 100644
--- a/src/makefiles/pgxs.mk
+++ b/src/makefiles/pgxs.mk
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #     listed in MODULES or MODULE_big
 #   REGRESS -- list of regression test cases (without suffix)
 #   REGRESS_OPTS -- additional switches to pass to pg_regress
+#   TAP_TESTS -- switch to enable TAP tests
 #   NO_INSTALLCHECK -- don't define an installcheck target, useful e.g. if
 #     tests require special configuration, or don't use pg_regress
 #   EXTRA_CLEAN -- extra files to remove in 'make clean'
@@ -305,6 +306,9 @@ ifeq ($(PORTNAME), win)
 	rm -f regress.def
 endif
 endif # REGRESS
+ifdef TAP_TESTS
+	rm -rf tmp_check/
+endif
 
 ifdef MODULE_big
 clean: clean-lib
@@ -339,6 +343,7 @@ $(test_files_build): $(abs_builddir)/%: $(srcdir)/%
 	$(MKDIR_P) $(dir $@)
 	ln -s $< $@
 endif # VPATH
+endif # REGRESS
 
 .PHONY: submake
 submake:
@@ -346,21 +351,32 @@ ifndef PGXS
 	$(MAKE) -C $(top_builddir)/src/test/regress pg_regress$(X)
 endif
 
-# against installed postmaster
+# Standard rules to run regression tests including multiple test suites.
+# Runs against an installed postmaster
 ifndef NO_INSTALLCHECK
 installcheck: submake $(REGRESS_PREP)
+ifdef REGRESS
 	$(pg_regress_installcheck) $(REGRESS_OPTS) $(REGRESS)
 endif
+ifdef TAP_TESTS
+	$(prove_installcheck)
+endif
+endif # NO_INSTALLCHECK
 
+# Runs independently of any installation
 ifdef PGXS
 check:
 	@echo '"$(MAKE) check" is not supported.'
 	@echo 'Do "$(MAKE) install", then "$(MAKE) installcheck" instead.'
 else
 check: submake $(REGRESS_PREP)
+ifdef REGRESS
 	$(pg_regress_check) $(REGRESS_OPTS) $(REGRESS)
 endif
-endif # REGRESS
+ifdef TAP_TESTS
+	$(prove_check)
+endif
+endif # PGXS
 
 ifndef NO_TEMP_INSTALL
 temp-install: EXTRA_INSTALL+=$(subdir)
diff --git a/src/test/modules/test_pg_dump/Makefile b/src/test/modules/test_pg_dump/Makefile
index c64b353707..6123b994f6 100644
--- a/src/test/modules/test_pg_dump/Makefile
+++ b/src/test/modules/test_pg_dump/Makefile
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ EXTENSION = test_pg_dump
 DATA = test_pg_dump--1.0.sql
 
 REGRESS = test_pg_dump
+TAP_TESTS = 1
 
 ifdef USE_PGXS
 PG_CONFIG = pg_config
@@ -18,8 +19,3 @@ top_builddir = ../../../..
 include $(top_builddir)/src/Makefile.global
 include $(top_srcdir)/contrib/contrib-global.mk
 endif
-
-check: prove-check
-
-prove-check: | temp-install
-	$(prove_check)