diff --git a/Gruntfile.coffee b/Gruntfile.coffee
index 76d86a84c..5b846b0c6 100644
--- a/Gruntfile.coffee
+++ b/Gruntfile.coffee
@@ -160,15 +160,6 @@ module.exports = (grunt) ->
           stderr: false
           failOnError: false
 
-      test:
-        command: "#{path.join(contentsDir, 'MacOS', 'Atom')} --test --resource-path=#{__dirname}"
-        options:
-          stdout: true
-          stderr: true
-          callback: (error, stdout, stderr, callback) ->
-            grunt.warn('Specs failed') if error?
-            callback()
-
   grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-coffeelint')
   grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-lesslint')
   grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-cson')
@@ -181,7 +172,7 @@ module.exports = (grunt) ->
 
   grunt.registerTask('compile', ['coffee', 'prebuild-less', 'cson'])
   grunt.registerTask('lint', ['coffeelint', 'csslint', 'lesslint'])
-  grunt.registerTask('test', ['shell:kill-atom', 'run-specs'])
+  grunt.registerTask('test', ['shell:kill-atom', 'run-core-specs', 'run-specs'])
   grunt.registerTask('ci', ['lint', 'update-atom-shell', 'build', 'set-development-version', 'test'])
   grunt.registerTask('deploy', ['partial-clean', 'update-atom-shell', 'build', 'codesign'])
   grunt.registerTask('docs', ['markdown:guides', 'build-docs'])
diff --git a/tasks/test-task.coffee b/tasks/test-task.coffee
index fb154b666..56281cdbe 100644
--- a/tasks/test-task.coffee
+++ b/tasks/test-task.coffee
@@ -7,11 +7,10 @@ async = require 'async'
 module.exports = (grunt) ->
   {isAtomPackage, spawn} = require('./task-helpers')(grunt)
 
-  grunt.registerTask 'run-specs', 'Run the specs', ->
+  runPackageSpecs = (callback) ->
     passed = true
-    done = @async()
-    appDir = grunt.config.get('atom.appDir')
     rootDir = grunt.config.get('atom.shellAppDir')
+    appDir = grunt.config.get('atom.appDir')
     atomPath = path.join(appDir, 'atom.sh')
     apmPath = path.join(appDir, 'node_modules/.bin/apm')
 
@@ -34,5 +33,21 @@ module.exports = (grunt) ->
       continue unless isAtomPackage(packagePath)
       queue.push(packagePath)
 
-    queue.concurrency = 2
-    queue.drain = -> done(passed)
+    queue.concurrency = 1
+    queue.drain = -> callback(passed)
+
+  runCoreSpecs = (callback) ->
+    contentsDir = grunt.config.get('atom.contentsDir')
+    appPath = path.join(contentsDir, 'MacOS', 'Atom')
+    resourcePath = process.cwd()
+    coreSpecsPath = path.resolve('spec')
+
+    options =
+      cmd: appPath
+      args: ['--test', "--resource-path=#{resourcePath}", "--spec-directory=#{coreSpecsPath}"]
+    spawn options, (error, results, code) ->
+      callback(code is 0)
+
+  grunt.registerTask 'run-specs', 'Run the specs', ->
+    passed = true
+    async.parallel([runCoreSpecs, runPackageSpecs], @async())