diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 62fa01554..c90d93fb4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -381,6 +381,9 @@ test: pkgtest functest \
 # For quieter tests add --silent. It may hide troubleshooting info.
 # For very verbose tests add --verbosity=debug. It seems hard to get something in between.
 STACKTEST=$(STACK) test
+# When doing build testing, save a little time and output noise by not
+# running tests & benchmarks. Comment this out if you want to run them.
+SKIPTESTSBENCHS=--no-run-tests --no-run-benchmarks
 
 buildplantest: $(call def-help,buildplantest, stack build --dry-run all hledger packages ensuring an install plan with default snapshot) \
 	buildplantest-stack.yaml
@@ -398,7 +401,7 @@ buildtest-all: $(call def-help,buildtest-all, force-rebuild all hledger packages
 	for F in stack-*.yaml stack.yaml; do make --no-print-directory buildtest-$$F; done
 
 buildtest-%: $(call def-help,buildtest-STACKFILE, force-rebuild all hledger packages/modules quickly ensuring no warnings with the given stack yaml file; eg make buildtest-stack-ghc8.2.yaml )
-	$(STACK) build --test --bench --fast --force-dirty --ghc-options=-fforce-recomp --ghc-options=-Werror --stack-yaml=$*
+	$(STACK) build --test --bench $(SKIPTESTSBENCHS) --fast --force-dirty --ghc-options=-fforce-recomp --ghc-options=-Werror --stack-yaml=$*
 
 incr-buildtest: $(call def-help,incr-buildtest, build any outdated hledger packages/modules quickly ensuring no warnings with default snapshot. Wont detect warnings in up-to-date modules.) \
 	incr-buildtest-stack.yaml
@@ -407,7 +410,7 @@ incr-buildtest-all: $(call def-help,incr-buildtest-all, build any outdated hledg
 	for F in stack-*.yaml stack.yaml; do make --no-print-directory incr-buildtest-$$F; done
 
 incr-buildtest-%: $(call def-help,incr-buildtest-STACKFILE, build any outdated hledger packages/modules quickly ensuring no warnings with the stack yaml file; eg make buildtest-stack-ghc8.2.yaml. Wont detect warnings in up-to-date modules. )
-	$(STACK) build --test --bench --fast --ghc-options=-Werror --stack-yaml=$*
+	$(STACK) build --test --bench $(SKIPTESTSBENCHS) --fast --ghc-options=-Werror --stack-yaml=$*
 
 pkgtest: $(call def-help,pkgtest, run the test suites in each package )
 	@($(STACKTEST) && echo $@ PASSED) || (echo $@ FAILED; false)