diff --git a/.testr.conf b/.testr.conf
index 80e7ea849..6b66beff6 100644
--- a/.testr.conf
+++ b/.testr.conf
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 test_command=OS_STDOUT_CAPTURE=${OS_STDOUT_CAPTURE:-1} OS_STDERR_CAPTURE=${OS_STDERR_CAPTURE:-1} OS_TEST_TIMEOUT=${OS_TEST_TIMEOUT:-60} ${PYTHON:-python} -m subunit.run discover -t ./ . $LISTOPT $IDOPTION
 test_id_option=--load-list $IDFILE
 test_list_option=--list
+group_regex=${OS_GROUP_REGEX}
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 5b0365dcb..dc4cbaf53 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ commands = pifpaf run rabbitmq --  python setup.py testr --slowest --testr-args=
 setenv =
     {[testenv]setenv}
     TRANSPORT_DRIVER=kafka
+    OS_GROUP_REGEX=oslo_messaging.tests.functional
     kafka-python>=1.3.1
 commands = {toxinidir}/setup-test-env-kafka.sh python setup.py testr --slowest --testr-args='{posargs:oslo_messaging.tests.functional}'