diff --git a/devtools/test-null.sh b/devtools/test-null.sh
index 73bbded893..9f9a459f76 100755
--- a/devtools/test-null.sh
+++ b/devtools/test-null.sh
@@ -5,10 +5,13 @@
 
 # Run a quick testpmd forwarding with null PMD without hugepage
 
-build=${1:-build}
+build=${1:-build} # first argument can be the build directory
+testpmd=$1 # or first argument can be the testpmd path
 coremask=${2:-3} # default using cores 0 and 1
+eal_options=$3
+testpmd_options=$4
 
-testpmd=$build/app/dpdk-testpmd
+[ -f "$testpmd" ] || testpmd=$build/app/dpdk-testpmd
 [ -f "$testpmd" ] || testpmd=$build/app/testpmd
 if [ ! -f "$testpmd" ] ; then
 	echo 'ERROR: testpmd cannot be found' >&2
@@ -23,5 +26,5 @@ fi
 
 (sleep 1 && echo stop) |
 $testpmd -c $coremask --no-huge -m 150 \
-	$libs --vdev net_null1 --vdev net_null2 -- \
-	--no-mlockall --total-num-mbufs=2048 -ia
+	$libs --vdev net_null1 --vdev net_null2 $eal_options -- \
+	--no-mlockall --total-num-mbufs=2048 $testpmd_options -ia