diff --git a/tests/controllers_hw/conftest.py b/tests/controllers_hw/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..cdd647ab8c7e0fb9f346ff184a15fe162c69242e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/controllers_hw/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# This file is part of the bliss project
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2016 Beamline Control Unit, ESRF
+# Distributed under the GNU LGPLv3. See LICENSE for more info.
+
+import pytest
+
+
+def pytest_addoption(parser):
+    parser.addoption("--pepu", help="pepu host name")
+
+
+def pytest_collection_modifyitems(config, items):
+    if config.getoption('--pepu') is None:
+        for item in list(items):
+            if 'pepu' in item.keywords:
+                items.remove(item)
+
+
diff --git a/tests/controllers_hw/pepu.py b/tests/controllers_hw/pepu.py
index 29163c92f629819885218d608ff617c41a2cd983..248b952d14f93c34580d432004fd93b31f79d52e 100644
--- a/tests/controllers_hw/pepu.py
+++ b/tests/controllers_hw/pepu.py
@@ -10,10 +10,13 @@ Run with:
 import pytest
 from bliss.controllers.pepu import PEPU, Signal, Trigger
 
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.pepu
+
 
 @pytest.fixture
-def pepu():
-    pepu = PEPU('test', {'tcp': {'url': 'pepudcm2'}})
+def pepu(request):
+    hostname = request.config.getoption('--pepu')
+    pepu = PEPU('test', {'tcp': {'url': hostname}})
     try:
         pepu.calc_channels[1].formula = '1.5'
         pepu.calc_channels[2].formula = '-1.5'