diff --git a/tools/run-readtest.sh b/tools/run-readtest.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..952804c72c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/run-readtest.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+dir=/tmp
+filesize=100 # megabytes
+numfiles=128
+nocache=
+interleave=
+blocksize=262144
+needfiles=1
+
+
+while [ $# -gt 1 ] ; do
+    case $1 in
+	-d) dir=$2; shift; shift ;;
+	-f) filesize=$2; shift; shift ;;
+	-n) numfiles=$2; shift; shift ;;
+	-N) nocache="-s"; shift; shift ;;
+	-b) blocksize=$2; shift; shift ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+if [ -d $dir -a -f $dir/testfile_1 ] ; then
+    # dir exists and has a testfile within it - reuse to avoid
+    # recreating files
+    echo "Re-using files in $dir"
+    needfiles=
+else
+    dir=$dir/readtest_$$
+    mkdir $dir
+    
+    if [ $? != 0 ] ; then
+	echo "Cannot create testfile directory $dir"
+	exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
+if [ x$needfiles != x ] ; then
+    if [ x$interleave = x ] ; then
+	
+	#
+	# Create all files sequentially
+	#
+	
+	for i in `seq 1 $numfiles` ; do
+	    dd of=$dir/testfile_$i if=/dev/zero bs=1M count=$filesize
+	    echo $i
+	done
+    else
+	
+	#
+	# Create files interleaved, adding $blocksize to each
+	# file in turn.
+	#
+	
+	size=0
+	limit=`expr $filesize * 1048576`
+	while [ $size -lt $limit ] ; do
+	    for i in `seq 1 $numfiles` ; do
+		dd if=/dev/zero bs=$blocksize count=1 >> $dir/testfile_$i
+	    done
+	    size=`expr $size + $blocksize`
+	    echo "Files now @ $size bytes"
+	done
+    fi
+fi
+
+if uname -a | grep -s arwin ; then
+    # clears cache on OS X
+    sudo purge
+elif [ -f /proc/sys/vm/drop_cache ] ; then
+     # Linux cache clearing
+    echo 3 | sudo tee /proc/sys/vm/drop/cache >/dev/null
+else       
+    # need an alternative for other operating systems
+    :
+fi
+
+echo "Ready to run ..."
+
+./readtest $nocache -b $blocksize -q $dir/testfile_%d