diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7be10652df3890c81a10f56ed13952a9d775d74e..c367b7be5f073c0a1e8cccc986eaca0df8daabf1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ SUBDIRS := $(SRCDIRS) user-doc developer-doc regtest macports vim astyle
 SUBDIRSCLEAN:=$(addsuffix .clean,$(SUBDIRS))
 
      
-.PHONY: all lib clean $(SRCDIRS) doc docclean check cppcheck distclean all_plus_docs macports codecheck plumedcheck astyle
+.PHONY: all lib clean $(SRCDIRS) doc docclean check installcheck cppcheck distclean all_plus_docs macports codecheck plumedcheck astyle
 
 # if machine dependent configuration has been found:
 ifdef GCCDEP
@@ -59,8 +59,15 @@ docs:
 	$(MAKE) doc
 
 # regtests
-check: src test
-	$(MAKE) -C regtest
+# perform tests using non-installed plumed
+check:
+	PLUMED_PREPEND_PATH="$(realpath .)/src/lib" $(MAKE) -C regtest
+	$(MAKE) -C regtest checkfail
+
+# perform tests using the installed version of plumed
+installcheck:
+	PLUMED_PREPEND_PATH="$(bindir)" PLUMED_PROGRAM_NAME="$(program_name)" $(MAKE) -C regtest
+	$(MAKE) -C regtest checkfail
 
 else
 
diff --git a/regtest/scripts/run b/regtest/scripts/run
index 58bb15f0313a268b1019ff00f771849aef4e20ec..b95ad57bae53f79f8d32e485fd5005e7f4a0d89d 100755
--- a/regtest/scripts/run
+++ b/regtest/scripts/run
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+if test -n "$PLUMED_PREPEND_PATH" ; then
+  PATH="$PLUMED_PREPEND_PATH:$PATH"
+fi
+
 export valgrind=env
 
 for opt in ${*}
@@ -46,7 +50,7 @@ echo "++ Arguments: $arg"
 echo "++ Processors: $mpiprocs"
 
 mpi=env
-plumed=plumed
+plumed="${PLUMED_PROGRAM_NAME:-plumed}"
 
 root=$($plumed --no-mpi info --root)