diff --git a/scripts/sanitycheck b/scripts/sanitycheck
index 017a7f6b70b..0bd303e4077 100755
--- a/scripts/sanitycheck
+++ b/scripts/sanitycheck
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ Each testcase.ini block can define the following key/value pairs:
     run under certain circumstances, like daily builds. These test cases
     are still compiled.
 
+  kernel = <nano|micro>
+    Specify the kernel being tested instead of relying on parsing
+    Makefile for KERNEL_TYPE
+
   extra_args = <list of extra arguments>
     Extra arguments to pass to Make when building or running the
     test case.
@@ -725,6 +729,7 @@ testcase_valid_keys = {"tags" : {"type" : "set", "required" : True},
                        "skip" : {"type" : "bool", "default" : False},
                        "slow" : {"type" : "bool", "default" : False},
                        "timeout" : {"type" : "int", "default" : 60},
+                       "kernel" : {"type": "str", "required" : False},
                        "arch_whitelist" : {"type" : "set"},
                        "arch_exclude" : {"type" : "set"},
                        "platform_exclude" : {"type" : "set"},
@@ -968,6 +973,7 @@ class TestCase:
         self.arch_whitelist = tc_dict["arch_whitelist"]
         self.arch_exclude = tc_dict["arch_exclude"]
         self.skip = tc_dict["skip"]
+        self.kernel = tc_dict["kernel"]
         self.platform_exclude = tc_dict["platform_exclude"]
         self.platform_whitelist = tc_dict["platform_whitelist"]
         self.config_whitelist = tc_dict["config_whitelist"]
@@ -976,18 +982,21 @@ class TestCase:
         self.slow = tc_dict["slow"]
         self.path = os.path.join(workdir, name)
         self.name = self.path # for now
-        self.ktype = None
         self.defconfig = {}
+        self.ktype = None
 
-        with open(os.path.join(testcase_root, workdir, "Makefile")) as makefile:
-            for line in makefile.readlines():
-                m = TestCase.makefile_re.match(line)
-                if m:
-                    self.ktype = m.group(1)
-                    break
-        if not self.ktype:
-            raise ConfigurationError(os.path.join(workdir, "Makefile"),
-                                     "KERNEL_TYPE not found")
+        if self.kernel:
+            self.ktype = self.kernel
+        else:
+            with open(os.path.join(testcase_root, workdir, "Makefile")) as makefile:
+                for line in makefile.readlines():
+                    m = TestCase.makefile_re.match(line)
+                    if m:
+                        self.ktype = m.group(1)
+                        break
+            if not self.ktype:
+                raise ConfigurationError(os.path.join(workdir, "Makefile"),
+                                         "KERNEL_TYPE not found")
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return self.name