diff --git a/tools/test8 b/tools/test8
index d353281de..c984619de 100755
--- a/tools/test8
+++ b/tools/test8
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ adopts=()
 mem=ALL
 init=-1
 rand=-1
+avrdude_bin=avrdude
 
 Usage() {
 cat <<END
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ Function: test AVRDUDE for v 8.0 release with -c programmer -p part;
 Options:
   -i <n>     use avrdude -c dryrun -xinit=<n> to initialise part and exit
   -r <n>     use avrdude -c dryrun -xrandom=<n> to initialise part and exit
+  -e <exe>   path of the avrdude executable
   -a <opt>   pass avrdude option <opt> through to avrdude test commands
   -m <mlist> use memory list <mlist> instead of ALL
 
@@ -30,7 +32,7 @@ Examples:
 END
 }
 
-while getopts ":i:r:a:m:" opt; do
+while getopts ":i:r:a:e:m:" opt; do
   case ${opt} in
      i) init=0; [[ ! -z "$OPTARG" ]] && init="$OPTARG"
         ;;
@@ -38,6 +40,8 @@ while getopts ":i:r:a:m:" opt; do
         ;;
      a) if [[ ! -z "$OPTARG" ]]; then adopts+=("$OPTARG"); fi
         ;;
+     e) avrdude_bin="$OPTARG"
+        ;;
      m) if [[ ! -z "$OPTARG" ]]; then mem="$OPTARG"; fi
         ;;
     --) shift;
@@ -71,8 +75,8 @@ f="bak-$1-$2.hex:I"
 
 if [[ $init -gt -1 || $rand -gt -1 ]]; then
   how="init=$init"; [ $rand -gt -1 ] && how="random=$rand"
-  avrdude -qqc dryrun -p $2 -U $mem:r:$f -x $how
-  avrdude "${adopts[@]}" -c $1 -p $2 -U $mem:w:$f
+  $avrdude_bin -qqc dryrun -p $2 -U $mem:r:$f -x $how
+  $avrdude_bin "${adopts[@]}" -c $1 -p $2 -U $mem:w:$f
   echo $progname: $2 initialised
   exit 0
 fi
@@ -80,8 +84,8 @@ fi
 ######
 # Actual test
 
-if ! avrdude "${adopts[@]}" -c $1 -p $2 -D -U$mem:r:$f -T "fact reset" -U$mem:w:$f -U$mem:v:$f; then
+if ! $avrdude_bin "${adopts[@]}" -c $1 -p $2 -D -U$mem:r:$f -T "fact reset" -U$mem:w:$f -U$mem:v:$f; then
   echo -------------------------------
   echo Re-running to create error logs
-  avrdude "${adopts[@]}" -vvv -c $1 -p $2 -D -U$mem:r:$f -T "fact reset" -U$mem:w:$f -U$mem:v:$f -llog-$1-$2.txt
+  $avrdude_bin "${adopts[@]}" -vvv -c $1 -p $2 -D -U$mem:r:$f -T "fact reset" -U$mem:w:$f -U$mem:v:$f -llog-$1-$2.txt
 fi