diff --git a/platformtest/harness/harness.go b/platformtest/harness/harness.go
index eb6ac97..368f181 100644
--- a/platformtest/harness/harness.go
+++ b/platformtest/harness/harness.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 
@@ -17,12 +18,25 @@ import (
 	"github.com/zrepl/zrepl/platformtest/tests"
 )
 
-func main() {
+var bold = color.New(color.Bold)
+var boldRed = color.New(color.Bold, color.FgHiRed)
+var boldGreen = color.New(color.Bold, color.FgHiGreen)
 
-	var args struct {
-		createArgs            platformtest.ZpoolCreateArgs
-		stopAndKeepPoolOnFail bool
+var args struct {
+	createArgs            platformtest.ZpoolCreateArgs
+	stopAndKeepPoolOnFail bool
+}
+
+func main() {
+	if err := doMain(); err != nil {
+		os.Exit(1)
 	}
+}
+
+var exitWithErr = fmt.Errorf("exit with error")
+
+func doMain() error {
+
 	flag.StringVar(&args.createArgs.PoolName, "poolname", "", "")
 	flag.StringVar(&args.createArgs.ImagePath, "imagepath", "", "")
 	flag.Int64Var(&args.createArgs.ImageSize, "imagesize", 100*(1<<20), "")
@@ -50,48 +64,83 @@ func main() {
 	ctx := platformtest.WithLogger(context.Background(), logger)
 	ex := platformtest.NewEx(logger)
 
-	bold := color.New(color.Bold)
-	boldRed := color.New(color.Bold, color.FgHiRed)
-	boldGreen := color.New(color.Bold, color.FgHiGreen)
 	for _, c := range tests.Cases {
-		// ATTENTION future parallelism must pass c by value into closure!
-		err := func() (err error) {
-			var oErr = &err
-			bold.Printf("BEGIN TEST CASE %s\n", c)
-			pool, err := platformtest.CreateOrReplaceZpool(ctx, ex, args.createArgs)
-			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Wrap(err, "create test pool")
-			}
-			defer func() {
-				if err := recover(); err != nil {
-					*oErr = errors.Errorf("panic while running test: %v", err) // shadow
-					if args.stopAndKeepPoolOnFail {
-						return
-					}
-					// fallthrough
-				}
-				if err := pool.Destroy(ctx, ex); err != nil {
-					fmt.Printf("error destroying test pool: %s", err)
-				}
-			}()
-			ctx := &platformtest.Context{
-				Context:     ctx,
-				RootDataset: filepath.Join(pool.Name(), "rootds"),
-			}
-			c(ctx)
-			return nil
-		}()
+
+		bold.Printf("BEGIN TEST CASE %s\n", c)
+
+		pool, err := platformtest.CreateOrReplaceZpool(ctx, ex, args.createArgs)
 		if err != nil {
-			boldRed.Printf("TEST CASE FAILED WITH ERROR:\n")
-			fmt.Printf("%+v\n", err) // print with stack trace
-			if args.stopAndKeepPoolOnFail {
-				bold.Printf("STOPPING TEST RUN AT FAILING TEST PER USER REQUEST\n")
-				return
-			}
-		} else {
-			boldGreen.Printf("DONE  TEST CASE %s\n", c)
+			panic(errors.Wrap(err, "create test pool"))
 		}
+
+		ctx := &platformtest.Context{
+			Context:     ctx,
+			RootDataset: filepath.Join(pool.Name(), "rootds"),
+		}
+
+		res := runTestCase(ctx, ex, c)
+		if res.failed {
+			fmt.Printf("%+v\n", res.failedStack) // print with stack trace
+		}
+
+		if res.failed && args.stopAndKeepPoolOnFail {
+			boldRed.Printf("STOPPING TEST RUN AT FAILING TEST PER USER REQUEST\n")
+			return exitWithErr
+		}
+
+		if err := pool.Destroy(ctx, ex); err != nil {
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("error destroying test pool: %s", err))
+		}
+
+		if res.failed {
+			boldRed.Printf("TEST FAILED\n")
+		} else if res.skipped {
+			bold.Printf("TEST SKIPPED\n")
+		} else if res.succeeded {
+			boldGreen.Printf("TEST PASSED\n")
+		}
+
 		fmt.Println()
 	}
 
+	return nil
+}
+
+type testCaseResult struct {
+	// oneof
+	failed, skipped, succeeded bool
+
+	failedStack error // has stack inside, valid if failed=true
+}
+
+func runTestCase(ctx *platformtest.Context, ex platformtest.Execer, c tests.Case) testCaseResult {
+
+	// run case
+	var paniced = false
+	var panicValue interface{} = nil
+	var panicStack error
+	func() {
+		defer func() {
+			if item := recover(); item != nil {
+				panicValue = item
+				paniced = true
+				panicStack = errors.Errorf("panic while running test: %v", panicValue)
+			}
+		}()
+		c(ctx)
+	}()
+
+	if paniced {
+		switch panicValue {
+		case platformtest.SkipNowSentinel:
+			return testCaseResult{skipped: true}
+		case platformtest.FailNowSentinel:
+			return testCaseResult{failed: true, failedStack: panicStack}
+		default:
+			return testCaseResult{failed: true, failedStack: panicStack}
+		}
+	} else {
+		return testCaseResult{succeeded: true}
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/platformtest/platformtest.go b/platformtest/platformtest.go
index e506ba7..513c0cc 100644
--- a/platformtest/platformtest.go
+++ b/platformtest/platformtest.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ type Context struct {
 
 var FailNowSentinel = fmt.Errorf("platformtest: FailNow called on context")
 
+var SkipNowSentinel = fmt.Errorf("platformtest: SkipNow called on context")
+
 var _ assert.TestingT = (*Context)(nil)
 var _ require.TestingT = (*Context)(nil)
 
@@ -25,3 +27,7 @@ func (c *Context) Errorf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
 func (c *Context) FailNow() {
 	panic(FailNowSentinel)
 }
+
+func (c *Context) SkipNow() {
+	panic(SkipNowSentinel)
+}