diff --git a/test/bin/cluster.bash b/test/bin/cluster.bash
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..91d5b1e431
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/bin/cluster.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# Script for bringing up an N node consul cluster
+# on the local machine on different ports.
+#
+# The first node is listening on the default ports
+# so that the command line tool works.
+#
+# Examples:
+#
+# 3-node cluster:
+#
+#  $ consul-cluster.bash
+#  $ consul-cluster.bash 3
+#
+# 5-node cluster with specific consul version:
+#
+#  $ consul-cluster.bash 5 ~/consul-0.7.5/consul
+
+config() {
+	local port=${1:-0}
+	local name="consul${port}"
+	local nodeid=$(printf "00000000-0000-0000-0000-%012d" $port)
+	local path="$DIR/${name}"
+
+	cat << EOF > "${path}/a.json"
+{
+	"server"           : true,
+	"node_id"          : "${nodeid}",
+	"node_name"        : "${name}",
+	"data_dir"         : "${name}/data",
+	"pid_file"         : "${name}/pid",
+	"bind_addr"        : "127.0.0.1",
+	"retry_join"       : ["127.0.0.1:8301","127.0.0.1:8304","127.0.0.1:8307"],
+	"bootstrap_expect" : ${N},
+	"ports" : {
+		"http"     : $((8500 + $port)),
+		"dns"      : $((8600 + $port)),
+		"server"   : $((8300 + 3*$port)),
+		"serf_lan" : $((8301 + 3*$port)),
+		"serf_wan" : $((8302 + 3*$port)),
+		"rpc"      : $((8400 + $port))
+	}
+}
+EOF
+}
+
+trap cleanup EXIT TERM KILL
+
+jobs=
+cleanup() {
+	[ "$jobs" == "" ] || kill $jobs
+	[ "$CLEANDIR" == "y" -a "$DIR" != "" ] && rm -rf "$DIR"
+}
+
+run() {
+	local port=$1
+	local name=consul${port}
+	local path="$DIR/${name}"
+
+	rm -rf "${path}"
+	mkdir -p "${path}"
+	config $port
+	$CONSUL agent -config-dir "${path}" 2>&1 | tee "${path}/log" &
+	jobs="$jobs $!"
+}
+
+N=3
+CONSUL=$(which consul)
+CLEANDIR=y
+SLEEP=y
+
+while test $# -gt 0 ; do
+	case "$1" in
+		-d|--dir)
+			shift
+			DIR=$1
+			CLEANDIR=n
+			shift
+			;;
+		-n|--nodes)
+			shift
+			N=$1
+			shift
+			;;
+		-q|--quick)
+			shift
+			SLEEP=n
+			;;
+		-x|--consul)
+			shift
+			CONSUL=$1
+			shift
+			;;
+		*)
+			echo "Usage: $(basename $0) [-n nodes] [-x consul] [-d dir]"
+			echo ""
+			echo " -h, --help            brief help"
+			echo " -d, --dir temp dir    path to the temp directory, default is $DIR"
+			echo " -n, --nodes nodes     number of nodes to start, default is $N"
+			echo " -q, --quick           do not wait during startup"
+			echo " -x, --consul consul   consul binary, default is $CONSUL"
+			exit 0
+			;;
+	esac
+done
+
+[ "$DIR" == "" ] && DIR=$(mktemp -d /tmp/consul-cluster-XXXXXXX)
+
+echo "Starting $N node cluster. exe=$CONSUL data=$DIR"
+[ "$CLEANDIR" == "y" ] && echo "Data files will be removed"
+echo "Stop with CTRL-C"
+echo ""
+[ "$SLEEP" == "y" ] && sleep 3
+
+for ((i=0 ; i < N ; i++)) ; do run $i ; done
+
+wait