diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 5dfbef63fe..83996348e4 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ Do you want to continue?</input>
     <property name="maven.repo.local" value="${user.home}/.m2/repository" />
     <property name="maven.debug" value="-e" />
     <property name="maven.test.skip" value="false" />
+    <property name="skipTests" value="false" />
     <property name="surefire.useFile" value="true" />
     <property name="maven.test.redirectTestOutputToFile" value="${surefire.useFile}" />
     <echo>maven.home = ${maven.home}</echo>
@@ -233,6 +234,7 @@ Do you want to continue?</input>
       <arg value="clean" />
       <arg value="install" />
       <arg value="-Dmaven.test.skip=${maven.test.skip}" />
+      <arg value="-DskipTests=${skipTests}" />
       <arg value="-Dmaven.repo.local=${maven.repo.local}" />
       <arg value="-Dsurefire.useFile=${surefire.useFile}" />
       <arg value="-Dmaven.test.redirectTestOutputToFile=${maven.test.redirectTestOutputToFile}" />