diff --git a/src/test/regress/Makefile b/src/test/regress/Makefile
index 4d72f20ac..7ad661a36 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/Makefile
+++ b/src/test/regress/Makefile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ endif
 ## Citus regression support
 ##
 MULTI_INSTALLDIR=$(CURDIR)/tmp_check/install
-pg_regress_multi_check = $(PERL) $(citus_abs_srcdir)/pg_regress_multi.pl --pgxsdir="$(pgxsdir)" --bindir="$(bindir)" --libdir="$(libdir)" --majorversion="$(MAJORVERSION)"
+pg_regress_multi_check = $(PERL) $(citus_abs_srcdir)/pg_regress_multi.pl --pgxsdir="$(pgxsdir)" --bindir="$(bindir)" --libdir="$(libdir)" --majorversion="$(MAJORVERSION)" --postgres-builddir="$(postgres_abs_builddir)"  --postgres-srcdir="$(postgres_abs_srcdir)"
 MULTI_REGRESS_OPTS = --inputdir=$(citus_abs_srcdir) $(pg_regress_locale_flags)
 
 # XXX: Can't actually do useful testruns against install - $libdir
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ check-multi: all tempinstall-main
 	$(pg_regress_multi_check) --load-extension=citus \
 	-- $(MULTI_REGRESS_OPTS) --schedule=$(citus_abs_srcdir)/multi_schedule $(EXTRA_TESTS)
 
+check-isolation: all tempinstall-main
+	$(pg_regress_multi_check) --load-extension=citus --isolationtester \
+	-- $(MULTI_REGRESS_OPTS) --schedule=$(citus_abs_srcdir)/isolation_schedule $(EXTRA_TESTS)
+
 check-multi-task-tracker-extra: all tempinstall-main
 	$(pg_regress_multi_check) --load-extension=citus \
 	--server-option=citus.task_executor_type=task-tracker \
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_cluster_management.out b/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_cluster_management.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8ee09c894
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_cluster_management.out
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+Parsed test spec with 1 sessions
+
+starting permutation: s1a
+step s1a: 
+    SELECT master_add_node('localhost', 57637);
+    SELECT master_add_node('localhost', 57638);
+
+master_add_node
+
+(1,1,localhost,57637,default,f)
+master_add_node
+
+(2,2,localhost,57638,default,f)
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_concurrent_dml.out b/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_concurrent_dml.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a5e6a1737
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/isolation_concurrent_dml.out
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+Parsed test spec with 2 sessions
+
+starting permutation: s1-begin s1-insert s2-update s1-commit
+master_create_worker_shards
+
+               
+step s1-begin: 
+    BEGIN;
+
+step s1-insert: 
+    INSERT INTO test_table VALUES(1);
+
+step s2-update: 
+    UPDATE test_table SET data = 'blarg' WHERE test_id = 1;
+ <waiting ...>
+step s1-commit: 
+    COMMIT;
+
+step s2-update: <... completed>
+
+starting permutation: s1-insert s2-update
+master_create_worker_shards
+
+               
+step s1-insert: 
+    INSERT INTO test_table VALUES(1);
+
+step s2-update: 
+    UPDATE test_table SET data = 'blarg' WHERE test_id = 1;
+
diff --git a/src/test/regress/isolation_schedule b/src/test/regress/isolation_schedule
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d702c065f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/regress/isolation_schedule
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+test: isolation_cluster_management
+test: isolation_concurrent_dml
diff --git a/src/test/regress/pg_regress_multi.pl b/src/test/regress/pg_regress_multi.pl
index a38e810b6..99407ac51 100755
--- a/src/test/regress/pg_regress_multi.pl
+++ b/src/test/regress/pg_regress_multi.pl
@@ -26,8 +26,11 @@ sub Usage()
     print "  pg_regress_multi [MULTI OPTIONS] -- [PG REGRESS OPTS]\n";
     print "\n";
     print "Multi Options:\n";
+    print "  --isolationtester   Run isolationtester tests instead of plain tests\n";
     print "  --bindir            Path to postgres binary directory\n";
     print "  --libdir            Path to postgres library directory\n";
+    print "  --postgres-builddir Path to postgres build directory\n";
+    print "  --postgres-srcdir Path to postgres build directory\n";
     print "  --pgxsdir           Path to the PGXS directory\n";
     print "  --load-extension    Extensions to install in all nodes\n";
     print "  --server-option     Config option to pass to the server\n";
@@ -35,9 +38,12 @@ sub Usage()
 }
 
 # Option parsing
+my $isolationtester = 0;
 my $bindir = "";
 my $libdir = undef;
 my $pgxsdir = "";
+my $postgresBuilddir = "";
+my $postgresSrcdir = "";
 my $majorversion = "";
 my @extensions = ();
 my @userPgOptions = ();
@@ -50,9 +56,12 @@ my %operators = ();
 my $serversAreShutdown = "TRUE";
 
 GetOptions(
+    'isolationtester' => \$isolationtester,
     'bindir=s' => \$bindir,
     'libdir=s' => \$libdir,
     'pgxsdir=s' => \$pgxsdir,
+    'postgres-builddir=s' => \$postgresBuilddir,
+    'postgres-srcdir=s' => \$postgresSrcdir,
     'majorversion=s' => \$majorversion,
     'load-extension=s' => \@extensions,
     'server-option=s' => \@userPgOptions,
@@ -73,6 +82,25 @@ if (defined $libdir)
     $ENV{PATH} = "$libdir:".($ENV{PATH} || '');
 }
 
+my $plainRegress = "$pgxsdir/src/test/regress/pg_regress";
+my $isolationRegress = "${postgresBuilddir}/src/test/isolation/pg_isolation_regress";
+if ($isolationtester && ! -f "$isolationRegress")
+{
+    die <<"MESSAGE";
+
+isolationtester not found at $isolationRegress.
+
+isolationtester tests can only be run when source (detected as ${postgresSrcdir})
+and build (detected as ${postgresBuilddir}) directory corresponding to $bindir
+are present.
+
+Additionally isolationtester in src/test/isolation needs to be built,
+which it is not by default if tests have not been run. If the build
+directory is present locally
+"make -C ${postgresBuilddir} all" should do the trick.
+MESSAGE
+}
+
 # Set some default configuration options
 my $masterPort = 57636;
 my $workerCount = 2;
@@ -313,8 +341,17 @@ push(@arguments, @ARGV);
 my $startTime = time();
 
 # Finally run the tests
-system("$pgxsdir/src/test/regress/pg_regress", @arguments) == 0
-    or die "Could not run regression tests";
+if (!$isolationtester)
+{
+    system("$plainRegress", @arguments) == 0
+	or die "Could not run regression tests";
+}
+else
+{
+    push(@arguments, "--dbname=regression");
+    system("$isolationRegress", @arguments) == 0
+	or die "Could not run isolation tests";
+}
 
 my $endTime = time();
 
diff --git a/src/test/regress/specs/isolation_cluster_management.spec b/src/test/regress/specs/isolation_cluster_management.spec
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..19c9d8001
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/regress/specs/isolation_cluster_management.spec
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+session "s1"
+step "s1a"
+{
+    SELECT master_add_node('localhost', 57637);
+    SELECT master_add_node('localhost', 57638);
+}
+
+permutation "s1a"
diff --git a/src/test/regress/specs/isolation_concurrent_dml.spec b/src/test/regress/specs/isolation_concurrent_dml.spec
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3288d7521
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/regress/specs/isolation_concurrent_dml.spec
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+setup
+{
+    CREATE TABLE test_table (test_id integer NOT NULL, data text);
+    SELECT master_create_distributed_table('test_table', 'test_id', 'hash');
+    SELECT master_create_worker_shards('test_table', 4, 2);
+}
+
+teardown
+{
+    DROP TABLE IF EXISTS test_table CASCADE;
+}
+
+session "s1"
+
+step "s1-begin"
+{
+    BEGIN;
+}
+
+step "s1-insert"
+{
+    INSERT INTO test_table VALUES(1);
+}
+
+step "s1-commit"
+{
+    COMMIT;
+}
+
+session "s2"
+
+step "s2-update"
+{
+    UPDATE test_table SET data = 'blarg' WHERE test_id = 1;
+}
+
+# verify that an in-progress insert blocks concurrent updates
+permutation "s1-begin" "s1-insert" "s2-update" "s1-commit"
+# but an insert without xact will not block
+permutation "s1-insert" "s2-update"