diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2042aa7c8c..395f0f8a58 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -70,4 +70,8 @@ StyleCopViolations.xml
 
 # SublimeText
 *.sublime-project
-*.sublime-workspace
\ No newline at end of file
+*.sublime-workspace
+
+# NUnit
+/TestResult.xml
+/lib/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c7cc89ac5a..9ac467a218 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
 # to compile with development tools, run:
 #   make all [DEBUG=false]
 #
+# to check unit tests (requires NUnit version >= 2.6), run:
+#  make nunit [NUNIT_CONSOLE=<path-to/nunit[2]-console>] [NUNIT_LIBS_PATH=<path-to-libs-dir>] [NUNIT_LIBS=<nunit-libs>]
+#      Use NUNIT_CONSOLE if nunit[2|3]-console was not downloaded by `make dependencies` nor is it not in bin search paths
+#      Use NUNIT_LIBS_PATH if NUnit libs are not in search paths. Include trailing /
+#      Use NUNIT_LIBS if NUnit libs have different names (such as including a prefix or suffix)
 # to check the official mods for erroneous yaml files, run:
 #   make test
 #
@@ -223,12 +228,21 @@ check: utility mods
 	@echo "Checking for code style violations in OpenRA.Test..."
 	@mono --debug OpenRA.Utility.exe ra --check-code-style OpenRA.Test
 
-NUNIT_CONSOLE := $(shell which nunit2-console 2>/dev/null || which nunit3-console 2>/dev/null || which nunit-console 2>/dev/null)
+NUNIT_CONSOLE := $(shell test -f thirdparty/download/nunit-console.exe && echo mono thirdparty/download/nunit-console.exe || \
+	which nunit2-console 2>/dev/null || which nunit3-console 2>/dev/null || which nunit-console 2>/dev/null)
 nunit: test_dll
 	@echo
 	@echo "Checking unit tests..."
-	@if [ "$(NUNIT_CONSOLE)" = "" ] ;then echo 'nunit[2|3]-console not found! Is NUnit installed?'>&2; exit 1; fi
-	@if $(NUNIT_CONSOLE) --help | head -n 1 | grep -E "NUnit version (1|2\.[0-5])";then echo 'NUnit version >= 2.6 required'>&2; exit 1; fi
+	@if [ "$(NUNIT_CONSOLE)" = "" ] ; then \
+		echo 'nunit[2|3]-console not found!'; \
+		echo 'Was "make dependencies" called or is NUnit installed?'>&2; \
+		echo 'see "make help"'; \
+		exit 1; \
+	fi
+	@if $(NUNIT_CONSOLE) --help | head -n 1 | grep -E "NUnit version (1|2\.[0-5])";then \
+		echo 'NUnit version >= 2.6 required'>&2; \
+		exit 1; \
+	fi
 	@$(NUNIT_CONSOLE) $(test_dll_TARGET)
 
 test: utility mods
@@ -466,7 +480,7 @@ help:
 	@echo
 	@echo 'to check unit tests (requires NUnit version >= 2.6), run:'
 	@echo '  make nunit [NUNIT_CONSOLE=<path-to/nunit[2]-console>] [NUNIT_LIBS_PATH=<path-to-libs-dir>] [NUNIT_LIBS=<nunit-libs>]'
-	@echo '     Use NUNIT_CONSOLE if nunit[2|3]-console is not in bin search paths'
+	@echo '     Use NUNIT_CONSOLE if nunit[2|3]-console was not downloaded by `make dependencies` nor is it not in bin search paths'
 	@echo '     Use NUNIT_LIBS_PATH if NUnit libs are not in search paths. Include trailing /'
 	@echo '     Use NUNIT_LIBS if NUnit libs have different names (such as including a prefix or suffix)'
 	@echo
diff --git a/thirdparty/fetch-thirdparty-deps.sh b/thirdparty/fetch-thirdparty-deps.sh
index bc7f14bc09..847e29be39 100755
--- a/thirdparty/fetch-thirdparty-deps.sh
+++ b/thirdparty/fetch-thirdparty-deps.sh
@@ -78,6 +78,16 @@ if [ ! -f nunit.framework.dll ]; then
 	rm -rf NUnit
 fi
 
+if [ ! -f nunit-console.exe ]; then
+	echo "Fetching NUnit.Runners from NuGet"
+	get NUnit.Runners 2.6.4
+	cp ./NUnit.Runners/tools/nunit-console.exe .
+	chmod +x nunit-console.exe
+	cp ./NUnit.Runners/tools/nunit-console.exe.config .
+	cp -R ./NUnit.Runners/tools/lib .
+	rm -rf NUnit.Runners
+fi
+
 if [ ! -f Mono.Nat.dll ]; then
 	echo "Fetching Mono.Nat from NuGet"
 	get Mono.Nat 1.2.21
@@ -107,4 +117,4 @@ if [ ! -f SmarIrc4net.dll ]; then
 	get SmartIrc4net 0.4.5.1
 	cp ./SmartIrc4net/lib/net40/SmarIrc4net* .
 	rm -rf SmartIrc4net
-fi
\ No newline at end of file
+fi