diff --git a/bin/cmds/test.js b/bin/cmds/test.js
index a649287..fec6b41 100644
--- a/bin/cmds/test.js
+++ b/bin/cmds/test.js
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ exports.builder = (yargs) => (
       description: 'run test suites in parallel',
       default: 1,
     })
+    .option('sort', {
+      alias: 's',
+      describe: 'sort tests in alphabetical order and run sequentially. disables `parallel` mode',
+      boolean: true,
+      default: false,
+    })
     .option('auto_compose', {
       type: 'boolean',
       default: false,
diff --git a/bin/cmds/test_cmds/run.js b/bin/cmds/test_cmds/run.js
index dbaefbc..dc7627a 100644
--- a/bin/cmds/test_cmds/run.js
+++ b/bin/cmds/test_cmds/run.js
@@ -19,15 +19,12 @@ async function echoAndExec(cmd) {
   return execAsync(cmd);
 }
 
-async function loopThroughCmds(arr, makeCmd = (it) => it, concurrency = 1) {
-  await Promise.map(arr, async (instructions) => {
-    const command = makeCmd(instructions);
-    const results = await echoAndExec(command);
-    if (!results || results.code !== 0) {
-      echo(`failed to run ${command}, exiting 128...`);
-      exit(128);
-    }
-  }, { concurrency });
+async function runCommand(cmd) {
+  const results = await echoAndExec(cmd);
+  if (!results || results.code !== 0) {
+    echo(`failed to run ${cmd}, exiting 128...`);
+    exit(128);
+  }
 }
 
 function removeCommonPrefix(from, compareWith) {
@@ -97,10 +94,7 @@ exports.handler = async (argv) => {
   const testFramework = `${argv.root}/${argv.test_framework}`;
   const customRun = argv.custom_run ? `${argv.custom_run} ` : '';
   const runner = `docker exec ${container} /bin/sh`;
-
-  await loopThroughCmds(argv.pre);
-  await loopThroughCmds(argv.arbitrary_exec, (cmd) => `docker exec ${container} ${cmd}`);
-  await loopThroughCmds(testFiles, (test) => {
+  const testCommands = testFiles.map((test) => {
     const testName = removeCommonPrefix(test, argv.tests);
     const coverageDir = `${argv.report_dir}/${testName.substring(0, testName.lastIndexOf('.'))}`;
     const cov = argv.nycCoverage ? `${nyc} --report-dir ${coverageDir}` : '';
@@ -110,7 +104,13 @@ exports.handler = async (argv) => {
       .replace('<coverageDirectory>', coverageDir);
 
     return `${runner} -c "${customRun}${crossEnv} NODE_ENV=test ${cov} ${testBin} ${test}"`;
-  }, argv.parallel);
+  });
+
+  await Promise.map(argv.pre, runCommand);
+  await Promise.map(argv.arbitrary_exec.map((cmd) => `docker exec ${container} ${cmd}`), runCommand);
+  await argv.sort
+    ? Promise.each(testCommands, runCommand)
+    : Promise.map(testCommands, runCommand, { concurrency: argv.parallel || 1 });
 
   // upload codecoverage report
   if (argv.coverage) {
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 8d14558..05966b8 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
     esutils "^2.0.2"
     js-tokens "^4.0.0"
 
-"@babel/parser@^7.0.0", "@babel/parser@^7.1.0", "@babel/parser@^7.4.3", "@babel/parser@^7.4.4", "@babel/parser@^7.5.5":
+"@babel/parser@^7.1.0", "@babel/parser@^7.4.3", "@babel/parser@^7.4.4", "@babel/parser@^7.5.5":
   version "7.5.5"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@babel/parser/-/parser-7.5.5.tgz#02f077ac8817d3df4a832ef59de67565e71cca4b"
   integrity sha512-E5BN68cqR7dhKan1SfqgPGhQ178bkVKpXTPEXnFJBrEt8/DKRZlybmy+IgYLTeN7tp1R5Ccmbm2rBk17sHYU3g==
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@
     "@babel/parser" "^7.4.4"
     "@babel/types" "^7.4.4"
 
-"@babel/traverse@^7.0.0", "@babel/traverse@^7.1.0", "@babel/traverse@^7.4.3", "@babel/traverse@^7.5.5":
+"@babel/traverse@^7.1.0", "@babel/traverse@^7.4.3", "@babel/traverse@^7.5.5":
   version "7.5.5"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@babel/traverse/-/traverse-7.5.5.tgz#f664f8f368ed32988cd648da9f72d5ca70f165bb"
   integrity sha512-MqB0782whsfffYfSjH4TM+LMjrJnhCNEDMDIjeTpl+ASaUvxcjoiVCo/sM1GhS1pHOXYfWVCYneLjMckuUxDaQ==
@@ -1099,18 +1099,6 @@ aws4@^1.8.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/aws4/-/aws4-1.8.0.tgz#f0e003d9ca9e7f59c7a508945d7b2ef9a04a542f"
   integrity sha512-ReZxvNHIOv88FlT7rxcXIIC0fPt4KZqZbOlivyWtXLt8ESx84zd3kMC6iK5jVeS2qt+g7ftS7ye4fi06X5rtRQ==
 
-babel-eslint@10.0.3:
-  version "10.0.3"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-eslint/-/babel-eslint-10.0.3.tgz#81a2c669be0f205e19462fed2482d33e4687a88a"
-  integrity sha512-z3U7eMY6r/3f3/JB9mTsLjyxrv0Yb1zb8PCWCLpguxfCzBIZUwy23R1t/XKewP+8mEN2Ck8Dtr4q20z6ce6SoA==
-  dependencies:
-    "@babel/code-frame" "^7.0.0"
-    "@babel/parser" "^7.0.0"
-    "@babel/traverse" "^7.0.0"
-    "@babel/types" "^7.0.0"
-    eslint-visitor-keys "^1.0.0"
-    resolve "^1.12.0"
-
 babel-jest@^24.9.0:
   version "24.9.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-jest/-/babel-jest-24.9.0.tgz#3fc327cb8467b89d14d7bc70e315104a783ccd54"
@@ -1986,7 +1974,7 @@ debug@^4.0.0, debug@^4.0.1, debug@^4.1.0, debug@^4.1.1:
   dependencies:
     ms "^2.1.1"
 
-debuglog@*, debuglog@^1.0.1:
+debuglog@^1.0.1:
   version "1.0.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/debuglog/-/debuglog-1.0.1.tgz#aa24ffb9ac3df9a2351837cfb2d279360cd78492"
   integrity sha1-qiT/uaw9+aI1GDfPstJ5NgzXhJI=
@@ -3325,7 +3313,7 @@ import-local@^2.0.0:
     pkg-dir "^3.0.0"
     resolve-cwd "^2.0.0"
 
-imurmurhash@*, imurmurhash@^0.1.4:
+imurmurhash@^0.1.4:
   version "0.1.4"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/imurmurhash/-/imurmurhash-0.1.4.tgz#9218b9b2b928a238b13dc4fb6b6d576f231453ea"
   integrity sha1-khi5srkoojixPcT7a21XbyMUU+o=
@@ -4537,11 +4525,6 @@ lockfile@^1.0.4:
   dependencies:
     signal-exit "^3.0.2"
 
-lodash._baseindexof@*:
-  version "3.1.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash._baseindexof/-/lodash._baseindexof-3.1.0.tgz#fe52b53a1c6761e42618d654e4a25789ed61822c"
-  integrity sha1-/lK1OhxnYeQmGNZU5KJXie1hgiw=
-
 lodash._baseuniq@~4.6.0:
   version "4.6.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash._baseuniq/-/lodash._baseuniq-4.6.0.tgz#0ebb44e456814af7905c6212fa2c9b2d51b841e8"
@@ -4550,33 +4533,11 @@ lodash._baseuniq@~4.6.0:
     lodash._createset "~4.0.0"
     lodash._root "~3.0.0"
 
-lodash._bindcallback@*:
-  version "3.0.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash._bindcallback/-/lodash._bindcallback-3.0.1.tgz#e531c27644cf8b57a99e17ed95b35c748789392e"
-  integrity sha1-5THCdkTPi1epnhftlbNcdIeJOS4=
-
-lodash._cacheindexof@*:
-  version "3.0.2"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash._cacheindexof/-/lodash._cacheindexof-3.0.2.tgz#3dc69ac82498d2ee5e3ce56091bafd2adc7bde92"
-  integrity sha1-PcaayCSY0u5ePOVgkbr9Ktx73pI=
-
-lodash._createcache@*:
-  version "3.1.2"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash._createcache/-/lodash._createcache-3.1.2.tgz#56d6a064017625e79ebca6b8018e17440bdcf093"
-  integrity sha1-VtagZAF2JeeevKa4AY4XRAvc8JM=
-  dependencies:
-    lodash._getnative "^3.0.0"
-
 lodash._createset@~4.0.0:
   version "4.0.3"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash._createset/-/lodash._createset-4.0.3.tgz#0f4659fbb09d75194fa9e2b88a6644d363c9fe26"
   integrity sha1-D0ZZ+7CddRlPqeK4imZE02PJ/iY=
 
-lodash._getnative@*, lodash._getnative@^3.0.0:
-  version "3.9.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash._getnative/-/lodash._getnative-3.9.1.tgz#570bc7dede46d61cdcde687d65d3eecbaa3aaff5"
-  integrity sha1-VwvH3t5G1hzc3mh9ZdPuy6o6r/U=
-
 lodash._reinterpolate@^3.0.0:
   version "3.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash._reinterpolate/-/lodash._reinterpolate-3.0.0.tgz#0ccf2d89166af03b3663c796538b75ac6e114d9d"
@@ -4637,11 +4598,6 @@ lodash.reduce@^4.6.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash.reduce/-/lodash.reduce-4.6.0.tgz#f1ab6b839299ad48f784abbf476596f03b914d3b"
   integrity sha1-8atrg5KZrUj3hKu/R2WW8DuRTTs=
 
-lodash.restparam@*:
-  version "3.6.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash.restparam/-/lodash.restparam-3.6.1.tgz#936a4e309ef330a7645ed4145986c85ae5b20805"
-  integrity sha1-k2pOMJ7zMKdkXtQUWYbIWuWyCAU=
-
 lodash.set@^4.3.2:
   version "4.3.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lodash.set/-/lodash.set-4.3.2.tgz#d8757b1da807dde24816b0d6a84bea1a76230b23"
@@ -6553,7 +6509,7 @@ resolve@1.1.7:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/resolve/-/resolve-1.1.7.tgz#203114d82ad2c5ed9e8e0411b3932875e889e97b"
   integrity sha1-IDEU2CrSxe2ejgQRs5ModeiJ6Xs=
 
-resolve@^1.1.6, resolve@^1.10.0, resolve@^1.11.0, resolve@^1.12.0, resolve@^1.3.2, resolve@^1.5.0:
+resolve@^1.1.6, resolve@^1.10.0, resolve@^1.11.0, resolve@^1.3.2, resolve@^1.5.0:
   version "1.12.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/resolve/-/resolve-1.12.0.tgz#3fc644a35c84a48554609ff26ec52b66fa577df6"
   integrity sha512-B/dOmuoAik5bKcD6s6nXDCjzUKnaDvdkRyAk6rsmsKLipWj4797iothd7jmmUhWTfinVMU+wc56rYKsit2Qy4w==