diff --git a/Lib/bdb.py b/Lib/bdb.py
index 6dc54ed..3b4f991 100644
--- a/Lib/bdb.py
+++ b/Lib/bdb.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Debugger basics"""
 
+import fnmatch
 import sys
 import os
 import types
@@ -19,7 +20,8 @@
     The standard debugger class (pdb.Pdb) is an example.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, skip=None):
+        self.skip = set(skip) if skip else None
         self.breaks = {}
         self.fncache = {}
 
@@ -94,9 +96,18 @@
     # methods, but they may if they want to redefine the
     # definition of stopping and breakpoints.
 
+    def is_skipped_module(self, module_name):
+        for pattern in self.skip:
+            if fnmatch.fnmatch(module_name, pattern):
+                return True
+        return False
+
     def stop_here(self, frame):
         # (CT) stopframe may now also be None, see dispatch_call.
         # (CT) the former test for None is therefore removed from here.
+        if self.skip and \
+               self.is_skipped_module(frame.f_globals.get('__name__')):
+            return False
         if frame is self.stopframe:
             return frame.f_lineno >= self.stoplineno
         while frame is not None and frame is not self.stopframe:
diff --git a/Lib/pdb.py b/Lib/pdb.py
index 22fc4c5..c9c66c5 100755
--- a/Lib/pdb.py
+++ b/Lib/pdb.py
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@
 
 class Pdb(bdb.Bdb, cmd.Cmd):
 
-    def __init__(self, completekey='tab', stdin=None, stdout=None):
-        bdb.Bdb.__init__(self)
+    def __init__(self, completekey='tab', stdin=None, stdout=None, skip=None):
+        bdb.Bdb.__init__(self, skip=skip)
         cmd.Cmd.__init__(self, completekey, stdin, stdout)
         if stdout:
             self.use_rawinput = 0
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pdb.py b/Lib/test/test_pdb.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bcd4853
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pdb.py
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+# A test suite for pdb; at the moment, this only validates skipping of
+# specified test modules (RFE #5142).
+
+import imp
+import os
+import sys
+import doctest
+import tempfile
+
+from test import support
+# This little helper class is essential for testing pdb under doctest.
+from test.test_doctest import _FakeInput
+
+
+def test_pdb_skip_modules():
+    """This illustrates the simple case of module skipping.
+
+    >>> def skip_module():
+    ...     import string
+    ...     import pdb; pdb.Pdb(skip=['stri*']).set_trace()
+    ...     string.capwords('FOO')
+    >>> real_stdin = sys.stdin
+    >>> sys.stdin = _FakeInput([
+    ...    'step',
+    ...    'continue',
+    ...    ])
+
+    >>> try:
+    ...     skip_module()
+    ... finally:
+    ...     sys.stdin = real_stdin
+    > <doctest test.test_pdb.test_pdb_skip_modules[0]>(4)skip_module()
+    -> string.capwords('FOO')
+    (Pdb) step
+    --Return--
+    > <doctest test.test_pdb.test_pdb_skip_modules[0]>(4)skip_module()->None
+    -> string.capwords('FOO')
+    (Pdb) continue
+"""
+
+
+# Module for testing skipping of module that makes a callback
+mod = imp.new_module('module_to_skip')
+exec('def foo_pony(callback): x = 1; callback(); return None', mod.__dict__)
+
+
+def test_pdb_skip_modules_with_callback():
+    """This illustrates skipping of modules that call into other code.
+
+    >>> def skip_module():
+    ...     def callback():
+    ...         return None
+    ...     import pdb;pdb.Pdb(skip=['module_to_skip*']).set_trace()
+    ...     mod.foo_pony(callback)
+    >>> real_stdin = sys.stdin
+    >>> sys.stdin = _FakeInput([
+    ...    'step',
+    ...    'step',
+    ...    'step',
+    ...    'step',
+    ...    'step',
+    ...    'continue',
+    ...    ])
+
+    >>> try:
+    ...     skip_module()
+    ... finally:
+    ...     sys.stdin = real_stdin
+    > <doctest test.test_pdb.test_pdb_skip_modules_with_callback[0]>(5)skip_module()
+    -> mod.foo_pony(callback)
+    (Pdb) step
+    --Call--
+    > <doctest test.test_pdb.test_pdb_skip_modules_with_callback[0]>(2)callback()
+    -> def callback():
+    (Pdb) step
+    > <doctest test.test_pdb.test_pdb_skip_modules_with_callback[0]>(3)callback()
+    -> return None
+    (Pdb) step
+    --Return--
+    > <doctest test.test_pdb.test_pdb_skip_modules_with_callback[0]>(3)callback()->None
+    -> return None
+    (Pdb) step
+    --Return--
+    > <doctest test.test_pdb.test_pdb_skip_modules_with_callback[0]>(5)skip_module()->None
+    -> mod.foo_pony(callback)
+    (Pdb) step
+    > <doctest test.test_pdb.test_pdb_skip_modules_with_callback[3]>(4)<module>()
+    -> sys.stdin = real_stdin
+    (Pdb) continue
+"""
+
+
+def test_main():
+    from test import test_pdb
+    support.run_doctest(test_pdb, verbosity=True)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    test_main()