diff --git a/Lib/unittest/case.py b/Lib/unittest/case.py
index 004a9f5..0277ac8 100644
--- a/Lib/unittest/case.py
+++ b/Lib/unittest/case.py
@@ -274,12 +274,17 @@
         """
         self._testMethodName = methodName
         self._outcomeForDoCleanups = None
+        self._testMethodDoc = 'No test'
         try:
             testMethod = getattr(self, methodName)
         except AttributeError:
-            raise ValueError("no such test method in %s: %s" %
-                  (self.__class__, methodName))
-        self._testMethodDoc = testMethod.__doc__
+            if methodName != 'runTest':
+                # we allow instantiation with no explicit method name
+                # but not an *incorrect* or missing method name
+                raise ValueError("no such test method in %s: %s" %
+                      (self.__class__, methodName))
+        else:
+            self._testMethodDoc = testMethod.__doc__
         self._cleanups = []
 
         # Map types to custom assertEqual functions that will compare
diff --git a/Lib/unittest/test/test_case.py b/Lib/unittest/test/test_case.py
index 9a09dfa..1513fbe 100644
--- a/Lib/unittest/test/test_case.py
+++ b/Lib/unittest/test/test_case.py
@@ -77,6 +77,16 @@
 
         self.assertEqual(Test().id()[-13:], '.Test.runTest')
 
+        # test that TestCase can be instantiated with no args
+        # primarily for use at the interactive interpreter
+        test = unittest.TestCase()
+        test.assertEqual(3, 3)
+        with test.assertRaises(test.failureException):
+            test.assertEqual(3, 2)
+
+        with self.assertRaises(AttributeError):
+            test.run()
+
     # "class TestCase([methodName])"
     # ...
     # "Each instance of TestCase will run a single test method: the