diff --git a/cmd/operator-sdk/test/local.go b/cmd/operator-sdk/test/local.go
index fd1bd48130d..6b247b18df6 100644
--- a/cmd/operator-sdk/test/local.go
+++ b/cmd/operator-sdk/test/local.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ type testLocalConfig struct {
 	noSetup           bool
 	debug             bool
 	image             string
+	operatorFlags     string
 }
 
 var tlConfig testLocalConfig
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ func newTestLocalCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	testCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&tlConfig.noSetup, "no-setup", false, "Disable test resource creation")
 	testCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&tlConfig.debug, "debug", false, "Enable debug-level logging")
 	testCmd.Flags().StringVar(&tlConfig.image, "image", "", "Use a different operator image from the one specified in the namespaced manifest")
+	testCmd.Flags().StringVar(&tlConfig.operatorFlags, "operator-flags", "", "The flags that the operator needs (while using --up-local). Example: \"--flag1 value1 --flag2=value2\"")
 
 	return testCmd
 }
@@ -207,6 +209,9 @@ func testLocalGoFunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 	if tlConfig.upLocal {
 		testArgs = append(testArgs, "-"+test.LocalOperatorFlag)
+		if tlConfig.operatorFlags != "" {
+			testArgs = append(testArgs, "-"+test.OperatorFlags, tlConfig.operatorFlags)
+		}
 	}
 	opts := projutil.GoTestOptions{
 		GoCmdOptions: projutil.GoCmdOptions{
diff --git a/pkg/test/main_entry.go b/pkg/test/main_entry.go
index dfe49a440f5..fbb57a259ce 100644
--- a/pkg/test/main_entry.go
+++ b/pkg/test/main_entry.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"os/signal"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ const (
 	SingleNamespaceFlag   = "singleNamespace"
 	TestNamespaceEnv      = "TEST_NAMESPACE"
 	LocalOperatorFlag     = "localOperator"
+	OperatorFlags         = "operatorFlags"
 )
 
 func MainEntry(m *testing.M) {
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ func MainEntry(m *testing.M) {
 	namespacedManPath := flag.String(NamespacedManPathFlag, "", "path to rbac manifest")
 	singleNamespace = flag.Bool(SingleNamespaceFlag, false, "enable single namespace mode")
 	localOperator := flag.Bool(LocalOperatorFlag, false, "enable if operator is running locally (not in cluster)")
+	operatorFlags := flag.String(OperatorFlags, "", "flags that the operator needs (while using --up-local). example: \"--flag1 value1 --flag2=value2\"")
 	flag.Parse()
 	// go test always runs from the test directory; change to project root
 	err := os.Chdir(*projRoot)
@@ -74,7 +77,11 @@ func MainEntry(m *testing.M) {
 		if err := projutil.GoBuild(opts); err != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("Failed to build local operator binary: %s", err)
 		}
-		localCmd = exec.Command(outputBinName)
+		args := []string{}
+		if *operatorFlags != "" {
+			args = append(args, strings.Split(*operatorFlags, " ")...)
+		}
+		localCmd = exec.Command(outputBinName, args...)
 		localCmd.Stdout = &localCmdOutBuf
 		localCmd.Stderr = &localCmdErrBuf
 		c := make(chan os.Signal)