diff --git a/tempest/hacking/checks.py b/tempest/hacking/checks.py
index f297f22..183d422 100644
--- a/tempest/hacking/checks.py
+++ b/tempest/hacking/checks.py
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 import os
 import re
 
+import pep8
+
 
 PYTHON_CLIENTS = ['cinder', 'glance', 'keystone', 'nova', 'swift', 'neutron',
                   'trove', 'ironic', 'savanna', 'heat', 'ceilometer',
@@ -56,6 +58,10 @@
 
 
 def no_setupclass_for_unit_tests(physical_line, filename):
+
+    if pep8.noqa(physical_line):
+        return
+
     if 'tempest/tests' in filename:
         if SETUPCLASS_DEFINITION.match(physical_line):
             return (physical_line.find('def'),
diff --git a/tempest/tests/test_hacking.py b/tempest/tests/test_hacking.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f584cb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tempest/tests/test_hacking.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# Copyright 2014 Matthew Treinish
+#
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#    a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#    under the License.
+
+from tempest.hacking import checks
+from tempest.tests import base
+
+
+class HackingTestCase(base.TestCase):
+    def test_no_setupclass_for_unit_tests(self):
+        self.assertTrue(checks.no_setupclass_for_unit_tests(
+            "  def setUpClass(cls):", './tempest/tests/fake_test.py'))
+        self.assertIsNone(checks.no_setupclass_for_unit_tests(
+            "  def setUpClass(cls): # noqa", './tempest/tests/fake_test.py'))
+        self.assertFalse(checks.no_setupclass_for_unit_tests(
+            "  def setUpClass(cls):", './tempest/api/fake_test.py'))