diff --git a/test/functional/create_cache.py b/test/functional/create_cache.py
--- a/test/functional/create_cache.py
+++ b/test/functional/create_cache.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
     def set_test_params(self):
         self.num_nodes = 0
+        self.supports_cli = True
 
     def setup_network(self):
         pass
diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_framework.py
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
         self.setup_clean_chain = False
         self.nodes = []
         self.mocktime = 0
+        self.supports_cli = False
 
     def main(self):
         """Main function. This should not be overridden by the subclass test scripts."""
@@ -95,6 +96,8 @@
                             help="Location of the test framework config file")
         parser.add_argument("--pdbonfailure", dest="pdbonfailure", default=False, action="store_true",
                             help="Attach a python debugger if test fails")
+        parser.add_argument("--usecli", dest="usecli", default=False, action="store_true",
+                            help="use bitcoin-cli instead of RPC for all commands")
         self.add_options(parser)
         self.options = parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -122,6 +125,9 @@
         success = TestStatus.FAILED
 
         try:
+            if self.options.usecli and not self.supports_cli:
+                raise SkipTest(
+                    "--usecli specified but test does not support using CLI")
             self.setup_chain()
             self.setup_network()
             self.run_test()
@@ -239,7 +245,7 @@
         assert_equal(len(binary), num_nodes)
         for i in range(num_nodes):
             self.nodes.append(TestNode(i, self.options.tmpdir, extra_args[i], rpchost, rpc_port=rpc_port(i), p2p_port=p2p_port(i),
-                                       timewait=timewait, binary=binary[i], stderr=None, mocktime=self.mocktime, coverage_dir=self.options.coveragedir))
+                                       timewait=timewait, binary=binary[i], stderr=None, mocktime=self.mocktime, coverage_dir=self.options.coveragedir, use_cli=self.options.usecli))
 
     def start_node(self, i, extra_args=None, stderr=None):
         """Start a bitcoind"""
diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     To make things easier for the test writer, any unrecognised messages will
     be dispatched to the RPC connection."""
 
-    def __init__(self, i, dirname, extra_args, host, rpc_port, p2p_port, timewait, binary, stderr, mocktime, coverage_dir):
+    def __init__(self, i, dirname, extra_args, host, rpc_port, p2p_port, timewait, binary, stderr, mocktime, coverage_dir, use_cli=False):
         self.index = i
         self.datadir = os.path.join(dirname, "node" + str(i))
         self.host = host
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
 
         self.cli = TestNodeCLI(
             os.getenv("BITCOINCLI", "bitcoin-cli"), self.datadir)
+        self.use_cli = use_cli
 
         self.running = False
         self.process = None
@@ -80,10 +81,13 @@
         self.p2ps = []
 
     def __getattr__(self, name):
-        """Dispatches any unrecognised messages to the RPC connection."""
-        assert self.rpc is not None, "Error: RPC not initialized"
-        assert self.rpc_connected, "Error: No RPC connection"
-        return getattr(self.rpc, name)
+        """Dispatches any unrecognised messages to the RPC connection or a CLI instance."""
+        if self.use_cli:
+            return getattr(self.cli, name)
+        else:
+            assert self.rpc is not None, "Error: RPC not initialized"
+            assert self.rpc_connected, "Error: No RPC connection"
+            return getattr(self.rpc, name)
 
     def start(self, extra_args=None, stderr=None):
         """Start the node."""
@@ -124,10 +128,13 @@
         raise AssertionError("Unable to connect to bitcoind")
 
     def get_wallet_rpc(self, wallet_name):
-        assert self.rpc_connected
-        assert self.rpc
-        wallet_path = "wallet/%s" % wallet_name
-        return self.rpc / wallet_path
+        if self.use_cli:
+            return self.cli("-rpcwallet={}".format(wallet_name))
+        else:
+            assert self.rpc_connected
+            assert self.rpc
+            wallet_path = "wallet/{}".format(wallet_name)
+            return self.rpc / wallet_path
 
     def stop_node(self):
         """Stop the node."""
@@ -243,6 +250,7 @@
         self.binary = binary
         self.datadir = datadir
         self.input = None
+        self.log = logging.getLogger('TestFramework.bitcoincli')
 
     def __call__(self, *args, input=None):
         # TestNodeCLI is callable with bitcoin-cli command-line args
@@ -276,6 +284,7 @@
         if named_args:
             p_args += ["-named"]
         p_args += [command] + pos_args + named_args
+        self.log.debug("Running bitcoin-cli command: {}".format(command))
         process = subprocess.Popen(p_args, stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
                                    stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, universal_newlines=True)
         cli_stdout, cli_stderr = process.communicate(input=self.input)