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
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@
                             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")
+        parser.add_argument("--nodes_arg", dest="nodes_arg", action="append",
+                            help="Extra arguments that applies to all nodes. Can be called mutiple times")
         self.add_options(parser)
         self.options = parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -222,9 +224,12 @@
 
     def setup_nodes(self):
         """Override this method to customize test node setup"""
-        extra_args = None
+        extra_args = [[]] * self.num_nodes
+        if self.options.nodes_arg is not None:
+            extra_args = [self.options.nodes_arg] * self.num_nodes
         if hasattr(self, "extra_args"):
-            extra_args = self.extra_args
+            assert(len(self.extra_args) == self.num_nodes)
+            extra_args = [i + j for i, j in zip(extra_args, self.extra_args)]
         self.add_nodes(self.num_nodes, extra_args)
         self.start_nodes()
 
@@ -499,9 +504,13 @@
                             help="bitcoind binary to use for reference nodes (if any)")
 
     def setup_network(self):
-        extra_args = [['-whitelist=127.0.0.1']] * self.num_nodes
+        extra_arg = ['-whitelist=127.0.0.1']
+        if self.options.nodes_arg is not None:
+            extra_arg.extend(self.options.nodes_arg)
+        extra_args = [extra_arg] * self.num_nodes
         if hasattr(self, "extra_args"):
-            extra_args = self.extra_args
+            assert(len(self.extra_args) == self.num_nodes)
+            extra_args = [i + j for i, j in zip(extra_args, self.extra_args)]
         self.add_nodes(self.num_nodes, extra_args,
                        binary=[self.options.testbinary] +
                        [self.options.refbinary] * (self.num_nodes - 1))