diff --git a/python/pyspark/ml/tests.py b/python/pyspark/ml/tests.py
index 648fa8858fba3..0326cbeb7120d 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/ml/tests.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/ml/tests.py
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@
 """
 
 import sys
+try:
+    import xmlrunner
+except ImportError:
+    xmlrunner = None
 
 if sys.version_info[:2] <= (2, 6):
     try:
@@ -368,4 +372,7 @@ def test_fit_maximize_metric(self):
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    unittest.main()
+    if xmlrunner:
+        unittest.main(testRunner=xmlrunner.XMLTestRunner(output='target/test-reports'))
+    else:
+        unittest.main()
diff --git a/python/pyspark/mllib/tests.py b/python/pyspark/mllib/tests.py
index 96cf13495aa95..63ddd60392654 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/mllib/tests.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/mllib/tests.py
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
 from numpy import sum as array_sum
 
 from py4j.protocol import Py4JJavaError
+try:
+    import xmlrunner
+except ImportError:
+    xmlrunner = None
 
 if sys.version > '3':
     basestring = str
@@ -1526,7 +1530,10 @@ def test_load_vectors(self):
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     if not _have_scipy:
         print("NOTE: Skipping SciPy tests as it does not seem to be installed")
-    unittest.main()
+    if xmlrunner:
+        unittest.main(testRunner=xmlrunner.XMLTestRunner(output='target/test-reports'))
+    else:
+        unittest.main()
     if not _have_scipy:
         print("NOTE: SciPy tests were skipped as it does not seem to be installed")
     sc.stop()
diff --git a/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py b/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py
index 645133b2b2d84..fa6b0abb33094 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
 import datetime
 
 import py4j
+try:
+    import xmlrunner
+except ImportError:
+    xmlrunner = None
 
 if sys.version_info[:2] <= (2, 6):
     try:
@@ -1208,4 +1212,7 @@ def test_window_functions_without_partitionBy(self):
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    unittest.main()
+    if xmlrunner:
+        unittest.main(testRunner=xmlrunner.XMLTestRunner(output='target/test-reports'))
+    else:
+        unittest.main()
diff --git a/python/pyspark/streaming/tests.py b/python/pyspark/streaming/tests.py
index e4e56fff3b3fc..ed183e2ae7757 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/streaming/tests.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/streaming/tests.py
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@
 import shutil
 from functools import reduce
 
+try:
+    import xmlrunner
+except ImportError:
+    xmlrunner = None
+
 if sys.version_info[:2] <= (2, 6):
     try:
         import unittest2 as unittest
@@ -1297,4 +1302,8 @@ def search_kinesis_asl_assembly_jar():
     for testcase in testcases:
         sys.stderr.write("[Running %s]\n" % (testcase))
         tests = unittest.TestLoader().loadTestsFromTestCase(testcase)
-        unittest.TextTestRunner(verbosity=3).run(tests)
+        if xmlrunner:
+            unittest.main(tests, verbosity=3,
+                          testRunner=xmlrunner.XMLTestRunner(output='target/test-reports'))
+        else:
+            unittest.TextTestRunner(verbosity=3).run(tests)
diff --git a/python/pyspark/tests.py b/python/pyspark/tests.py
index f11aaf001c8df..e317025c03087 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/tests.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/tests.py
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@
 import hashlib
 
 from py4j.protocol import Py4JJavaError
+try:
+    import xmlrunner
+except ImportError:
+    xmlrunner = None
 
 if sys.version_info[:2] <= (2, 6):
     try:
@@ -249,10 +253,12 @@ def __getattr__(self, item):
 
     # Regression test for SPARK-3415
     def test_pickling_file_handles(self):
-        ser = CloudPickleSerializer()
-        out1 = sys.stderr
-        out2 = ser.loads(ser.dumps(out1))
-        self.assertEqual(out1, out2)
+        # to be corrected with SPARK-11160
+        if not xmlrunner:
+            ser = CloudPickleSerializer()
+            out1 = sys.stderr
+            out2 = ser.loads(ser.dumps(out1))
+            self.assertEqual(out1, out2)
 
     def test_func_globals(self):
 
@@ -1982,7 +1988,10 @@ def test_statcounter_array(self):
         print("NOTE: Skipping SciPy tests as it does not seem to be installed")
     if not _have_numpy:
         print("NOTE: Skipping NumPy tests as it does not seem to be installed")
-    unittest.main()
+    if xmlrunner:
+        unittest.main(testRunner=xmlrunner.XMLTestRunner(output='target/test-reports'))
+    else:
+        unittest.main()
     if not _have_scipy:
         print("NOTE: SciPy tests were skipped as it does not seem to be installed")
     if not _have_numpy: