diff --git a/modules/python/test/test.py b/modules/python/test/test.py
index aa66e92344..bbd30389f5 100755
--- a/modules/python/test/test.py
+++ b/modules/python/test/test.py
@@ -133,6 +133,10 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     print("Testing OpenCV", cv2.__version__)
     print("Local repo path:", args.repo)
     NewOpenCVTests.repoPath = args.repo
+    try:
+        NewOpenCVTests.extraTestDataPath = os.environ['OPENCV_TEST_DATA_PATH']
+    except KeyError:
+        pass
     random.seed(0)
     unit_argv = [sys.argv[0]] + other;
     unittest.main(argv=unit_argv)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_facedetect.py b/modules/python/test/test_facedetect.py
index 50c108e056..8d64fde10f 100644
--- a/modules/python/test/test_facedetect.py
+++ b/modules/python/test/test_facedetect.py
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@ class facedetect_test(NewOpenCVTests):
         cascade = cv2.CascadeClassifier(cascade_fn)
         nested = cv2.CascadeClassifier(nested_fn)
 
-        dirPath = 'samples/data/'
-        samples = ['lena.jpg', 'kate.jpg']
+        samples = ['samples/data/lena.jpg', 'cv/cascadeandhog/images/mona-lisa.png']
 
         faces = []
         eyes = []
@@ -43,17 +42,17 @@ class facedetect_test(NewOpenCVTests):
         [ 244, 240, 294, 290],
         [ 309, 246, 352, 289]],
 
-        #kate
-        [[207,  89, 436, 318],
-        [245, 161, 294, 210],
-        [343, 139, 389, 185]]
+        #lisa
+        [[167, 119, 307, 259],
+        [188, 153, 229, 194],
+        [236, 153, 277, 194]]
         ]
 
         for sample in samples:
 
-            img = self.get_sample(dirPath + sample)
+            img = self.get_sample(  sample)
             gray = cv2.cvtColor(img, cv2.COLOR_BGR2GRAY)
-            gray = cv2.GaussianBlur(gray, (3, 3), 1.1)
+            gray = cv2.GaussianBlur(gray, (5, 5), 5.1)
 
             rects = detect(gray, cascade)
             faces.append(rects)
diff --git a/modules/python/test/tests_common.py b/modules/python/test/tests_common.py
index d76346bb49..17473cd6e2 100644
--- a/modules/python/test/tests_common.py
+++ b/modules/python/test/tests_common.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ class NewOpenCVTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
     # path to local repository folder containing 'samples' folder
     repoPath = None
+    extraTestDataPath = None
     # github repository url
     repoUrl = 'https://raw.github.com/Itseez/opencv/master'
 
@@ -30,6 +31,11 @@ class NewOpenCVTests(unittest.TestCase):
                 if os.path.isfile(candidate):
                     with open(candidate, 'rb') as f:
                         filedata = f.read()
+            if NewOpenCVTests.extraTestDataPath is not None:
+                candidate = NewOpenCVTests.extraTestDataPath + '/' + filename
+                if os.path.isfile(candidate):
+                    with open(candidate, 'rb') as f:
+                        filedata = f.read()
             if filedata is None:
                 filedata = urlopen(NewOpenCVTests.repoUrl + '/' + filename).read()
             self.image_cache[filename] = cv2.imdecode(np.fromstring(filedata, dtype=np.uint8), iscolor)
diff --git a/samples/data/kate.jpg b/samples/data/kate.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 40ab433bfd..0000000000
Binary files a/samples/data/kate.jpg and /dev/null differ