diff --git a/runtests.py b/runtests.py
index 3f49107f3ce0..ff79befc4e52 100755
--- a/runtests.py
+++ b/runtests.py
@@ -48,23 +48,17 @@
 # These mypyc test filters cover most slow test cases
 MYPYC_SLOW = [MYPYC_RUN_MULTI, MYPYC_COMMAND_LINE, MYPYC_SEPARATE, MYPYC_MULTIMODULE]
 
+self_args = ["--config-file", "mypy_self_check.ini", "-p", "mypy", "-p", "mypyc"]
 
 # We split the pytest run into three parts to improve test
 # parallelization. Each run should have tests that each take a roughly similar
 # time to run.
 cmds = {
     # Self type check
-    "self": [
-        executable,
-        "-m",
-        "mypy",
-        "--config-file",
-        "mypy_self_check.ini",
-        "-p",
-        "mypy",
-        "-p",
-        "mypyc",
-    ],
+    "self": [executable, "-m", "mypy"] + self_args,
+    # Self type check, but use mypyc;
+    # for instance, to catch nasty mypyc bugs.
+    "selfc": ["mypyc"] + self_args,
     # Type check setup.py as well
     "self-packaging": [
         executable,
@@ -103,7 +97,7 @@
 # Stop run immediately if these commands fail
 FAST_FAIL = ["self", "lint"]
 
-EXTRA_COMMANDS = ("pytest-extra", "mypyc-fast", "mypyc-extra")
+EXTRA_COMMANDS = ("pytest-extra", "mypyc-fast", "mypyc-extra", "selfc")
 DEFAULT_COMMANDS = [cmd for cmd in cmds if cmd not in EXTRA_COMMANDS]
 
 assert all(cmd in cmds for cmd in FAST_FAIL)
@@ -159,7 +153,7 @@ def main() -> None:
         print()
         print(
             "Run the given tests. If given no arguments, run everything except"
-            + " pytest-extra and mypyc-extra. Unrecognized arguments will be"
+            + f" the slowest commands {EXTRA_COMMANDS}. Unrecognized arguments will be"
             + " interpreted as individual test names / substring expressions"
             + " (or, if they end in .test, individual test files)"
             + " and this script will try to run them."