diff --git a/axe.d.ts b/axe.d.ts
index eb285d9c2c..febd1584cb 100644
--- a/axe.d.ts
+++ b/axe.d.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ declare namespace axe {
 		values: TagValue[] | string[];
 	}
 	interface RunOptions {
-		runOnly?: RunOnly;
+		runOnly?: RunOnly | TagValue[] | string[];
 		rules?: Object;
 		iframes?: boolean;
 		elementRef?: boolean;
diff --git a/doc/API.md b/doc/API.md
index dd0e60ccf7..117477e28d 100644
--- a/doc/API.md
+++ b/doc/API.md
@@ -475,6 +475,16 @@ axe.run(
 
 This example will only run the rules with the id of `ruleId1`, `ruleId2`, and `ruleId3`. No other rule will run.
 
+Alternatively, runOnly can be passed an array of rules:
+
+```js
+axe.run({
+  runOnly: ['ruleId1', 'ruleId2', 'ruleId3'];
+}, (err, results) => {
+  // ...
+})
+```
+
 3. Run all enabled Rules except for a list of rules
 
 The default operation for axe.run is to run all rules except for rules with the "experimental" tag. If certain rules should be disabled from being run, specify `options` as:
diff --git a/lib/core/base/audit.js b/lib/core/base/audit.js
index 9a27056c20..497295e718 100644
--- a/lib/core/base/audit.js
+++ b/lib/core/base/audit.js
@@ -629,13 +629,37 @@ Audit.prototype.normalizeOptions = function(options) {
 	'use strict';
 	var audit = this;
 
+	const tags = [];
+	const ruleIds = [];
+	audit.rules.forEach(rule => {
+		ruleIds.push(rule.id);
+		rule.tags.forEach(tag => {
+			if (!tags.includes(tag)) {
+				tags.push(tag);
+			}
+		});
+	});
+
 	// Validate runOnly
 	if (typeof options.runOnly === 'object') {
 		if (Array.isArray(options.runOnly)) {
-			options.runOnly = {
-				type: 'tag',
-				values: options.runOnly
-			};
+			const hasTag = options.runOnly.find(value => tags.includes(value));
+			const hasRule = options.runOnly.find(value => ruleIds.includes(value));
+
+			if (hasTag && hasRule) {
+				throw new Error('runOnly cannot be both rules and tags');
+			}
+			if (hasRule) {
+				options.runOnly = {
+					type: 'rule',
+					values: options.runOnly
+				};
+			} else {
+				options.runOnly = {
+					type: 'tag',
+					values: options.runOnly
+				};
+			}
 		}
 		const only = options.runOnly;
 		if (only.value && !only.values) {
@@ -651,7 +675,7 @@ Audit.prototype.normalizeOptions = function(options) {
 		if (['rule', 'rules'].includes(only.type)) {
 			only.type = 'rule';
 			only.values.forEach(function(ruleId) {
-				if (!audit.getRule(ruleId)) {
+				if (!ruleIds.includes(ruleId)) {
 					throw new Error('unknown rule `' + ruleId + '` in options.runOnly');
 				}
 			});
@@ -659,11 +683,7 @@ Audit.prototype.normalizeOptions = function(options) {
 			// Validate 'tags' (e.g. anything not 'rule')
 		} else if (['tag', 'tags', undefined].includes(only.type)) {
 			only.type = 'tag';
-			const unmatchedTags = audit.rules.reduce((unmatchedTags, rule) => {
-				return unmatchedTags.length
-					? unmatchedTags.filter(tag => !rule.tags.includes(tag))
-					: unmatchedTags;
-			}, only.values);
+			const unmatchedTags = only.values.filter(tag => !tags.includes(tag));
 
 			if (unmatchedTags.length !== 0) {
 				axe.log('Could not find tags `' + unmatchedTags.join('`, `') + '`');
@@ -675,7 +695,7 @@ Audit.prototype.normalizeOptions = function(options) {
 
 	if (typeof options.rules === 'object') {
 		Object.keys(options.rules).forEach(function(ruleId) {
-			if (!audit.getRule(ruleId)) {
+			if (!ruleIds.includes(ruleId)) {
 				throw new Error('unknown rule `' + ruleId + '` in options.rules');
 			}
 		});
diff --git a/test/core/base/audit.js b/test/core/base/audit.js
index 4404e7bfaa..10e74d7c11 100644
--- a/test/core/base/audit.js
+++ b/test/core/base/audit.js
@@ -1265,6 +1265,28 @@ describe('Audit', function() {
 			assert.deepEqual(out.runOnly.values, ['positive', 'negative']);
 		});
 
+		it('allows runOnly as an array as an alternative to type: rule', function() {
+			var opt = { runOnly: ['positive1', 'negative1'] };
+			var out = a.normalizeOptions(opt);
+			assert(out.runOnly.type, 'rule');
+			assert.deepEqual(out.runOnly.values, ['positive1', 'negative1']);
+		});
+
+		it('throws an error if runOnly contains both rules and tags', function() {
+			assert.throws(function() {
+				a.normalizeOptions({
+					runOnly: ['positive', 'negative1']
+				});
+			});
+		});
+
+		it('defaults runOnly to type: tag', function() {
+			var opt = { runOnly: ['fakeTag'] };
+			var out = a.normalizeOptions(opt);
+			assert(out.runOnly.type, 'tag');
+			assert.deepEqual(out.runOnly.values, ['fakeTag']);
+		});
+
 		it('throws an error runOnly.values not an array', function() {
 			assert.throws(function() {
 				a.normalizeOptions({
diff --git a/typings/axe-core/axe-core-tests.ts b/typings/axe-core/axe-core-tests.ts
index 09866773aa..bc9a10fa89 100644
--- a/typings/axe-core/axe-core-tests.ts
+++ b/typings/axe-core/axe-core-tests.ts
@@ -69,6 +69,24 @@ axe.run(
 		console.log(error || results);
 	}
 );
+axe.run(
+	context,
+	{
+		runOnly: ['wcag2a', 'wcag2aa']
+	},
+	(error: Error, results: axe.AxeResults) => {
+		console.log(error || results);
+	}
+);
+axe.run(
+	context,
+	{
+		runOnly: ['color-contrast', 'heading-order']
+	},
+	(error: Error, results: axe.AxeResults) => {
+		console.log(error || results);
+	}
+);
 
 var someRulesConfig = {
 	rules: {