diff --git a/cmake/OpenCVUtils.cmake b/cmake/OpenCVUtils.cmake
index dbce2de736..5772ca8d76 100644
--- a/cmake/OpenCVUtils.cmake
+++ b/cmake/OpenCVUtils.cmake
@@ -1777,3 +1777,22 @@ macro(ocv_git_describe var_name path)
     set(${var_name} "unknown")
   endif()
 endmacro()
+
+
+# ocv_update_file(filepath content [VERBOSE])
+# - write content to file
+# - will not change modification time in case when file already exists and content has not changed
+function(ocv_update_file filepath content)
+  if(EXISTS "${filepath}")
+    file(READ "${filepath}" actual_content)
+  else()
+    set(actual_content "")
+  endif()
+  if("${actual_content}" STREQUAL "${content}")
+    if(";${ARGN};" MATCHES ";VERBOSE;")
+      message(STATUS "${filepath} contains the same content")
+    endif()
+  else()
+    file(WRITE "${filepath}" "${content}")
+  endif()
+endfunction()
diff --git a/doc/CMakeLists.txt b/doc/CMakeLists.txt
index ed94e46317..1619466be8 100644
--- a/doc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/doc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ if(DOXYGEN_FOUND)
 
   # not documented modules list
   set(blacklist "${DOXYGEN_BLACKLIST}")
-  list(APPEND blacklist "ts" "java_bindings_generator" "java" "python_bindings_generator" "python2" "python3" "js" "world")
+  list(APPEND blacklist "ts" "world")
   unset(CMAKE_DOXYGEN_TUTORIAL_CONTRIB_ROOT)
   unset(CMAKE_DOXYGEN_TUTORIAL_JS_ROOT)
 
@@ -32,7 +32,16 @@ if(DOXYGEN_FOUND)
   set(refs_extra)
   set(deps)
   foreach(m ${OPENCV_MODULES_MAIN} ${OPENCV_MODULES_EXTRA})
+    set(the_module "${m}")
+    if(NOT the_module MATCHES "^opencv_")
+      set(the_module "opencv_${m}")
+    endif()
     list(FIND blacklist ${m} _pos)
+    if(NOT EXISTS "${OPENCV_MODULE_${the_module}_LOCATION}/include"
+        AND NOT EXISTS "${OPENCV_MODULE_${the_module}_LOCATION}/doc"
+    )
+      set(_pos -2)  # blacklist
+    endif()
     if(${_pos} EQUAL -1)
       list(APPEND CMAKE_DOXYGEN_ENABLED_SECTIONS "HAVE_opencv_${m}")
       # include folder
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_calibration.py b/modules/calib3d/misc/python/test/test_calibration.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_calibration.py
rename to modules/calib3d/misc/python/test/test_calibration.py
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_dnn.py b/modules/dnn/misc/python/test/test_dnn.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_dnn.py
rename to modules/dnn/misc/python/test/test_dnn.py
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_feature_homography.py b/modules/features2d/misc/python/test/test_feature_homography.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_feature_homography.py
rename to modules/features2d/misc/python/test/test_feature_homography.py
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_digits.py b/modules/ml/misc/python/test/test_digits.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_digits.py
rename to modules/ml/misc/python/test/test_digits.py
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_goodfeatures.py b/modules/ml/misc/python/test/test_goodfeatures.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_goodfeatures.py
rename to modules/ml/misc/python/test/test_goodfeatures.py
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_letter_recog.py b/modules/ml/misc/python/test/test_letter_recog.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_letter_recog.py
rename to modules/ml/misc/python/test/test_letter_recog.py
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_facedetect.py b/modules/objdetect/misc/python/test/test_facedetect.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_facedetect.py
rename to modules/objdetect/misc/python/test/test_facedetect.py
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_peopledetect.py b/modules/objdetect/misc/python/test/test_peopledetect.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_peopledetect.py
rename to modules/objdetect/misc/python/test/test_peopledetect.py
diff --git a/modules/python/CMakeLists.txt b/modules/python/CMakeLists.txt
index fbf01d6e82..616f500c95 100644
--- a/modules/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/modules/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ endif()
 
 add_subdirectory(bindings)
 
+add_subdirectory(test)
+
 if(NOT OPENCV_SKIP_PYTHON_LOADER)
   include("./python_loader.cmake")
   message(STATUS "OpenCV Python: during development append to PYTHONPATH: ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/python_loader")
diff --git a/modules/python/test/CMakeLists.txt b/modules/python/test/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eced4ecf77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/python/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+set(MODULE_NAME "python_tests")
+set(OPENCV_MODULE_IS_PART_OF_WORLD FALSE)
+ocv_add_module(${MODULE_NAME} INTERNAL)
+
+set(OPENCV_PYTHON_TESTS_CONFIG_FILE_DIR "${OpenCV_BINARY_DIR}" CACHE INTERNAL "")
+set(OPENCV_PYTHON_TESTS_CONFIG_FILE "${OPENCV_PYTHON_TESTS_CONFIG_FILE_DIR}/opencv_python_tests.cfg" CACHE INTERNAL "")
+
+# get list of modules to wrap
+set(OPENCV_PYTHON_MODULES)
+foreach(m ${OPENCV_MODULES_BUILD})
+  if(";${OPENCV_MODULE_${m}_WRAPPERS};" MATCHES ";python.*;" AND HAVE_${m})
+    list(APPEND OPENCV_PYTHON_MODULES ${m})
+    #message(STATUS "\t${m}")
+  endif()
+endforeach()
+
+file(RELATIVE_PATH __loc_relative "${OPENCV_PYTHON_TESTS_CONFIG_FILE_DIR}" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}")
+set(opencv_tests_locations "${__loc_relative}")
+foreach(m ${OPENCV_PYTHON_MODULES})
+  set(__loc "${OPENCV_MODULE_${m}_LOCATION}/misc/python/test")
+  if(EXISTS "${__loc}")
+    file(RELATIVE_PATH __loc_relative "${OPENCV_PYTHON_TESTS_CONFIG_FILE_DIR}" "${__loc}")
+    list(APPEND opencv_tests_locations "${__loc_relative}")
+  endif()
+endforeach(m)
+
+string(REPLACE ";" "\n" opencv_tests_locations_ "${opencv_tests_locations}")
+ocv_update_file("${OPENCV_PYTHON_TESTS_CONFIG_FILE}" "${opencv_tests_locations_}")
+
+#
+# TODO: Install rules (with test data?)
+#
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test.py b/modules/python/test/test.py
index 249a354636..97c2144303 100755
--- a/modules/python/test/test.py
+++ b/modules/python/test/test.py
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
+'''
+Location of tests:
+- <opencv_src>/modules/python/test
+- <opencv_src>/modules/<module>/misc/python/test/
+'''
 
 from __future__ import print_function
 
@@ -20,7 +25,35 @@ from tests_common import NewOpenCVTests
 basedir = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 
 def load_tests(loader, tests, pattern):
-    tests.addTests(loader.discover(basedir, pattern=os.environ.get('OPENCV_PYTEST_FILTER', 'test_') + '*.py'))
+    cwd = os.getcwd()
+    config_file = 'opencv_python_tests.cfg'
+    locations = [cwd, basedir]
+    if os.path.exists(config_file):
+        with open(config_file, 'r') as f:
+            locations += [str(s).strip() for s in f.readlines()]
+    else:
+        print('WARNING: OpenCV tests config file ({}) is missing, running subset of tests'.format(config_file))
+
+    tests_pattern = os.environ.get('OPENCV_PYTEST_FILTER', 'test_') + '*.py'
+    if tests_pattern != 'test_*py':
+        print('Tests filter: {}'.format(tests_pattern))
+
+    processed = set()
+    for l in locations:
+        if not os.path.isabs(l):
+            l = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(cwd, l))
+        if l in processed:
+            continue
+        processed.add(l)
+        print('Discovering python tests from: {}'.format(l))
+        sys_path_modify = l not in sys.path
+        if sys_path_modify:
+            sys.path.append(l)  # Hack python loader
+        discovered_tests = loader.discover(l, pattern=tests_pattern, top_level_dir=l)
+        print('    found {} tests'.format(discovered_tests.countTestCases()))
+        tests.addTests(loader.discover(l, pattern=tests_pattern))
+        if sys_path_modify:
+            sys.path.remove(l)
     return tests
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_shape.py b/modules/shape/misc/python/test/test_shape.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_shape.py
rename to modules/shape/misc/python/test/test_shape.py
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_stitching.py b/modules/stitching/misc/python/test/test_stitching.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_stitching.py
rename to modules/stitching/misc/python/test/test_stitching.py
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_lk_homography.py b/modules/video/misc/python/test/test_lk_homography.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_lk_homography.py
rename to modules/video/misc/python/test/test_lk_homography.py
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_lk_track.py b/modules/video/misc/python/test/test_lk_track.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_lk_track.py
rename to modules/video/misc/python/test/test_lk_track.py
diff --git a/modules/python/test/test_videoio.py b/modules/videoio/misc/python/test/test_videoio.py
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/python/test/test_videoio.py
rename to modules/videoio/misc/python/test/test_videoio.py