diff --git a/compiler/test/dotc/comptest.scala b/compiler/test/dotc/comptest.scala
index bb4961ea2a88..bd0d800e641c 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotc/comptest.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotc/comptest.scala
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ object comptest extends ParallelTesting {
   def numberOfSlaves = 5
   def safeMode = false
   def isInteractive = true
-  def testFilter = None
+  def testFilter = Nil
   def updateCheckFiles: Boolean = false
 
   val posDir = "./tests/pos/"
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/Properties.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/Properties.scala
index 042773505dc5..59ea8b1fd7d8 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/Properties.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/Properties.scala
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ object Properties {
   /** Filter out tests not matching the regex supplied by "dotty.tests.filter"
    *  define
    */
-  val testsFilter: Option[String] = sys.props.get("dotty.tests.filter")
+  val testsFilter: List[String] = sys.props.get("dotty.tests.filter").fold(Nil)(_.split(',').toList)
 
   /** Tests should override the checkfiles with the current output */
   val testsUpdateCheckfile: Boolean =
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/PatmatExhaustivityTest.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/PatmatExhaustivityTest.scala
index 6a9f0c74a56f..0c895d436238 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/PatmatExhaustivityTest.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/PatmatExhaustivityTest.scala
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class PatmatExhaustivityTest {
       .filter(f => f.extension == "scala" || f.isDirectory)
       .filter { f =>
         val path = if f.isDirectory then f.path + "/" else f.path
-        Properties.testsFilter.getOrElse("").split(',').exists(path.contains)
+        Properties.testsFilter.isEmpty || Properties.testsFilter.exists(path.contains)
       }
       .map(f => if f.isDirectory then compileDir(f.jpath) else compileFile(f.jpath))
 
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/utils.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/utils.scala
index a9792bf2f43c..f4cefbdc07fc 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/utils.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/utils.scala
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def scripts(path: String): Array[File] = {
   assert(dir.exists && dir.isDirectory, "Couldn't load scripts dir")
   dir.listFiles.filter { f =>
     val path = if f.isDirectory then f.getPath + "/" else f.getPath
-    path.contains(Properties.testsFilter.getOrElse(""))
+    Properties.testsFilter.isEmpty || Properties.testsFilter.exists(path.contains)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/ParallelTesting.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/ParallelTesting.scala
index 4ba1229feecb..913b1bc3e69b 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/ParallelTesting.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/ParallelTesting.scala
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@ trait ParallelTesting extends RunnerOrchestration { self =>
    */
   def isInteractive: Boolean
 
-  /** A string which is used to filter which tests to run, if `None` will run
-   *  all tests. All absolute paths that contain the substring `testFilter`
+  /** A list of strings which is used to filter which tests to run, if `Nil` will run
+   *  all tests. All absolute paths that contain any of the substrings in `testFilter`
    *  will be run
    */
-  def testFilter: Option[String]
+  def testFilter: List[String]
 
   /** Tests should override the checkfiles with the current output */
   def updateCheckFiles: Boolean
@@ -340,12 +340,12 @@ trait ParallelTesting extends RunnerOrchestration { self =>
 
     /** All testSources left after filtering out */
     private val filteredSources =
-      if (!testFilter.isDefined) testSources
+      if (testFilter.isEmpty) testSources
       else testSources.filter {
         case JointCompilationSource(_, files, _, _, _, _) =>
-          files.exists(file => file.getPath.contains(testFilter.get))
+          testFilter.exists(filter => files.exists(file => file.getPath.contains(filter)))
         case SeparateCompilationSource(_, dir, _, _) =>
-          dir.getPath.contains(testFilter.get)
+          testFilter.exists(dir.getPath.contains)
       }
 
     /** Total amount of test sources being compiled by this test */
@@ -581,9 +581,9 @@ trait ParallelTesting extends RunnerOrchestration { self =>
         else reportPassed()
       }
       else echo {
-        testFilter
-          .map(r => s"""No files matched "$r" in test""")
-          .getOrElse("No tests available under target - erroneous test?")
+        testFilter match
+          case _ :: _ => s"""No files matched "${testFilter.mkString(",")}" in test"""
+          case _      => "No tests available under target - erroneous test?"
       }
 
       this
@@ -1269,10 +1269,9 @@ trait ParallelTesting extends RunnerOrchestration { self =>
 
     val (dirs, files) = compilationTargets(sourceDir, fromTastyFilter)
 
-    val filteredFiles = testFilter match {
-      case Some(str) => files.filter(_.getPath.contains(str))
-      case None => files
-    }
+    val filteredFiles = testFilter match
+      case _ :: _ => files.filter(f => testFilter.exists(f.getPath.contains))
+      case _      => Nil
 
     class JointCompilationSourceFromTasty(
        name: String,
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/VulpixMetaTests.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/VulpixMetaTests.scala
index befb4701f371..75af0aa94893 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/VulpixMetaTests.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/VulpixMetaTests.scala
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ object VulpixMetaTests extends ParallelTesting {
   def numberOfSlaves = 1
   def safeMode = false // Don't fork a new VM after each run test
   def isInteractive = false // Don't beautify output for interactive use.
-  def testFilter = None // Run all the tests.
+  def testFilter = Nil // Run all the tests.
   def updateCheckFiles: Boolean = false
 
   @AfterClass
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/VulpixUnitTests.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/VulpixUnitTests.scala
index cdbd55af61d4..432bb64bc1cf 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/VulpixUnitTests.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/vulpix/VulpixUnitTests.scala
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ object VulpixUnitTests extends ParallelTesting {
   def numberOfSlaves = 5
   def safeMode = sys.env.get("SAFEMODE").isDefined
   def isInteractive = !sys.env.contains("DRONE")
-  def testFilter = None
+  def testFilter = Nil
   def updateCheckFiles: Boolean = false
 
   @AfterClass