diff --git a/tests/init_test.go b/tests/init_test.go
index 053cbd6fcd..d715de02fb 100644
--- a/tests/init_test.go
+++ b/tests/init_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package tests
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -33,6 +34,17 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/params"
 )
 
+// Command line flags to configure the interpreters.
+var (
+	testEVM   = flag.String("vm.evm", "", "EVM configuration")
+	testEWASM = flag.String("vm.ewasm", "", "EWASM configuration")
+)
+
+func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
+	flag.Parse()
+	os.Exit(m.Run())
+}
+
 var (
 	baseDir            = filepath.Join(".", "testdata")
 	blockTestDir       = filepath.Join(baseDir, "BlockchainTests")
diff --git a/tests/state_test.go b/tests/state_test.go
index 0cf124d727..d25b157275 100644
--- a/tests/state_test.go
+++ b/tests/state_test.go
@@ -19,12 +19,10 @@ package tests
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
-	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/cmd/utils"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/core/vm"
 )
 
@@ -71,20 +69,15 @@ func TestState(t *testing.T) {
 // Transactions with gasLimit above this value will not get a VM trace on failure.
 const traceErrorLimit = 400000
 
-// The VM config for state tests that accepts --vm.* command line arguments.
-var testVMConfig = func() vm.Config {
-	vmconfig := vm.Config{}
-	flag.StringVar(&vmconfig.EVMInterpreter, utils.EVMInterpreterFlag.Name, utils.EVMInterpreterFlag.Value, utils.EVMInterpreterFlag.Usage)
-	flag.StringVar(&vmconfig.EWASMInterpreter, utils.EWASMInterpreterFlag.Name, utils.EWASMInterpreterFlag.Value, utils.EWASMInterpreterFlag.Usage)
-	flag.Parse()
-	return vmconfig
-}()
-
 func withTrace(t *testing.T, gasLimit uint64, test func(vm.Config) error) {
-	err := test(testVMConfig)
+	// Use config from command line arguments.
+	config := vm.Config{EVMInterpreter: *testEVM, EWASMInterpreter: *testEWASM}
+	err := test(config)
 	if err == nil {
 		return
 	}
+
+	// Test failed, re-run with tracing enabled.
 	t.Error(err)
 	if gasLimit > traceErrorLimit {
 		t.Log("gas limit too high for EVM trace")
@@ -93,7 +86,8 @@ func withTrace(t *testing.T, gasLimit uint64, test func(vm.Config) error) {
 	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	w := bufio.NewWriter(buf)
 	tracer := vm.NewJSONLogger(&vm.LogConfig{DisableMemory: true}, w)
-	err2 := test(vm.Config{Debug: true, Tracer: tracer})
+	config.Debug, config.Tracer = true, tracer
+	err2 := test(config)
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(err, err2) {
 		t.Errorf("different error for second run: %v", err2)
 	}