diff --git a/tests/sparecode/bts324.i b/tests/sparecode/bts324.i
index 10be411858cbaec07333998d571317d26b436c22..c2cf07e2d27dc64416c108f0ed252bd255801ca0 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/bts324.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/bts324.i
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /* run.config
-   OPT: -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -sparecode-debug 1 -journal-disable
-   OPT: -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -sparecode-debug 1 -main main_bis -journal-disable
-   OPT: -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -sparecode-debug 1 -main main_ter -journal-disable
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis"
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis -main main_bis"
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis -main main_ter"
 
 */
 
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/bts324_bis.i b/tests/sparecode/bts324_bis.i
index 911010398ddab90e7b88b0e74580ac4671d0526a..73050a55cfd311be9005003c5c994246b99cdca9 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/bts324_bis.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/bts324_bis.i
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /* run.config
-   OPT: -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -sparecode-debug 1 -journal-disable
-   OPT: -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -sparecode-debug 1 -main main_bis -journal-disable
-   OPT: -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode-no-annot -journal-disable
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis"
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis -main main_bis"
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis -sparecode-no-annot"
 */
 
 int ki[2], k ;
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/bts334.i b/tests/sparecode/bts334.i
index 171f62f180f2f28081ad965bbb693ffdece9d341..f6af16f8c93874894790dd75e3ce64ab219f6464 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/bts334.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/bts334.i
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*run.config
- OPT: -main main_init -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -sparecode-no-annot  -journal-disable
- OPT: -main main_init -eva-show-progress -slice-pragma loop_body -journal-disable -then-on 'Slicing export' -print
- OPT: -main main_init -eva-show-progress -slice-pragma loop_body -calldeps -journal-disable -then-on 'Slicing export' -print
+ STDOPT: +"-sparecode-debug 0 -main main_init -sparecode-analysis -sparecode-no-annot "
+ STDOPT: +"-sparecode-debug 0 -main main_init -slice-pragma loop_body -then-on 'Slicing export' -print"
+ STDOPT: +"-sparecode-debug 0 -main main_init -slice-pragma loop_body -calldeps -then-on 'Slicing export' -print"
  */
 int kf ;
 int k[2] ;
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/bts927.i b/tests/sparecode/bts927.i
index da1d3904f9ee55e4e94c128634755fffa4604b91..883a5ed539c1663ae25e36cfa592e47543480c0f 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/bts927.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/bts927.i
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*  run.config
- OPT: -no-warn-signed-overflow -sparecode -eva-show-progress
- OPT: -warn-signed-overflow -sparecode -eva-show-progress
+ STDOPT: +"-sparecode-debug 0 -no-warn-signed-overflow -sparecode"
+ STDOPT: +"-sparecode-debug 0 -warn-signed-overflow -sparecode"
 */
 
 /* The purpose of these tests is to check if the conditions are removed
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/calls.i b/tests/sparecode/calls.i
index 48b0856afe09725705de7231f577f365523451f3..91773f1b22e0e11e51ff9a4402e9dd6df50d3b3a 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/calls.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/calls.i
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* run.config
-   OPT: -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -journal-disable
-   OPT: -slicing-level 2 -slice-return main -eva-show-progress -journal-disable -then-on 'Slicing export' -print
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis"
+   STDOPT: +"-slicing-level 2 -slice-return main -then-on 'Slicing export' -print"
 */
 int G;
 
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/dead_code.i b/tests/sparecode/dead_code.i
index 3f8966d815d5419320e9609ec024e3a134295394..327e62941abd01360bcb74cc728a34ed68931618 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/dead_code.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/dead_code.i
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* run.config
-   OPT: -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode -eva-show-progress -journal-disable
-   OPT: -slicing-level 2 -slice-return main -eva-show-progress -journal-disable -then-on 'Slicing export' -print
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode"
+   STDOPT: +"-slicing-level 2 -slice-return main -then-on 'Slicing export' -print"
 */
 
 int main (void) {
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/glob_decls.i b/tests/sparecode/glob_decls.i
index f8f2da144f92c3af59badec8c604ed027cb2530c..abdf205de22a03d9dce5d76f5e67c2cffa3695f3 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/glob_decls.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/glob_decls.i
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /* run.config
- OPT: -lib-entry -journal-disable -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress 
- OPT: -lib-entry -slice-pragma main -slice-return main -eva-show-progress -journal-disable -then-on 'Slicing export' -print
- OPT: -journal-disable -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode-rm-unused-globals
+ STDOPT: +"-lib-entry -sparecode-analysis "
+ STDOPT: +"-lib-entry -slice-pragma main -slice-return main -then-on 'Slicing export' -print"
+ STDOPT: +"-sparecode-rm-unused-globals"
 */
 
 // can be removed
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/intra.i b/tests/sparecode/intra.i
index 444aa11a381019d1d3e35784c6c2ed2abedb3683..65316cbe60af3abe7f2e18cfe00cf1bae48b6903 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/intra.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/intra.i
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 /* run.config
-   OPT: -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -journal-disable
-   OPT: -eva-show-progress -slicing-level 2 -slice-return main -journal-disable -then-last -print
-   OPT: -main main2 -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -journal-disable
-   OPT: -main main2 -slice-return main2 -eva-show-progress -journal-disable -then-last -print
-   OPT: -main main2 -slice-return main2 -eva-show-progress -slice-assert f10 -journal-disable -then-last -print
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis"
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-debug 0 -slicing-level 2 -slice-return main -then-last -print"
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-debug 0 -main main2 -sparecode-analysis"
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-debug 0 -main main2 -slice-return main2 -then-last -print"
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-debug 0 -main main2 -slice-return main2 -slice-assert f10 -then-last -print"
 */
 
 /* Waiting for results such as:
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/issue_157.i b/tests/sparecode/issue_157.i
index 7bdc05ad32b28a32234327aa60fff8b85c1af9ff..930b3686c9a9a9887d398f92b78fe3d2697d991c 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/issue_157.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/issue_157.i
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* run.config
-   OPT: -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -journal-disable
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis"
 */
 
 int f() {
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/params.i b/tests/sparecode/params.i
index 33c0142f48e1c4ccd543d08c85794130ff0406bb..26bb415eefc1cd598a97b4b0fe1957132d1d0cab 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/params.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/params.i
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* run.config
-   OPT: -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -journal-disable
-   OPT: -eva-show-progress -slicing-level 2 -slice-return main -journal-disable -then-last -print -eva-show-progress
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis"
+   STDOPT: +"-slicing-level 2 -slice-return main -then-last -print"
 */
 
 /* This is an example from #529. 'y' in [main1] should be visible to get a
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/se.i b/tests/sparecode/se.i
index 8f7b0fe67601cacefe4bdbaad9bf41c666175b0a..3a7460e95951df34bf9b0d60832dff5bfdefff2f 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/se.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/se.i
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* run.config
-   OPT: -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -lib-entry -main Se -journal-disable
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis -lib-entry -main Se"
 */
 int glob;
 
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/test_config b/tests/sparecode/test_config
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..f46bc3e3975c2f0f493d728f84b5fc47c7637689
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/sparecode/test_config
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+OPT: -journal-disable -eva-show-progress -sparecode-debug 1
diff --git a/tests/sparecode/top.i b/tests/sparecode/top.i
index 40f7cc9d0b638782339926a246755fd5eae8f5bb..d15706cc6ce40354195e782de981f04176bbc5d7 100644
--- a/tests/sparecode/top.i
+++ b/tests/sparecode/top.i
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /* run.config
-   OPT: -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -journal-disable -main main_top
-   OPT: -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -journal-disable -main main_call_top
-   OPT: -sparecode-debug 1 -sparecode-analysis -eva-show-progress -journal-disable -main main_top_not_used
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis -main main_top"
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis -main main_call_top"
+   STDOPT: +"-sparecode-analysis -main main_top_not_used"
 */
 
 void print (int x);