diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4afd22a3ce7..e1f4485144b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -413,13 +413,13 @@ prepare-coverage-test: $(GOTESTSUM) $(TEST_OUTPUT_ROOT)
 
 unit-test-coverage: prepare-coverage-test
 	@printf $(COLOR) "Run unit tests with coverage..."
-	go run ./cmd/tools/test-runner $(GOTESTSUM) -retries $(FAILED_TEST_RETRIES) --junitfile $(NEW_REPORT) --packages $(UNIT_TEST_DIRS) -- \
+	go run ./cmd/tools/test-runner $(GOTESTSUM) -retries=$(FAILED_TEST_RETRIES) --junitfile=$(NEW_REPORT) --packages="$(UNIT_TEST_DIRS)" -- \
 		$(COMPILED_TEST_ARGS) \
 		-coverprofile=$(NEW_COVER_PROFILE)
 
 integration-test-coverage: prepare-coverage-test
 	@printf $(COLOR) "Run integration tests with coverage..."
-	go run ./cmd/tools/test-runner $(GOTESTSUM) -retries $(FAILED_TEST_RETRIES) --junitfile $(NEW_REPORT) --packages $(INTEGRATION_TEST_DIRS) -- \
+	go run ./cmd/tools/test-runner $(GOTESTSUM) -retries=$(FAILED_TEST_RETRIES) --junitfile=$(NEW_REPORT) --packages="$(INTEGRATION_TEST_DIRS)" -- \
 		$(COMPILED_TEST_ARGS) \
 		-coverprofile=$(NEW_COVER_PROFILE) $(INTEGRATION_TEST_COVERPKG)
 
@@ -429,21 +429,21 @@ pre-build-functional-test-coverage: prepare-coverage-test
 
 functional-test-coverage: prepare-coverage-test
 	@printf $(COLOR) "Run functional tests with coverage with $(PERSISTENCE_DRIVER) driver..."
-	go run ./cmd/tools/test-runner $(GOTESTSUM) -retries $(FAILED_TEST_RETRIES) --junitfile $(NEW_REPORT) --packages $(FUNCTIONAL_TEST_ROOT) -- \
+	go run ./cmd/tools/test-runner $(GOTESTSUM) -retries=$(FAILED_TEST_RETRIES) --junitfile=$(NEW_REPORT) --packages="$(FUNCTIONAL_TEST_ROOT)" -- \
 		$(COMPILED_TEST_ARGS) \
 		-coverprofile=$(NEW_COVER_PROFILE) $(FUNCTIONAL_TEST_COVERPKG) \
 		-args -persistenceType=$(PERSISTENCE_TYPE) -persistenceDriver=$(PERSISTENCE_DRIVER)
 
 functional-test-xdc-coverage: prepare-coverage-test
 	@printf $(COLOR) "Run functional test for cross DC with coverage with $(PERSISTENCE_DRIVER) driver..."
-	go run ./cmd/tools/test-runner $(GOTESTSUM) -retries $(FAILED_TEST_RETRIES) --junitfile $(NEW_REPORT) --packages $(FUNCTIONAL_TEST_XDC_ROOT) -- \
+	go run ./cmd/tools/test-runner $(GOTESTSUM) -retries=$(FAILED_TEST_RETRIES) --junitfile=$(NEW_REPORT) --packages="$(FUNCTIONAL_TEST_XDC_ROOT)" -- \
 		$(COMPILED_TEST_ARGS) \
 		-coverprofile=$(NEW_COVER_PROFILE) $(FUNCTIONAL_TEST_COVERPKG) \
 		-args -persistenceType=$(PERSISTENCE_TYPE) -persistenceDriver=$(PERSISTENCE_DRIVER)
 
 functional-test-ndc-coverage: prepare-coverage-test
 	@printf $(COLOR) "Run functional test for NDC with coverage with $(PERSISTENCE_DRIVER) driver..."
-	go run ./cmd/tools/test-runner $(GOTESTSUM) -retries $(FAILED_TEST_RETRIES) --junitfile $(NEW_REPORT) --packages $(FUNCTIONAL_TEST_NDC_ROOT) -- \
+	go run ./cmd/tools/test-runner $(GOTESTSUM) -retries=$(FAILED_TEST_RETRIES) --junitfile=$(NEW_REPORT) --packages="$(FUNCTIONAL_TEST_NDC_ROOT)" -- \
 		$(COMPILED_TEST_ARGS) \
 		-coverprofile=$(NEW_COVER_PROFILE) $(FUNCTIONAL_TEST_COVERPKG) \
 		-args -persistenceType=$(PERSISTENCE_TYPE) -persistenceDriver=$(PERSISTENCE_DRIVER)
diff --git a/common/persistence/tests/sqlite_test.go b/common/persistence/tests/sqlite_test.go
index 7d09c7d4b3b..e330411294a 100644
--- a/common/persistence/tests/sqlite_test.go
+++ b/common/persistence/tests/sqlite_test.go
@@ -1187,7 +1187,7 @@ func TestSQLiteTransactionContextCancellation(t *testing.T) {
 	cancel()
 
 	err = tx.Commit()
-	assert.ErrorAs(t, err, &context.Canceled)
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, err, context.Canceled)
 
 	// Check if we still have a connection to the db.
 	_, err = db.LockTaskQueues(context.Background(), sqlplugin.TaskQueuesFilter{
diff --git a/tools/tdbg/dlq_service_test.go b/tools/tdbg/dlq_service_test.go
index 3e6bc1a24d1..9c2a258b979 100644
--- a/tools/tdbg/dlq_service_test.go
+++ b/tools/tdbg/dlq_service_test.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ type (
 	}
 )
 
-func (tc *dlqTestCase) Run(t *testing.T, firstAppRun chan struct{}) {
+func (tc *dlqTestCase) Run(t *testing.T) {
 	faultyAdminClient := &fakeAdminClient{err: errors.New("did not expect client to be used")}
 	p := dlqTestParams{
 		dlqVersion:            tc.version,
@@ -116,16 +116,8 @@ func (tc *dlqTestCase) Run(t *testing.T, firstAppRun chan struct{}) {
 	}
 	runArgs = appendArg(runArgs, tdbg.FlagOutputFilename, p.outputFileName)
 
-	// TODO: this is a hack to make sure that the first app.Run() call is finished before the second one starts because
-	// there is a race condition in the CLI app where all apps share the same help command pointer and try to initialize
-	// it at the same time. This workaround only protects the first call because it's ok if subsequent calls happen in
-	// parallel since the help command is already initialized.
-	_, isFirstRun := <-firstAppRun
 	t.Logf("Running %v", runArgs)
 	err := app.Run(runArgs)
-	if isFirstRun {
-		close(firstAppRun)
-	}
 	if len(p.expectedErrSubstrings) > 0 {
 		assert.Error(t, err, "Expected error to contain %v", p.expectedErrSubstrings)
 		for _, s := range p.expectedErrSubstrings {
@@ -144,10 +136,6 @@ func (tc *dlqTestCase) Run(t *testing.T, firstAppRun chan struct{}) {
 }
 
 func TestDLQCommand_V2(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	firstAppRun := make(chan struct{}, 1)
-	firstAppRun <- struct{}{}
 	for _, tc := range []dlqTestCase{
 		{
 			name: "read no target cluster with faulty admin client",
@@ -309,9 +297,8 @@ func TestDLQCommand_V2(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	} {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
 			tc.version = "v2"
-			tc.Run(t, firstAppRun)
+			tc.Run(t)
 		})
 	}
 }