diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index af76d8385..c24c63459 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -270,8 +270,8 @@ build/%: | $(NIMBLEDEPS_STAMP) build deps librln
 
 compile-test: | $(NIMBLEDEPS_STAMP) build deps librln
 	echo -e $(BUILD_MSG) "$(TEST_FILE)" "\"$(TEST_NAME)\"" && \
-		nimble buildTest $(TEST_FILE) && \
-		nimble execTest $(TEST_FILE) "\"$(TEST_NAME)\""
+		TEST_FILE="$(TEST_FILE)" nimble buildTest && \
+		TEST_FILE="$(TEST_FILE)" TEST_NAME="$(TEST_NAME)" nimble execTest
 
 ################
 ## Waku tools ##
diff --git a/waku.nimble b/waku.nimble
index a366142ea..6ef8fcecf 100644
--- a/waku.nimble
+++ b/waku.nimble
@@ -80,10 +80,7 @@ proc getNimParams(): string =
 proc buildModule(filePath, params = "", lang = "c"): bool =
   if not dirExists "build":
     mkDir "build"
-  # allow something like "nim nimbus --verbosity:0 --hints:off nimbus.nims"
   var extra_params = params
-  for i in 2 ..< paramCount() - 1:
-    extra_params &= " " & paramStr(i)
 
   if not fileExists(filePath):
     echo "File to build not found: " & filePath
@@ -447,20 +444,21 @@ task lightpushwithmix, "Build lightpushwithmix":
   buildBinary name, "examples/lightpush_mix/"
 
 task buildTest, "Test custom target":
-  let filepath = paramStr(paramCount())
+  let filepath = getEnv("TEST_FILE")
+  if filepath == "":
+    quit "Missing TEST_FILE environment variable"
   discard buildModule(filepath)
 
 import std/strutils
 
 task execTest, "Run test":
-  # Expects to be parameterized with test case name in quotes
-  # preceded with the nim source file name and path
-  # If no test case name is given still it requires empty quotes `""`
-  let filepath = paramStr(paramCount() - 1)
-  var testSuite = paramStr(paramCount()).strip(chars = {'\"'})
+  let filepath = getEnv("TEST_FILE")
+  if filepath == "":
+    quit "Missing TEST_FILE environment variable"
+  var testSuite = getEnv("TEST_NAME").strip(chars = {'\"'})
   if testSuite != "":
     testSuite = " \"" & testSuite & "\""
-  exec "build/" & filepath & ".bin " & testSuite
+  exec "build/" & filepath & ".bin" & testSuite
 
 ### C Bindings
 let chroniclesParams =