diff --git a/packages/tests/src/node/interfaces.ts b/packages/tests/src/node/interfaces.ts
index 5a530d6e12..dceb75427f 100644
--- a/packages/tests/src/node/interfaces.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/src/node/interfaces.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ export interface Args {
   websocketPort?: number;
   discv5BootstrapNode?: string;
   discv5UdpPort?: number;
+  // `legacyFilter` is required to enable filter v1 with go-waku
+  legacyFilter?: boolean;
 }
 
 export enum LogLevel {
diff --git a/packages/tests/src/node/node.ts b/packages/tests/src/node/node.ts
index 80375b8640..fe269eb125 100644
--- a/packages/tests/src/node/node.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/src/node/node.ts
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ export class NimGoNode {
     this.rpcPort = rpcPort;
     this.websocketPort = websocketPort;
 
+    // `legacyFilter` is required to enable filter v1 with go-waku
+    const { legacyFilter = false, ..._args } = args;
+
     // Object.assign overrides the properties with the source (if there are conflicts)
     Object.assign(
       mergedArgs,
@@ -130,10 +133,10 @@ export class NimGoNode {
         tcpPort,
         websocketPort,
         ...(args?.peerExchange && { discv5UdpPort }),
-        ...(isGoWaku && { minRelayPeersToPublish: 0 }),
+        ...(isGoWaku && { minRelayPeersToPublish: 0, legacyFilter }),
       },
       { rpcAddress: "0.0.0.0" },
-      args
+      _args
     );
 
     process.env.WAKUNODE2_STORE_MESSAGE_DB_URL = "";
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/enr.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/enr.node.spec.ts
index e80c6dab73..ca843c5573 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/enr.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/enr.node.spec.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ describe("ENR Interop: NimGoNode", function () {
       store: true,
       filter: true,
       lightpush: true,
+      legacyFilter: true,
     });
     const multiAddrWithId = await nwaku.getMultiaddrWithId();
 
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/filter_v1.node.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/filter_v1.node.spec.ts
index 676d141362..630d20d2a6 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/filter_v1.node.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/filter_v1.node.spec.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,12 @@ describe("Waku Filter: V1", () => {
   beforeEach(async function () {
     this.timeout(15000);
     nwaku = new NimGoNode(makeLogFileName(this));
-    await nwaku.start({ filter: true, lightpush: true, relay: true });
+    await nwaku.start({
+      filter: true,
+      lightpush: true,
+      relay: true,
+      legacyFilter: true,
+    });
     waku = await createLightNode({
       useFilterV1: true,
       staticNoiseKey: NOISE_KEY_1,
diff --git a/packages/tests/tests/utils.spec.ts b/packages/tests/tests/utils.spec.ts
index 2f41ea4481..f3bd2ca7b2 100644
--- a/packages/tests/tests/utils.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/tests/utils.spec.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,12 @@ describe("Util: toAsyncIterator: FilterV1", () => {
   beforeEach(async function () {
     this.timeout(15000);
     nwaku = new NimGoNode(makeLogFileName(this));
-    await nwaku.start({ filter: true, lightpush: true, relay: true });
+    await nwaku.start({
+      filter: true,
+      lightpush: true,
+      relay: true,
+      legacyFilter: true,
+    });
     waku = await createLightNode({
       useFilterV1: true,
       staticNoiseKey: NOISE_KEY_1,