diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/public/assets/scripts/discourse-test-load-dynamic-js.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/public/assets/scripts/discourse-test-load-dynamic-js.js
index 8041b5141bd..5f461030810 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/public/assets/scripts/discourse-test-load-dynamic-js.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/public/assets/scripts/discourse-test-load-dynamic-js.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 const dynamicJsTemplate = document.querySelector("#dynamic-test-js");
 
 const params = new URLSearchParams(document.location.search);
-const skipPlugins = params.get("qunit_skip_plugins");
+const target = params.get("target");
+const skipPlugins = !target || target === "core";
 
 (async function setup() {
   for (const element of dynamicJsTemplate.content.childNodes) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/setup-tests.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/setup-tests.js
index 6f1d61ac570..a16401e2ac9 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/setup-tests.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/setup-tests.js
@@ -125,31 +125,39 @@ function setupToolbar() {
     )
   );
 
-  QUnit.config.urlConfig.push({
-    id: "qunit_skip_core",
-    label: "Skip Core",
-    value: "1",
-  });
-
-  QUnit.config.urlConfig.push({
-    id: "qunit_skip_plugins",
-    label: "Skip Plugins",
-    value: "1",
-  });
-
   const pluginNames = new Set();
 
-  Object.keys(requirejs.entries).forEach((moduleName) => {
-    const found = moduleName.match(/\/plugins\/([\w-]+)\//);
-    if (found && moduleName.match(/\-test/)) {
-      pluginNames.add(found[1]);
-    }
-  });
+  document
+    .querySelector("#dynamic-test-js")
+    ?.content.querySelectorAll("script[data-discourse-plugin]")
+    .forEach((script) => pluginNames.add(script.dataset.discoursePlugin));
 
   QUnit.config.urlConfig.push({
-    id: "qunit_single_plugin",
-    label: "Plugin",
-    value: Array.from(pluginNames),
+    id: "target",
+    label: "Target",
+    value: ["core", "plugins", "all", "-----", ...Array.from(pluginNames)],
+  });
+
+  QUnit.begin(() => {
+    const select = document.querySelector(
+      `#qunit-testrunner-toolbar [name=target]`
+    );
+
+    const testingThemeId = parseInt(
+      document.querySelector("script[data-theme-id]")?.dataset.themeId,
+      10
+    );
+    if (testingThemeId) {
+      select.innerHTML = `<option selected>theme id ${testingThemeId}</option>`;
+      select.disabled = true;
+      return;
+    }
+
+    select.value ||= "core";
+    select.querySelector("option:not([value])").remove();
+    select.querySelector("option[value=-----]").disabled = true;
+    select.querySelector("option[value=all]").innerText =
+      "all (not recommended)";
   });
 
   // Abort tests when the qunit controls are clicked
@@ -346,20 +354,9 @@ export default function setupTests(config) {
     QUnit.config.autostart = false;
   }
 
-  let skipCore =
-    getUrlParameter("qunit_single_plugin") ||
-    getUrlParameter("qunit_skip_core") === "1";
+  handleLegacyParameters();
 
-  let singlePlugin = getUrlParameter("qunit_single_plugin");
-  let skipPlugins = !singlePlugin && getUrlParameter("qunit_skip_plugins");
-
-  if (skipCore && !getUrlParameter("qunit_skip_core")) {
-    replaceUrlParameter("qunit_skip_core", "1");
-  }
-
-  if (!skipPlugins && getUrlParameter("qunit_skip_plugins")) {
-    replaceUrlParameter("qunit_skip_plugins", null);
-  }
+  const target = getUrlParameter("target") || "core";
 
   const shouldLoadModule = (name) => {
     if (!/\-test/.test(name)) {
@@ -370,13 +367,15 @@ export default function setupTests(config) {
     const isCore = !isPlugin;
     const pluginName = name.match(/\/plugins\/([\w-]+)\//)?.[1];
 
-    if (skipCore && isCore) {
+    const loadCore = target === "core" || target === "all";
+    const loadAllPlugins = target === "plugins" || target === "all";
+
+    if (isCore && !loadCore) {
       return false;
-    } else if (skipPlugins && isPlugin) {
-      return false;
-    } else if (singlePlugin && singlePlugin !== pluginName) {
+    } else if (isPlugin && !(loadAllPlugins || pluginName === target)) {
       return false;
     }
+
     return true;
   };
 
@@ -402,28 +401,6 @@ function getUrlParameter(name) {
   return queryParams.get(name);
 }
 
-function replaceUrlParameter(name, value) {
-  const queryParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
-  if (value === null) {
-    queryParams.delete(name);
-  } else {
-    queryParams.set(name, value);
-  }
-  history.replaceState(null, null, "?" + queryParams.toString());
-
-  QUnit.begin(() => {
-    QUnit.config[name] = value;
-    const formElement = document.querySelector(
-      `#qunit-testrunner-toolbar [name=${name}]`
-    );
-    if (formElement?.type === "checkbox") {
-      formElement.checked = !!value;
-    } else if (formElement) {
-      formElement.value = value;
-    }
-  });
-}
-
 function patchFailedAssertion() {
   const oldPushResult = QUnit.assert.pushResult;
 
@@ -439,3 +416,19 @@ function patchFailedAssertion() {
     oldPushResult.call(this, resultInfo);
   };
 }
+
+function handleLegacyParameters() {
+  for (const param of [
+    "qunit_single_plugin",
+    "qunit_skip_core",
+    "qunit_skip_plugins",
+  ]) {
+    if (getUrlParameter(param)) {
+      QUnit.begin(() => {
+        throw new Error(
+          `${param} is no longer supported. Use the 'target' parameter instead`
+        );
+      });
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/test-boot-ember-cli.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/test-boot-ember-cli.js
index c16a0c17680..fd8ffc4f209 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/test-boot-ember-cli.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/test-boot-ember-cli.js
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ document.addEventListener("discourse-booted", () => {
   }
 
   const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
-  const skipCore = params.get("qunit_skip_core") === "1";
+  const target = params.get("target");
+  const testingCore = !target || target === "core";
   const disableAutoStart = params.get("qunit_disable_auto_start") === "1";
 
   Ember.ENV.LOG_STACKTRACE_ON_DEPRECATION = false;
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ document.addEventListener("discourse-booted", () => {
     setupTestContainer: false,
     loadTests: false,
     startTests: !disableAutoStart,
-    setupEmberOnerrorValidation: !skipCore,
+    setupEmberOnerrorValidation: testingCore,
     setupTestIsolationValidation: true,
   });
 });
diff --git a/lib/tasks/plugin.rake b/lib/tasks/plugin.rake
index ea42029c73f..9711141902a 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/plugin.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/plugin.rake
@@ -209,14 +209,17 @@ task "plugin:qunit", %i[plugin timeout] do |t, args|
   rake = "#{Rails.root}/bin/rake"
 
   cmd = "LOAD_PLUGINS=1 "
-  cmd += "QUNIT_SKIP_CORE=1 "
 
-  if args[:plugin] == "*"
-    puts "Running qunit tests for all plugins"
-  else
-    puts "Running qunit tests for #{args[:plugin]}"
-    cmd += "QUNIT_SINGLE_PLUGIN='#{args[:plugin]}' "
-  end
+  target =
+    if args[:plugin] == "*"
+      puts "Running qunit tests for all plugins"
+      "plugins"
+    else
+      puts "Running qunit tests for #{args[:plugin]}"
+      args[:plugin]
+    end
+
+  cmd += "TARGET='#{target}' "
 
   cmd += "#{rake} qunit:test"
   cmd += "[#{args[:timeout]}]" if args[:timeout]
diff --git a/lib/tasks/qunit.rake b/lib/tasks/qunit.rake
index 0c4beee249b..e03f103e057 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/qunit.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/qunit.rake
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ task "qunit:test", %i[timeout qunit_path filter] do |_, args|
       theme_name
       theme_url
       theme_id
+      target
     ].each { |arg| options[arg] = ENV[arg.upcase] if ENV[arg.upcase].present? }
 
     options["report_requests"] = "1" if report_requests