diff --git a/doc/api/cli.md b/doc/api/cli.md
index 940010cad6effa..d6eaa8d65a55a5 100644
--- a/doc/api/cli.md
+++ b/doc/api/cli.md
@@ -1272,6 +1272,12 @@ added: v19.6.0
 The destination for the corresponding test reporter. See the documentation on
 [test reporters][] for more details.
 
+### `--test-child-process`
+
+A flag to identify the process as a child of another test process to ensure
+that test reporting is formatted correctly to be parsed by a parent test
+process.
+
 ### `--test-only`
 
 <!-- YAML
diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js
index ae134fc6bf9fbd..5f9cf1c3306382 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const {
   ArrayPrototypeSlice,
   ArrayPrototypeSome,
   ArrayPrototypeSort,
+  ArrayPrototypeUnshift,
   ObjectAssign,
   PromisePrototypeThen,
   SafePromiseAll,
@@ -130,17 +131,9 @@ function getRunArgs({ path, inspectPort }) {
     ArrayPrototypePush(argv, `--inspect-port=${getInspectPort(inspectPort)}`);
   }
   ArrayPrototypePush(argv, path);
-  return argv;
-}
+  ArrayPrototypeUnshift(argv, '--test-child-process');
 
-function getNodeOptions(options) {
-  if (!options) {
-    return options;
-  }
-  return ArrayPrototypeJoin(
-    ArrayPrototypeFilter(StringPrototypeSplit(options, ' '), filterExecArgv),
-    ' ',
-  );
+  return argv;
 }
 
 class FileTest extends Test {
@@ -243,7 +236,6 @@ function runTestFile(path, root, inspectPort, filesWatcher) {
     const args = getRunArgs({ path, inspectPort });
     const stdio = ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'];
     const env = { ...process.env };
-    env.NODE_OPTIONS = getNodeOptions(process.env.NODE_OPTIONS);
     if (filesWatcher) {
       stdio.push('ipc');
       env.WATCH_REPORT_DEPENDENCIES = '1';
diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/utils.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/utils.js
index d981c0f6d4381b..e49221ee857bf4 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/utils.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/utils.js
@@ -148,20 +148,26 @@ async function getReportersMap(reporters, destinations) {
 
 
 async function setupTestReporters(testsStream) {
-  const destinations = getOptionValue('--test-reporter-destination');
-  const reporters = getOptionValue('--test-reporter');
-
-  if (reporters.length === 0 && destinations.length === 0) {
-    ArrayPrototypePush(reporters, kDefaultReporter);
-  }
+  let destinations = getOptionValue('--test-reporter-destination');
+  let reporters = getOptionValue('--test-reporter');
+  const isChildProcess = getOptionValue('--test-child-process');
+
+  if (isChildProcess) {
+    reporters = [kDefaultReporter];
+    destinations = [kDefaultDestination];
+  } else {
+    if (reporters.length === 0 && destinations.length === 0) {
+      ArrayPrototypePush(reporters, kDefaultReporter);
+    }
 
-  if (reporters.length === 1 && destinations.length === 0) {
-    ArrayPrototypePush(destinations, kDefaultDestination);
-  }
+    if (reporters.length === 1 && destinations.length === 0) {
+      ArrayPrototypePush(destinations, kDefaultDestination);
+    }
 
-  if (destinations.length !== reporters.length) {
-    throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_VALUE('--test-reporter', reporters,
-                                    'must match the number of specified \'--test-reporter-destination\'');
+    if (destinations.length !== reporters.length) {
+      throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_VALUE('--test-reporter', reporters,
+                                      'must match the number of specified \'--test-reporter-destination\'');
+    }
   }
 
   const reportersMap = await getReportersMap(reporters, destinations);
diff --git a/src/node_options.cc b/src/node_options.cc
index 37ff1a2239ddbe..94ce200c516ad8 100644
--- a/src/node_options.cc
+++ b/src/node_options.cc
@@ -570,6 +570,8 @@ EnvironmentOptionsParser::EnvironmentOptionsParser() {
             "report given reporter to the given destination",
             &EnvironmentOptions::test_reporter_destination,
             kAllowedInEnvvar);
+  AddOption("--test-child-process", "",  // for internal use by test runner
+            &EnvironmentOptions::test_child_process);
   AddOption("--test-only",
             "run tests with 'only' option set",
             &EnvironmentOptions::test_only,
diff --git a/src/node_options.h b/src/node_options.h
index 07ec47d861c77f..8cf43e3b6532cc 100644
--- a/src/node_options.h
+++ b/src/node_options.h
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ class EnvironmentOptions : public Options {
   std::vector<std::string> test_name_pattern;
   std::vector<std::string> test_reporter;
   std::vector<std::string> test_reporter_destination;
+  bool test_child_process = false;
   bool test_only = false;
   bool test_udp_no_try_send = false;
   bool throw_deprecation = false;