diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 0aaa6045d9..fef32a511d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -169,6 +169,8 @@ Unit tests
 Testing
 -------
 
+- allow unknown parameters to let tests pass if only optional dependencies are missing
+
 Build system
 ------------
 
diff --git a/check/CMakeLists.txt b/check/CMakeLists.txt
index a0fede48c6..98ac463b68 100644
--- a/check/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/check/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -582,8 +582,8 @@ macro(add_instancetests instances settings prefix)
             set_tests_properties(${prefix}-${setting}-${basename}
                                 PROPERTIES
                                     PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Validation         : Success"
-                                    FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
-                                    FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "WARNING: unknown parameter;user parameter file <${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/check/coverage/settings/${setting}.set> not found"
+                                    FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
+                                    FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "user parameter file <${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/check/coverage/settings/${setting}.set> not found"
                                     DEPENDS scip-build
                                 )
             endif()  # integrality violated in multiaggregated integer variable, #3724 (LPS=cpx, MIP-convertinttobin_mostinf-bell5.mps)
@@ -619,8 +619,7 @@ if((${TEST_BENDERSQP} AND (NOT ${LPS} STREQUAL "msk" )) OR (NOT ${prefix} STREQU
             set_tests_properties(${prefix}-${setting}-${basename}
                                 PROPERTIES
                                     PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Validation         : Success"
-                                    FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
-                                    FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "WARNING: unknown parameter"
+                                    FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
                                     FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "user parameter file <${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/check/coverage/settings/${setting}.set> not found"
                                     DEPENDS scip-build
                                 )
@@ -645,8 +644,8 @@ macro(add_pairtests pairs prefix)
         set_tests_properties(${prefix}-${setting}-${basename}
                             PROPERTIES
                                 PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Validation         : Success"
-                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
-                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "WARNING: unknown parameter;user parameter file <${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/check/coverage/settings/${setting}.set> not found"
+                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
+                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "user parameter file <${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/check/coverage/settings/${setting}.set> not found"
                                 DEPENDS scip-build
                             )
     endforeach(pair)
@@ -693,7 +692,7 @@ foreach(instance ${instances_MINLP})
         set_tests_properties(MINLP-solutiontest-${basename}
                             PROPERTIES
                                 PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Validation         : Success"
-                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
                                 DEPENDS scip-build
                             )
 endforeach(instance)
@@ -713,7 +712,7 @@ foreach(instance ${instances_Indicator})
     set_tests_properties(Indicator-solvecip-${basename}
         PROPERTIES
             PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Validation         : Success"
-            FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+            FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
             DEPENDS scip-build
         )
 endforeach(instance)
@@ -733,7 +732,8 @@ foreach(instance ${instances_Objlim})
     set_tests_properties(Objlim-${setting}-${basename}
         PROPERTIES
             PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Validation         : Success"
-            FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+            FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
+            FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "user parameter file <${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/check/coverage/settings/${setting}.set> not found"
             DEPENDS scip-build
         )
 endforeach(instance)
@@ -787,7 +787,7 @@ foreach(instance ${instances_MIP_write})
     set_tests_properties(MIP-writeronlytest-${extension}-${basename}
       PROPERTIES
         PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ${regex}
-        FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+        FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
         DEPENDS scip-build
     )
   endforeach(extension)
@@ -820,7 +820,7 @@ foreach(instance ${instances_MIP})
         set_tests_properties(MIP-readertest-${extension}-${basename}
                             PROPERTIES
                                 PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ${regex}
-                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
                                 DEPENDS scip-build
                             )
     endforeach(extension)
@@ -843,7 +843,7 @@ if(NOT ${TPI} STREQUAL "none")
         set_tests_properties(MIP-concurrentsolve-${basename}
                             PROPERTIES
                                 PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Validation         : Success"
-                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
                                 DEPENDS scip-build
                             )
         endif() # Timeout (deadlock?), #3724 (MIP-concurrentsolve-egout.mps, LPS=spx bugfix)
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ foreach(instance ${instances_MIP})
         set_tests_properties(MIP-mipstart-${basename}
                             PROPERTIES
                                 PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Validation         : Success"
-                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
                                 # the MIP start instances are validated twice.
                                 FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Validation         : Fail"
                                 DEPENDS scip-build
@@ -894,7 +894,7 @@ add_test(NAME interactiveshell
 set_tests_properties(interactiveshell
                     PROPERTIES
                         PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "increased branching priority of new binary variables"
-                        FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+                        FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
                         DEPENDS scip-build
                     )
 add_test(NAME write_and_read_settings
@@ -902,7 +902,7 @@ add_test(NAME write_and_read_settings
         )
 set_tests_properties(write_and_read_settings
                     PROPERTIES
-                        FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+                        FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
                         DEPENDS scip-build
                     )
 
@@ -921,7 +921,8 @@ foreach(testname reopt-chg-obj-stein27 reopt-chg-obj-flugpl reopt-chg-obj-1-Full
                 )
         set_tests_properties(${testname}-${setting} PROPERTIES
                                             PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Validation         : Success"
-                                            FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+                                            FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
+                                            FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "user parameter file <${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/check/coverage/settings/${setting}.set> not found"
                                             DEPENDS scip-build)
         endforeach()
 endforeach()
@@ -1050,7 +1051,7 @@ foreach(instance ${instances_MIP})
         set_tests_properties(MIP-linclass-${basename}
                             PROPERTIES
                                 PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "${pass_regex}"
-                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+                                FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
                             )
     endif()
 endforeach()
@@ -1117,7 +1118,7 @@ if (UNIX)
                             DEPENDS scip-build
                             # I assume that this test takes longer than 2 seconds
                             PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "termination signal received"
-                            FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION ERROR
+                            FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR"
                             )
 endif (UNIX)
 endif()