diff --git a/openpype/cli.py b/openpype/cli.py
index a7b1c67b75..9034583a7a 100644
--- a/openpype/cli.py
+++ b/openpype/cli.py
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ from .pype_commands import PypeCommands
               help=("Enable debug"))
 @click.option("--verbose", expose_value=False,
               help=("Change OpenPype log level (debug - critical or 0-50)"))
+@click.option("--automatic-tests", is_flag=True, expose_value=False,
+              help=("Run in automatic tests mode"))
 def main(ctx):
     """Pype is main command serving as entry point to pipeline system.
 
@@ -127,11 +129,7 @@ def webpublisherwebserver(executable, upload_dir, host=None, port=None):
 @click.option(
     "--envgroup", help="Environment group (e.g. \"farm\")", default=None
 )
-@click.option(
-    "--automatic_tests", help="Is this automatic test", default=None
-)
-def extractenvironments(output_json_path, project, asset, task, app, envgroup,
-                        automatic_tests):
+def extractenvironments(output_json_path, project, asset, task, app, envgroup):
     """Extract environment variables for entered context to a json file.
 
     Entered output filepath will be created if does not exists.
@@ -152,10 +150,7 @@ def extractenvironments(output_json_path, project, asset, task, app, envgroup,
               multiple=True)
 @click.option("-g", "--gui", is_flag=True,
               help="Show Publish UI", default=False)
-@click.option(
-    "--automatic_tests", help="Is this automatic test", default=None
-)
-def publish(paths, targets, gui, automatic_tests):
+def publish(paths, targets, gui):
     """Start CLI publishing.
 
     Publish collects json from paths provided as an argument.
diff --git a/openpype/modules/deadline/plugins/publish/submit_publish_job.py b/openpype/modules/deadline/plugins/publish/submit_publish_job.py
index 32ad22f6b0..aabc4bf84c 100644
--- a/openpype/modules/deadline/plugins/publish/submit_publish_job.py
+++ b/openpype/modules/deadline/plugins/publish/submit_publish_job.py
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ class ProcessSubmittedJobOnFarm(pyblish.api.InstancePlugin):
         ]
 
         if os.environ.get("IS_TEST"):
-            args.extend(["--automatic_tests", "1"])
+            args.append("--automatic-tests")
 
         # Generate the payload for Deadline submission
         payload = {
diff --git a/openpype/modules/deadline/repository/custom/plugins/GlobalJobPreLoad.py b/openpype/modules/deadline/repository/custom/plugins/GlobalJobPreLoad.py
index 84b435ccdd..c0c7ee4d54 100644
--- a/openpype/modules/deadline/repository/custom/plugins/GlobalJobPreLoad.py
+++ b/openpype/modules/deadline/repository/custom/plugins/GlobalJobPreLoad.py
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ def inject_openpype_environment(deadlinePlugin):
         add_args["envgroup"] = "farm"
 
         if job.GetJobEnvironmentKeyValue('IS_TEST'):
-            add_args["automatic_tests"] = "true"
+            args.append("--automatic-tests")
 
         if all(add_args.values()):
             for key, value in add_args.items():
diff --git a/start.py b/start.py
index 5242a50f14..ec0465b0f5 100644
--- a/start.py
+++ b/start.py
@@ -242,6 +242,10 @@ if "--debug" in sys.argv:
     sys.argv.remove("--debug")
     os.environ["OPENPYPE_DEBUG"] = "1"
 
+if "--automatic-tests" in sys.argv:
+    sys.argv.remove("--automatic-tests")
+    os.environ["IS_TEST"] = "1"
+
 
 import igniter  # noqa: E402
 from igniter import BootstrapRepos  # noqa: E402
@@ -486,7 +490,6 @@ def _process_arguments() -> tuple:
     use_version = None
     use_staging = False
     commands = []
-    automatic_tests = False
 
     # OpenPype version specification through arguments
     use_version_arg = "--use-version"
@@ -571,10 +574,7 @@ def _process_arguments() -> tuple:
         sys.argv.pop(idx)
         sys.argv.insert(idx, "tray")
 
-    if "--automatic_tests" in sys.argv:
-        automatic_tests = True
-
-    return use_version, use_staging, commands, automatic_tests
+    return use_version, use_staging, commands
 
 
 def _determine_mongodb() -> str:
@@ -1001,7 +1001,7 @@ def boot():
     # Process arguments
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    use_version, use_staging, commands, automatic_tests = _process_arguments()
+    use_version, use_staging, commands = _process_arguments()
 
     if os.getenv("OPENPYPE_VERSION"):
         if use_version:
@@ -1028,9 +1028,8 @@ def boot():
     os.environ["OPENPYPE_DATABASE_NAME"] = \
         os.environ.get("OPENPYPE_DATABASE_NAME") or "openpype"
 
-    if automatic_tests:
+    if os.environ.get("IS_TEST") == "1":
         # change source DBs to predefined ones set for automatic testing
-        os.environ["IS_TEST"] = "1"
         os.environ["OPENPYPE_DATABASE_NAME"] += "_tests"
         avalon_db = os.environ.get("AVALON_DB") or "avalon"
         os.environ["AVALON_DB"] = avalon_db + "_tests"