diff --git a/changes.d/5909.fix.md b/changes.d/5909.fix.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b6a229498a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes.d/5909.fix.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Fix a bug where Cylc VIP did not remove --workflow-name=<name> from
+Cylc play arguments.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cylc/flow/option_parsers.py b/cylc/flow/option_parsers.py
index 3bf59720d21..1b4945f2bc2 100644
--- a/cylc/flow/option_parsers.py
+++ b/cylc/flow/option_parsers.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 import sys
 from textwrap import dedent
-from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, List, Tuple, Union
+from typing import Any, Dict, Iterable, Optional, List, Tuple, Union
 
 from cylc.flow import LOG
 from cylc.flow.terminal import supports_color, DIM
@@ -820,17 +820,33 @@ def combine_options(*args, modify=None):
 
 
 def cleanup_sysargv(
-    script_name,
-    workflow_id,
-    options,
-    compound_script_opts,
-    script_opts,
-    source,
-):
+    script_name: str,
+    workflow_id: str,
+    options: 'Values',
+    compound_script_opts: Iterable['OptionSettings'],
+    script_opts: Iterable['OptionSettings'],
+    source: str,
+) -> None:
     """Remove unwanted options from sys.argv
 
     Some cylc scripts (notably Cylc Play when it is re-invoked on a scheduler
-    server) require the correct content in sys.argv.
+    server) require the correct content in sys.argv: This function
+    subtracts the unwanted options from sys.argv.
+
+    Args:
+        script_name:
+            Name of the target script. For example if we are
+            using this for the play step of cylc vip then this
+            will be "play".
+        workflow_id:
+        options:
+            Actual options provided to the compound script.
+        compound_script_options:
+            Options available in compound script.
+        script_options:
+            Options available in target script.
+        source:
+            Source directory.
     """
     # Organize Options by dest.
     script_opts_by_dest = {
@@ -841,21 +857,31 @@ def cleanup_sysargv(
         x.kwargs.get('dest', x.args[0].strip(DOUBLEDASH)): x
         for x in compound_script_opts
     }
-    # Filter out non-cylc-play options.
-    args = [i.split('=')[0] for i in sys.argv]
-    for unwanted_opt in (set(options.__dict__)) - set(script_opts_by_dest):
-        for arg in compound_opts_by_dest[unwanted_opt].args:
-            if arg in sys.argv:
-                index = sys.argv.index(arg)
+
+    # Filter out non-cylc-play options:
+    # The set of options which we want to weed out:
+    for unwanted_dest in (set(options.__dict__)) - set(script_opts_by_dest):
+
+        # The possible ways this could be written - if the above
+        # were "workflow_name" this could be '-n' or '--workflow-name':
+        for unwanted_arg in compound_opts_by_dest[unwanted_dest].args:
+
+            # Check for args which are standalone or space separated
+            # `--workflow-name foo`:
+            if unwanted_arg in sys.argv:
+                index = sys.argv.index(unwanted_arg)
                 sys.argv.pop(index)
                 if (
-                    compound_opts_by_dest[unwanted_opt].kwargs['action']
+                    compound_opts_by_dest[unwanted_dest].kwargs['action']
                     not in ['store_true', 'store_false']
                 ):
                     sys.argv.pop(index)
-            elif arg in args:
-                index = args.index(arg)
-                sys.argv.pop(index)
+
+            # Check for `--workflow-name=foo`:
+            elif unwanted_arg in [a.split('=')[0] for a in sys.argv]:
+                for cli_arg in sys.argv:
+                    if cli_arg.startswith(unwanted_arg):
+                        sys.argv.remove(cli_arg)
 
     # replace compound script name:
     sys.argv[1] = script_name
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_option_parsers.py b/tests/unit/test_option_parsers.py
index e3831a1daea..b183b3ef8a5 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_option_parsers.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_option_parsers.py
@@ -410,6 +410,22 @@ def test_combine_options(inputs, expect):
             'play myworkflow'.split(),
             id='removes --key=value'
         ),
+        param(
+            # Test for https://github.com/cylc/cylc-flow/issues/5905
+            'vip ./myworkflow --no-run-name --workflow-name=hi'.split(),
+            {
+                'script_name': 'play',
+                'workflow_id': 'myworkflow',
+                'compound_script_opts': [
+                    OptionSettings(['--no-run-name'], action='store_true'),
+                    OptionSettings(['--workflow-name'], action='store')
+                ],
+                'script_opts': [],
+                'source': './myworkflow',
+            },
+            'play myworkflow'.split(),
+            id='equals-bug'
+        ),
     ]
 )
 def test_cleanup_sysargv(monkeypatch, argv_before, kwargs, expect):