diff --git a/tests/run_cpu_tests.sh b/tests/run_cpu_tests.sh
index 35a9743a712e..6cebfee1a9ea 100644
--- a/tests/run_cpu_tests.sh
+++ b/tests/run_cpu_tests.sh
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 set -xeu
 
 if [ "${SKIP_DISTRIB_TESTS:-0}" -eq "1" ]; then
-    skip_distrib_opt=(-m "not distributed and not tpu and not multinode_distributed")
+    skip_distrib_opt="not distributed and not tpu and not multinode_distributed"
 else
-    skip_distrib_opt=()
+    skip_distrib_opt=""
 fi
 
 MATCH_TESTS_EXPRESSION=${1:-""}
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ EXIT_CODE_ALL_TESTS_DESELECTED=5
 
 CACHE_DIR=.cpu-not-distrib
 echo [pytest] > pytest.ini ; echo "cache_dir=${CACHE_DIR}" >> pytest.ini
-PYTEST_ARGS="--tx 4*popen//python=python --cov ignite --cov-report term-missing --cov-report xml -vvv tests ${skip_distrib_opt[@]} ${MATCH_TESTS_EXPRESSION}"
+PYTEST_ARGS="--tx 4*popen//python=python --cov ignite --cov-report term-missing --cov-report xml -vvv tests -m '${skip_distrib_opt}' -k '${MATCH_TESTS_EXPRESSION}'"
 if [ "${USE_LAST_FAILED:-0}" -eq "1" ] && [ -d "${CACHE_DIR}" ]; then
     PYTEST_ARGS="--last-failed --last-failed-no-failures none ${PYTEST_ARGS}"
 fi
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ fi
 export WORLD_SIZE=2
 CACHE_DIR=.cpu-distrib
 echo [pytest] > pytest.ini ; echo "cache_dir=${CACHE_DIR}" >> pytest.ini
-PYTEST_ARGS="--cov ignite --cov-append --cov-report term-missing --cov-report xml --dist=each --tx ${WORLD_SIZE}*popen//python=python tests -m distributed -vvv ${MATCH_TESTS_EXPRESSION}"
+PYTEST_ARGS="--cov ignite --cov-append --cov-report term-missing --cov-report xml --dist=each --tx ${WORLD_SIZE}*popen//python=python tests -m distributed -vvv -k '${MATCH_TESTS_EXPRESSION}'"
 if [ "${USE_LAST_FAILED:-0}" -eq "1" ] && [ -d "${CACHE_DIR}" ]; then
     PYTEST_ARGS="--last-failed --last-failed-no-failures none ${PYTEST_ARGS}"
 fi