diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/aws.sh b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/aws.sh
index 15556df560..505c60ecb2 100755
--- a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/aws.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/aws.sh
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ run_kola_tests() {
         --aws-ami="${AWS_AMI_ID}" \
         --aws-region="${AWS_REGION}" \
         --aws-type="${instance_type}" \
-        --aws-iam-profile="${AWS_IAM_PROFILE}" \
-        "${@}"
+        --aws-iam-profile="${AWS_IAM_PROFILE}"
 }
 
 # these are set in ci-config.env
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/digitalocean.sh b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/digitalocean.sh
index e6341371c3..5a497b74eb 100755
--- a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/digitalocean.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/digitalocean.sh
@@ -59,8 +59,7 @@ run_kola_tests() {
         --do-config-file="${config_file}" \
         --do-image="${image_name}" \
         --parallel="${DIGITALOCEAN_PARALLEL}" \
-        --platform=do \
-        "${@}"
+        --platform=do
 }
 
 run_default_kola_tests
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/equinix_metal.sh b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/equinix_metal.sh
index 1a13b42df4..14698509c5 100755
--- a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/equinix_metal.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/equinix_metal.sh
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ run_kola_tests() {
         --equinixmetal-project="${EQUINIXMETAL_PROJECT}" \
         --equinixmetal-storage-url="${EQUINIXMETAL_STORAGE_URL}" \
         --gce-json-key=<(echo "${GCP_JSON_KEY}" | base64 --decode) \
-        --equinixmetal-api-key="${EQUINIXMETAL_KEY}" \
-        "${@}"
+        --equinixmetal-api-key="${EQUINIXMETAL_KEY}"
 }
 
 run_default_kola_tests
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/gce.sh b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/gce.sh
index 5241173b77..be937ab106 100755
--- a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/gce.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/gce.sh
@@ -68,8 +68,7 @@ run_kola_tests() {
         --gce-machinetype="${GCE_MACHINE_TYPE}" \
         "${extra_arg[@]}" \
         --parallel="${GCE_PARALLEL}" \
-        --platform=gce \
-        "${@}"
+        --platform=gce
 }
 
 run_default_kola_tests
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/openstack.sh b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/openstack.sh
index 885064d693..99e1519f0d 100755
--- a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/openstack.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/openstack.sh
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@ run_kola_tests() {
         --openstack-host="${OPENSTACK_HOST}" \
         --openstack-keyfile="${openstack_keyfile}" \
         --openstack-image="${IMAGE_ID}" \
-        --openstack-config-file="${config_file}" \
-        "${@}"
+        --openstack-config-file="${config_file}"
 }
 
 run_default_kola_tests
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu.sh b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu.sh
index 0daa36a5f6..5fb461dc0f 100755
--- a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu.sh
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ run_kola_tests() {
         --platform=qemu \
         --qemu-bios="${bios}" \
         --qemu-image="${QEMU_IMAGE_NAME}" \
-        --qemu-skip-mangle \
-        "${@}"
+        --qemu-skip-mangle
 }
 
 run_default_kola_tests
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu_update.sh b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu_update.sh
index 064285bf4b..286aa54afb 100755
--- a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu_update.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu_update.sh
@@ -107,8 +107,7 @@ run_kola_tests() {
       --qemu-bios="${bios}" \
       --qemu-image="${image}" \
       --update-payload=tmp/flatcar_test_update.gz \
-      --qemu-skip-mangle \
-      cl.update.payload
+      --qemu-skip-mangle
 }
 
 run_default_kola_tests
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/test.sh b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/test.sh
index 2c50ff8967..5cd3a39b78 100755
--- a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/test.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/test.sh
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ run_kola_tests() {
 
     kola_run \
         --parallel=42 \
-        --platform=test \
-        "${@}"
+        --platform=test
 }
 
 run_default_kola_tests
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/vmware.sh b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/vmware.sh
index adf4ddea7e..10a4a6b960 100755
--- a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/vmware.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/vmware.sh
@@ -70,8 +70,7 @@ run_kola_tests() {
         --platform=esx \
         --parallel="${VMWARE_ESX_PARALLEL}" \
         --esx-config-file "${config_file}" \
-        --esx-ova-path "${VMWARE_ESX_IMAGE_NAME}" \
-        "${@}"
+        --esx-ova-path "${VMWARE_ESX_IMAGE_NAME}"
 }
 
 run_default_kola_tests
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor_test.sh b/ci-automation/vendor_test.sh
index e7be110e47..10bbd90e39 100644
--- a/ci-automation/vendor_test.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor_test.sh
@@ -117,6 +117,13 @@ CIA_VENDOR_SCRIPTS_DIR="${ciavts_vendor_scripts_dir}"
 # Unset all variables with ciavts_ prefix now.
 unset -v "${!ciavts_@}"
 
+function generate_fail_tapfile() {
+    local tapfile="${1}"; shift
+    # rest of the args are test names
+    echo "1..${#@}" >"${tapfile}"
+    printf 'not ok - %s\n' "${@}" >>"${tapfile}"
+}
+
 trap handle_flaky_setup ERR
 function handle_flaky_setup() {
     if [[ -e "${CIA_TAPFILE}" ]]; then
@@ -161,8 +168,7 @@ function handle_flaky_setup() {
         all_tests=( "${CIA_OUTPUT_ALL_TESTS[@]}" )
     fi
 
-    echo "1..${#all_tests[@]}" >"${CIA_TAPFILE}"
-    printf 'not ok - %s\n' "${all_tests[@]}" >>"${CIA_TAPFILE}"
+    generate_fail_tapfile "${CIA_TAPFILE}" "${all_tests[@]}"
     return 0
 }
 
@@ -306,8 +312,6 @@ function merge_tap_files() {
 #
 # run_kola_tests that takes the following parameters:
 # 1 - instance type
-# 2 - tap file
-# @ - tests to run
 #
 # query_kola_tests that takes the following parameters:
 # 1 - instance type
@@ -317,28 +321,26 @@ function merge_tap_files() {
 # the line will be ignored.
 #
 # Typical use:
+#
+# CIA_OUTPUT_MAIN_INSTANCE=…
+# CIA_OUTPUT_ALL_TESTS=( … )
+# CIA_OUTPUT_EXTRA_INSTANCES=( … )
+# CIA_OUTPUT_EXTRA_INSTANCE_TESTS=( … )
+# CIA_OUTPUT_TIMEOUT=…
+#
 # function run_kola_tests() {
 #     local instance_type="${1}"; shift
-#     local tap_file="${1}"; shift
-#     kola run … "${@}"
+#     kola_run …
 # }
 #
+# # Setup (download and prepare images for kola)
+#
 # function query_kola_tests() {
 #     local instance_type="${1}"; shift
 #     kola list … "${@}"
 # }
 #
-# args=(
-#     "${main_instance}"
-#     "${CIA_TAPFILE}"
-#     "${CIA_FIRST_RUN}"
-#     "${other_instance_types[@]}"
-#     '--'
-#     'cl.internet'
-#     '--'
-#     "${tests_to_run[@]}"
-# )
-# run_kola_tests_on_instances "${args[@]}"
+# run_default_kola_tests
 #
 # Parameters:
 # 1 - main instance type - there all the tests are being run
@@ -430,6 +432,7 @@ function run_kola_tests_on_instances() {
 function run_kola_tests_internal() {
     local instance_type="${1}"; shift
     local CIA_INTERNAL_TAPFILE="${1}"; shift
+    local CIA_INTERNAL_TESTS=( "${@}" )
     run_kola_tests "${instance_type}" "${@}"
 }
 
@@ -473,7 +476,7 @@ function run_default_kola_tests() {
 # run_kola_tests callback used by run_default_kola_tests or
 # run_kola_tests_on_instances.
 function kola_run() {
-    local common_opts
+    local -a common_opts kola_cmd
 
     common_opts=(
         --board="${CIA_ARCH}-usr"
@@ -481,19 +484,21 @@ function kola_run() {
         --torcx-manifest="${CIA_TORCX_MANIFEST}"
         --channel="${CIA_CHANNEL}"
     )
+    kola_cmd=()
     if [[ -n "${CIA_OUTPUT_TIMEOUT:-}" ]]; then
-        unsafe_code_section \
-            timeout --signal=SIGQUIT "${CIA_OUTPUT_TIMEOUT}" \
-                kola run "${common_opts[@]}" "${@}"
-    else
-        unsafe_code_section \
-            kola run "${common_opts[@]}" "${@}"
+        kola_cmd+=( timeout --signal=SIGQUIT "${CIA_OUTPUT_TIMEOUT}" )
     fi
+    kola_cmd+=( kola run "${common_opts[@]}" "${@}" "${CIA_INTERNAL_TESTS[@]}" )
+    # Run in a subshell to avoid executing the err handler.
+    (
+        printf "%q" "${kola_cmd[@]}"; printf '\n'
+        "${kola_cmd[@]}" || :
+    )
     # In case of timeout, the tapfile might be still missing. But
     # since we were ignoring the error at the time, handle_flaky_setup
     # didn't run, so do it now.
     if [[ ! -e "${CIA_INTERNAL_TAPFILE}" ]]; then
-        handle_flaky_setup
+        generate_fail_tapfile "${CIA_INTERNAL_TAPFILE}" "${CIA_INTERNAL_TESTS[@]}"
     fi
 }