diff --git a/libraries/scripting/jvm-host-test/build.gradle.kts b/libraries/scripting/jvm-host-test/build.gradle.kts
index 69b1f8a039e..c1c4065fe8c 100644
--- a/libraries/scripting/jvm-host-test/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/libraries/scripting/jvm-host-test/build.gradle.kts
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ tasks.withType<org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.dsl.KotlinCompile<*>> {
 projectTest(parallel = true) {
     dependsOn(":dist")
     workingDir = rootDir
+    systemProperty("kotlin.script.test.base.compiler.arguments", "-Xuse-old-backend")
 }
 
 // This doesn;t work now due to conflicts between embeddable compiler contents and intellij sdk modules
diff --git a/libraries/scripting/jvm-host-test/test/kotlin/script/experimental/jvmhost/test/ImplicitsFromScriptResultTest.kt b/libraries/scripting/jvm-host-test/test/kotlin/script/experimental/jvmhost/test/ImplicitsFromScriptResultTest.kt
index 539f63b5d11..a590f0f5a1e 100644
--- a/libraries/scripting/jvm-host-test/test/kotlin/script/experimental/jvmhost/test/ImplicitsFromScriptResultTest.kt
+++ b/libraries/scripting/jvm-host-test/test/kotlin/script/experimental/jvmhost/test/ImplicitsFromScriptResultTest.kt
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ import kotlin.script.experimental.jvmhost.JvmScriptCompiler
  */
 class ImplicitsFromScriptResultTest : TestCase() {
     fun testImplicits() {
-        if (System.getProperty("kotlin.script.base.compiler.arguments")?.contains("-Xuse-ir") != true) {
+        if (System.getProperty("kotlin.script.base.compiler.arguments")?.let {
+                !it.contains("-Xuse-ir") || it.contains("-Xuse-old-backend")
+            } == true
+        ) {
             // the implementation of the Compiler Host doesn't work with IR - the inter-script symbol table
             // should be maintained to make it run (see latest REPL compiler implementations for details
             // TODO: consider either fix it or rewrite to the REPL compiler
diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-main-kts-test/build.gradle.kts b/libraries/tools/kotlin-main-kts-test/build.gradle.kts
index e8bfeaef08d..cffd68a0635 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-main-kts-test/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-main-kts-test/build.gradle.kts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ sourceSets {
 projectTest(parallel = true) {
     dependsOn(":dist")
     workingDir = rootDir
+    systemProperty("kotlin.script.test.base.compiler.arguments", "-Xuse-old-backend")
 }
 
 projectTest(taskName = "testWithIr", parallel = true) {
diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-main-kts-test/test/org/jetbrains/kotlin/mainKts/test/mainKtsTest.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-main-kts-test/test/org/jetbrains/kotlin/mainKts/test/mainKtsTest.kt
index b16ab3a32b6..51254ada2d2 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-main-kts-test/test/org/jetbrains/kotlin/mainKts/test/mainKtsTest.kt
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-main-kts-test/test/org/jetbrains/kotlin/mainKts/test/mainKtsTest.kt
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ class MainKtsTest {
     @Test
     fun testCyclicImportError() {
         val res = evalFile(File("$TEST_DATA_ROOT/import-cycle-1.main.kts"))
-        assertFailed("Unable to handle recursive script dependencies", res)
+        // TODO: the second error is due to the late cycle detection, see TODO in makeCompiledScript$makeOtherScripts
+        assertFailedAny("Unable to handle recursive script dependencies", "is already bound", res = res)
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -228,11 +229,26 @@ class MainKtsTest {
     }
 
     private fun assertFailed(expectedError: String, res: ResultWithDiagnostics<EvaluationResult>) {
+        assertFailedAny(expectedError, res = res)
+    }
+
+    private fun assertFailedAny(vararg expectedErrors: String, res: ResultWithDiagnostics<EvaluationResult>) {
+        val reports = res.reports.map { diag ->
+            diag.message +
+                    generateSequence(diag.exception) { it.cause }
+                        .filter { !(it.message != null && diag.message.contains(it.message!!)) }
+                        .joinToString("\n  Caused by: ", "\n  ") { it.message ?: it.toString() }
+        }
+        val expected = when (expectedErrors.size) {
+            0 -> ""
+            1 -> " with the message \"${expectedErrors[0]}\""
+            else -> " with any of the messages: ${expectedErrors.joinToString("\", \"", "\"", "\";")}"
+        }
         Assert.assertTrue(
-            "test failed - expecting a failure with the message \"$expectedError\" but received " +
+            "test failed - expecting a failure$expected but received " +
                     (if (res is ResultWithDiagnostics.Failure) "failure" else "success") +
-                    ":\n  ${res.reports.joinToString("\n  ") { it.message + if (it.exception == null) "" else ": ${it.exception}" }}",
-            res is ResultWithDiagnostics.Failure && res.reports.any { it.message.contains("$expectedError") }
+                    ":\n  ${reports.joinToString("\n  ")}",
+            res is ResultWithDiagnostics.Failure && reports.any { report -> expectedErrors.any { report.contains(it) } }
         )
     }
 
diff --git a/plugins/scripting/scripting-compiler/build.gradle.kts b/plugins/scripting/scripting-compiler/build.gradle.kts
index 2265870ad60..9dc6c32483e 100644
--- a/plugins/scripting/scripting-compiler/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/plugins/scripting/scripting-compiler/build.gradle.kts
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ projectTest(parallel = true) {
     dependsOn(":dist")
     workingDir = rootDir
     systemProperty("kotlin.test.script.classpath", testSourceSet.output.classesDirs.joinToString(File.pathSeparator))
+    systemProperty("kotlin.script.test.base.compiler.arguments", "-Xuse-old-backend")
 }
 
 projectTest(taskName = "testWithIr", parallel = true) {