diff --git a/validate/tools/launcher/apps/gst-validate.py b/validate/tools/launcher/apps/gst-validate.py
index f2bf87e54f..9f690e94b5 100644
--- a/validate/tools/launcher/apps/gst-validate.py
+++ b/validate/tools/launcher/apps/gst-validate.py
@@ -505,5 +505,6 @@ class GstValidateManager(TestsManager, Loggable):
 
     def set_settings(self, options, args, reporter):
         TestsManager.set_settings(self, options, args, reporter)
-        if options.wanted_tests:
+        if options.wanted_tests and not [d for d in options.wanted_tests
+                                         if "defaults_only" in d]:
             self._run_defaults = False
diff --git a/validate/tools/launcher/main.py b/validate/tools/launcher/main.py
index 1add56f449..9f5ce5fa52 100644
--- a/validate/tools/launcher/main.py
+++ b/validate/tools/launcher/main.py
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ def main():
     parser.add_option("-t", "--wanted-tests", dest="wanted_tests",
                       default=[],
                       action="append",
-                      help="Define the tests to execute, it can be a regex")
+                      help="Define the tests to execute, it can be a regex"
+                           " if it contains defaults_only, only default scenarios"
+                           " will be executed")
     parser.add_option("-b", "--blacklisted-tests", dest="blacklisted_tests",
                       default=[],
                       action="append",