diff --git a/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py b/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py
index 8c833e96..b2846db8 100644
--- a/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py
+++ b/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 import argparse
 import copy
 import sys
+import json
 from traceback import print_exc
+import yaml
 
 from site_config import IS_ARM, IS_WINDOWS, IS_MAC, IS_COVERAGE
 
@@ -81,6 +83,23 @@ def list_generator(cluster):
         return res_sg + res_cl
     return list_generator(args.cluster)
 
+def filter_one_test(args, test):
+    """filter testcase by operations target Single/Cluster/full"""
+    if args.all:
+        return False
+    if IS_COVERAGE:
+        if 'coverage' in test:
+            return True
+    full = args.full
+    filters = []
+
+    if 'full' in test:
+        if full and not test['full']:
+            return True
+        if not full and test['full']:
+            return True
+    return False
+
 formats = {
     "dump": generate_dump_output,
     "launch": launch,
@@ -89,6 +108,7 @@ def list_generator(cluster):
 known_flags = {
     "cluster": "this test requires a cluster",
     "single": "this test requires a single server",
+    "mixed": "some buckets will run cluster, some not.",
     "full": "this test is only executed in full tests",
     "!full": "this test is only executed in non-full tests",
     "gtest": "only the testsuites starting with 'gtest' are to be executed",
@@ -110,7 +130,10 @@ def list_generator(cluster):
     "buckets": "number of buckets to use for this test",
     "suffix": "suffix that is appended to the tests folder name",
     "priority": "priority that controls execution order. Testsuites with lower priority are executed later",
-    "parallelity": "parallelity how many resources will the job use in the SUT? Default: 1 in Single server, 4 in Clusters"
+    "parallelity": "parallelity how many resources will the job use in the SUT? Default: 1 in Single server, 4 in Clusters",
+    "type": "single or cluster flag",
+    "full": "whether to spare from a single or full run",
+    "sniff": "whether to enable sniffing",
 }
 
 
@@ -160,8 +183,8 @@ def parse_number(value):
             raise Exception(f"invalid numeric value: {value}") from exc
 
     def parse_number_or_default(key, default_value=None):
-        """ check number """
-        if key in params:
+        """check number"""
+        if key in params and not isinstance(params[key], int):
             if params[key][0] == '*': # factor the default
                 params[key] = default_value * parse_number(params[key][1:])
             else:
@@ -177,7 +200,7 @@ def parse_number_or_default(key, default_value=None):
 
 
 def validate_flags(flags):
-    """ check whether target flags are valid """
+    """check whether target flags are valid"""
     if "cluster" in flags and "single" in flags:
         raise Exception("`cluster` and `single` specified for the same test")
     if "full" in flags and "!full" in flags:
@@ -185,7 +208,7 @@ def validate_flags(flags):
 
 
 def read_definition_line(line):
-    """ parse one test definition line """
+    """parse one test definition line"""
     bits = line.split()
     if len(bits) < 1:
         raise Exception("expected at least one argument: <testname>")
@@ -221,33 +244,233 @@ def read_definition_line(line):
     validate_flags(flags)
     params = validate_params(params, 'cluster' in flags)
 
+    if len(arangosh_args) == 0:
+        arangosh_args = ""
+    run_job = 'run-linux-tests'
     return {
         "name": params.get("name", suites),
-        "suite": suites,
+        "suites": suites,
         "priority": params["priority"],
         "parallelity": params["parallelity"],
         "flags": flags,
         "args": args,
         "arangosh_args": arangosh_args,
-        "params": params
+        "params": params,
+        "testfile_definitions": testfile_definitions,
+        "run_job": run_job,
+    }
+
+def read_yaml_suite(name, suite, definition, testfile_definitions):
+    """ convert yaml representation into the internal one """
+    if not 'options' in definition:
+        definition['options'] = {}
+    flags = []
+    params = {}
+    arangosh_args = []
+    args = []
+    if 'args' in definition:
+        if not isinstance(definition['args'], dict):
+            raise Exception(f"expected args to be a key value list! have: {definition['args']}")
+        for key, val in definition['args'].items():
+            if key == 'moreArgv':
+                args.append(val)
+            else:
+                args.append(f"--{key}")
+                if isinstance(val, bool):
+                    args.append("true" if val else "false")
+                else:
+                    args.append(val)
+    if 'arangosh_args' in definition:
+        if not isinstance(definition['arangosh_args'], dict):
+            raise Exception(f"expected arangosh_args to be a key value list! have: {definition['arangosh_args']}")
+        for key, val in definition['arangosh_args'].items():
+            arangosh_args.append(f"--{key}")
+            if isinstance(val, bool):
+                arangosh_args.append("true" if val else "false")
+            else:
+                arangosh_args.append(val)
+
+    medium_size = False
+    is_cluster = (definition['options'] and
+                  'type' in definition['options'] and
+                  definition['options']['type'] == 'cluster')
+    params = validate_params(definition['options'], is_cluster)
+    if 'type' in params:
+        if params['type'] == "cluster":
+            medium_size = True
+            flags.append('cluster')
+        elif params['type'] == "mixed":
+            medium_size = True
+            flags.append('mixed')
+        else:
+            flags.append('single')
+    size = "medium" if medium_size else "small"
+    size = size if not "size" in params else params['size']
+
+    if 'full' in params:
+        flags.append("full" if params["full"] else "!full")
+    if 'coverage' in params:
+        flags.append("coverage" if params["coverage"] else "!coverage")
+    if 'sniff' in params:
+        flags.append("sniff" if params["sniff"] else "!sniff")
+    run_job = 'run-linux-tests'
+    return {
+        "name": name if not "name" in params else params['name'],
+        "suite": suite,
+        "size": size,
+        "flags": flags,
+        "args": args.copy(),
+        "priority": params["priority"],
+        "arangosh_args": arangosh_args.copy(),
+        "params": params.copy(),
+        "testfile_definitions": testfile_definitions,
+        "run_job": run_job,
+        "parallelity": params["parallelity"],
     }
 
+def get_args(args):
+    """ serialize args into json similar to fromArgv in testing.js """
+    sub_args = {}
+    for key in args.keys():
+        value = args[key]
+        if ":" in key:
+            keyparts = key.split(":")
+            if not keyparts[0] in sub_args:
+                sub_args[keyparts[0]] = {}
+            sub_args[keyparts[0]][keyparts[1]] = value
+        elif key in sub_args:
+            if isinstance(sub_args[key], list):
+                sub_args[key].append(value)
+            else:
+                sub_args[key] = [value]
+        else:
+            sub_args[key] = value
+    return sub_args
 
-def read_definitions(filename):
-    """ read test definitions txt """
+
+def read_yaml_multi_suite(name, definition, testfile_definitions, cli_args):
+    """ convert yaml representation into the internal one """
+    generated_definition = {
+    }
+    args = {}
+    if 'options' in definition:
+        generated_definition['options'] = definition['options']
+    if 'args' in definition:
+        args = definition['args'].copy()
+    suite_strs = []
+    options_json = []
+    for suite in definition['suites']:
+        if isinstance(suite, str):
+            options_json.append({})
+            suite_name = suite
+        else:
+            suite_name = list(suite.keys())[0]
+            if not isinstance(suite, dict):
+                raise Exception(f"suite should be a dict, it is {type(suite)}")
+            if 'options' in suite[suite_name]:
+                if filter_one_test(cli_args, suite[suite_name]['options']):
+                    print(f"skipping {suite}")
+                    continue
+            if 'args' in suite[suite_name]:
+                options_json.append(get_args(suite[suite_name]['args']))
+            else:
+                options_json.append({})
+        suite_strs.append(suite_name)
+    generated_name = ','.join(suite_strs)
+    args['optionsJson'] = json.dumps(options_json, separators=(',', ':'))
+    if args != {}:
+        generated_definition['args'] = args
+    return read_yaml_suite(name, generated_name, generated_definition, testfile_definitions)
+
+def read_yaml_bucket_suite(bucket_name, definition, testfile_definitions, cli_args):
+    """ convert yaml representation into the internal one """
+    ret = []
+    args = {}
+    options = []
+    if 'options' in definition:
+        options = definition['options']
+    if 'args' in definition:
+        args = definition['args']
+    for suite in definition['suites']:
+        if isinstance(suite, str):
+            ret.append(
+                read_yaml_suite(suite,
+                           suite,
+                           {
+                               'options': definition['options'],
+                               'name': bucket_name,
+                               'args': args,
+                               'suite': suite
+                           },
+                           testfile_definitions)
+            )
+        else:
+            suite_name = list(suite.keys())[0]
+            local_options = options.copy()
+            if 'options' in suite[suite_name]:
+                local_options = local_options | suite[suite_name]['options']
+            local_args = args.copy()
+            if 'args' in suite[suite_name]:
+                local_args = local_args | suite[suite_name]['args']
+            ret.append(
+                read_yaml_suite(suite_name,
+                           suite_name,
+                           {
+                               'options': local_options,
+                               'name': bucket_name,
+                               'args': local_args,
+                               'suite': suite_name
+                           },
+                           testfile_definitions)
+            )
+
+    return ret
+
+def read_definitions(filename, override_branch, args):
+    """read test definitions txt"""
     tests = []
     has_error = False
-    with open(filename, "r", encoding="utf-8") as filep:
-        for line_no, line in enumerate(filep):
-            line = line.strip()
-            if line.startswith("#") or len(line) == 0:
-                continue  # ignore comments
-            try:
-                test = read_definition_line(line)
-                tests.append(test)
-            except Exception as exc:
-                print(f"{filename}:{line_no + 1}: \n`{line}`\n {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
-                has_error = True
+    testfile_definitions = {}
+    yaml_text = ""
+    if filename.endswith(".yml"):
+        with open(filename, "r", encoding="utf-8") as filep:
+            config = yaml.safe_load(filep)
+            if isinstance(config, dict):
+                if "add-yaml" in config:
+                    parsed_yaml = {"add-yaml": copy.deepcopy(config["add-yaml"])}
+                if "jobProperties" in config:
+                    testfile_definitions = copy.deepcopy(config["jobProperties"])
+                config = config['tests']
+            for testcase in config:
+                suite_name = list(testcase.keys())[0]
+                try:
+                    suite = testcase[suite_name]
+                    if "suites" in suite:
+                        if ('options' in suite and
+                            'buckets' in suite['options'] and
+                            suite['options']['buckets'] == "auto"):
+                            del suite['options']['buckets']
+                            tests += read_yaml_bucket_suite(suite_name, suite, testfile_definitions, args)
+                        else:
+                            tests.append(read_yaml_multi_suite(suite_name, suite, testfile_definitions, args))
+                    else:
+                        tests.append(read_yaml_suite(suite_name, suite_name,
+                                                     suite, testfile_definitions))
+                except Exception as ex:
+                    print(f"while parsing {suite_name} {testcase}")
+                    raise ex
+    else:
+        with open(filename, "r", encoding="utf-8") as filep:
+            for line_no, line in enumerate(filep):
+                line = line.strip()
+                if line.startswith("#") or len(line) == 0:
+                    continue  # ignore comments
+                try:
+                    test = read_definition_line(line)
+                    tests.append(test)
+                except Exception as exc:
+                    print(f"{filename}:{line_no + 1}: \n`{line}`\n {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+                    has_error = True
     if has_error:
         raise Exception("abort due to errors")
     return tests
@@ -263,7 +486,7 @@ def main():
     """ entrypoint """
     try:
         args = parse_arguments()
-        tests = read_definitions(args.definitions)
+        tests = read_definitions(args.definitions, "", args)
         if args.validate_only:
             return  # nothing left to do
         tests = filter_tests(args, tests)
diff --git a/jenkins/runCoverageRocksDB.fish b/jenkins/runCoverageRocksDB.fish
index 0ea9eac0..c4cfca3c 100755
--- a/jenkins/runCoverageRocksDB.fish
+++ b/jenkins/runCoverageRocksDB.fish
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env fish
 
-set -xg TEST_DEFINITIONS test-definitions.txt
+if test -f "$INNERWORKDIR/ArangoDB/tests/test-definitions.yml"
+   set -xg TEST_DEFINITIONS test-definitions.yml
+else
+   set -xg TEST_DEFINITIONS test-definitions.txt
+end
 if test (count $argv) -gt 0
     set -xg TEST_DEFINITIONS $argv[1]
 end
diff --git a/scripts/runTests.fish b/scripts/runTests.fish
index ae83463e..48c88c6a 100755
--- a/scripts/runTests.fish
+++ b/scripts/runTests.fish
@@ -7,13 +7,20 @@ if test "$ENTERPRISEEDITION" = "On"
    set ENTERPRISE_ARG "--enterprise"
 end
 
+if test -f "$INNERWORKDIR/ArangoDB/tests/test-definitions.yml"
+   echo yaml
+   set -xg TD_TYPE yml
+else
+   set -xg TD_TYPE txt
+end
+
 ################################################################################
 ## Single tests: runtime,command
 ################################################################################
 
 function launchSingleTests
   echo "Using test definitions from arangodb repo"
-  python3 -u "$WORKSPACE/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py" "$INNERWORKDIR/ArangoDB/tests/test-definitions.txt" -f launch "$ENTERPRISE_ARG"
+  python3 -u "$WORKSPACE/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py" "$INNERWORKDIR/ArangoDB/tests/test-definitions.$TD_TYPE" -f launch "$ENTERPRISE_ARG"
   set x $status
   if test "$x" = "0" -a -f $INNERWORKDIR/testRuns.html
     set -xg result "GOOD"
@@ -28,7 +35,7 @@ end
 ################################################################################
 
 function launchGTest
-  python3 -u "$WORKSPACE/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py" "$INNERWORKDIR/ArangoDB/tests/test-definitions.txt" -f launch --gtest "$ENTERPRISE_ARG"
+  python3 -u "$WORKSPACE/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py" "$INNERWORKDIR/ArangoDB/tests/test-definitions.$TD_TYPE" -f launch --gtest "$ENTERPRISE_ARG"
   set x $status
   if test "$x" = "0" -a -f $INNERWORKDIR/testRuns.html
     set -xg result "GOOD"
@@ -44,7 +51,7 @@ end
 
 function launchClusterTests
   echo "Using test definitions from arangodb repo"
-  python3 -u "$WORKSPACE/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py" "$INNERWORKDIR/ArangoDB/tests/test-definitions.txt" -f launch --cluster "$ENTERPRISE_ARG"
+  python3 -u "$WORKSPACE/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py" "$INNERWORKDIR/ArangoDB/tests/test-definitions.$TD_TYPE" -f launch --cluster "$ENTERPRISE_ARG"
   set x $status
   if test "$x" = "0" -a -f $INNERWORKDIR/testRuns.html
     set -xg result "GOOD"
@@ -60,7 +67,7 @@ end
 
 function launchSingleClusterTests
   echo "Using test definitions from arangodb repo"
-  python3 -u "$WORKSPACE/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py" "$INNERWORKDIR/ArangoDB/tests/test-definitions.txt" -f launch --single_cluster "$ENTERPRISE_ARG"
+  python3 -u "$WORKSPACE/jenkins/helper/test_launch_controller.py" "$INNERWORKDIR/ArangoDB/tests/test-definitions.$TD_TYPE" -f launch --single_cluster "$ENTERPRISE_ARG"
   set x $status
   if test "$x" = "0" -a -f $INNERWORKDIR/testRuns.html
     set -xg result "GOOD"