diff --git a/test/tap/README.md b/test/tap/README.md
index 8b96dfe9a..4b1d21722 100644
--- a/test/tap/README.md
+++ b/test/tap/README.md
@@ -3,3 +3,23 @@
 - `tap`: Contains TAP helper library for testing, and general utilities used across all tests.
 - `tests`: General test folder for either unitary or functional tests.
 - `tests_with_deps`: Test folder that holds all the tests that require special dependencies for being build.
+
+- `tests_grp_*`: tap test groups of specific tests with special configs applied via
+  - `pre-tests_grp_*.bash` script run before tests
+  - `pre-tests_grp_*.sql` script run before tests
+  - `post-tests_grp_*.bash` script run after tests
+  - `post-tests_grp_*.sql` script run after tests
+
+example test group `tests_grp_mytests` can be created by
+```
+TG='mytests'
+mkdir -p test/tap/tests_grp_$TG
+cd test/tap/tests_grp_$TG
+for T in $(ls -1 ../tests/); do ln -fsT ../tests/$T $T; done
+cat > pre-test_grp_$TG-proxysql.sql << EOF
+# run this test group with:
+SET mysql-multiplexing='false';
+LOAD MYSQL VARIABLES TO RUNTIME;
+SAVE MYSQL VARIABLES TO DISK;
+EOF
+```
diff --git a/test/tap/tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex/pre-tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex-proxysql.sql b/test/tap/tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex/pre-tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex-proxysql.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fcd19e67e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex/pre-tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex-proxysql.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# proxysql settings
+SET mysql-auto_increment_delay_multiplex=0;
+LOAD MYSQL VARIABLES TO RUNTIME;
+SAVE MYSQL VARIABLES TO DISK;
diff --git a/test/tap/tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex/pre-tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex.bash b/test/tap/tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex/pre-tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex.bash
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..078fc5a26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex/pre-tests_grp_auto_increment_delay_multiplex.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# make sure we have correct cwd
+pushd $(dirname $0)
+
+# symlink all files from ../tests
+for T in $(ls -1 ../tests/); do
+#	echo "ln -fsT ../tests/$T $T"
+	ln -fsT ../tests/$T $T
+done
+
+# remove irelevant
+#rm -f test_*-t
diff --git a/test/tap/tests_grp_multiplexing/pre-tests_grp_multiplexing-proxysql.sql b/test/tap/tests_grp_multiplexing/pre-tests_grp_multiplexing-proxysql.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..db2c00892
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/tests_grp_multiplexing/pre-tests_grp_multiplexing-proxysql.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# proxysql settings
+SET mysql-multiplexing='false';
+LOAD MYSQL VARIABLES TO RUNTIME;
+SAVE MYSQL VARIABLES TO DISK;
diff --git a/test/tap/tests_grp_multiplexing/pre-tests_grp_multiplexing.bash b/test/tap/tests_grp_multiplexing/pre-tests_grp_multiplexing.bash
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..078fc5a26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/tests_grp_multiplexing/pre-tests_grp_multiplexing.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# make sure we have correct cwd
+pushd $(dirname $0)
+
+# symlink all files from ../tests
+for T in $(ls -1 ../tests/); do
+#	echo "ln -fsT ../tests/$T $T"
+	ln -fsT ../tests/$T $T
+done
+
+# remove irelevant
+#rm -f test_*-t
diff --git a/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests/pre-tests_grp_query_digests-proxysql.sql b/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests/pre-tests_grp_query_digests-proxysql.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4203e49f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests/pre-tests_grp_query_digests-proxysql.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# proxysql settings
+SET mysql-query_digests=0;
+LOAD MYSQL VARIABLES TO RUNTIME;
+SAVE MYSQL VARIABLES TO DISK;
diff --git a/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests/pre-tests_grp_query_digests.bash b/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests/pre-tests_grp_query_digests.bash
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..078fc5a26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests/pre-tests_grp_query_digests.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# make sure we have correct cwd
+pushd $(dirname $0)
+
+# symlink all files from ../tests
+for T in $(ls -1 ../tests/); do
+#	echo "ln -fsT ../tests/$T $T"
+	ln -fsT ../tests/$T $T
+done
+
+# remove irelevant
+#rm -f test_*-t
diff --git a/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment/pre-tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment-proxysql.sql b/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment/pre-tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment-proxysql.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..975f759d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment/pre-tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment-proxysql.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# proxysql settings
+SET mysql-query_digests_keep_comment=1;
+LOAD MYSQL VARIABLES TO RUNTIME;
+SAVE MYSQL VARIABLES TO DISK;
diff --git a/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment/pre-tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment.bash b/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment/pre-tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment.bash
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..078fc5a26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment/pre-tests_grp_query_digests_keep_comment.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# make sure we have correct cwd
+pushd $(dirname $0)
+
+# symlink all files from ../tests
+for T in $(ls -1 ../tests/); do
+#	echo "ln -fsT ../tests/$T $T"
+	ln -fsT ../tests/$T $T
+done
+
+# remove irelevant
+#rm -f test_*-t