diff --git a/libs/full/parcelset/tests/regressions/CMakeLists.txt b/libs/full/parcelset/tests/regressions/CMakeLists.txt
index 8bb6f4aca4e3..f46bb05a96f0 100644
--- a/libs/full/parcelset/tests/regressions/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libs/full/parcelset/tests/regressions/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ foreach(test ${tests})
 
   add_hpx_regression_test(
     "modules.parcelset" ${test} ${${test}_PARAMETERS}
-    TIMEOUT 900 --hpx:ini=hpx.parcel.tcp.max_message_size=0
+    TIMEOUT 900 --hpx:ini=hpx.parcel.tcp.max_message_size!=0
   )
 endforeach()
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ if(HPX_WITH_NETWORKING)
     TIMEOUT 900
     PSEUDO_DEPS_NAME
       very_big_parcel
-      ${very_big_parcel_PARAMETERS} --hpx:ini=hpx.parcel.tcp.max_message_size=0
-      --nbytes-add=1
+      ${very_big_parcel_PARAMETERS}
+      --hpx:ini=hpx.parcel.tcp.max_message_size!=0 --nbytes-add=1
   )
 endif()
diff --git a/libs/full/parcelset/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt b/libs/full/parcelset/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
index 3f533fd15cee..463056f00ba8 100644
--- a/libs/full/parcelset/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libs/full/parcelset/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (c) 2007-2023 Hartmut Kaiser
+# Copyright (c) 2007-2026 Hartmut Kaiser
 # Copyright (c)      2014 Thomas Heller
 # Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Bryce Adelstein-Lelbach
 #
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ add_hpx_unit_test(
   EXECUTABLE zero_copy_parcel
   PSEUDO_DEPS_NAME zero_copy_parcel ${zero_copy_parcel_PARAMETERS}
   RUN_SERIAL
-  ARGS --hpx:ini=hpx.parcel.array_optimization=0
+  ARGS --hpx:ini=hpx.parcel.array_optimization!=0
 )
 
 add_hpx_unit_test(
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ add_hpx_unit_test(
   EXECUTABLE zero_copy_parcel
   PSEUDO_DEPS_NAME zero_copy_parcel ${zero_copy_parcel_PARAMETERS}
   RUN_SERIAL
-  ARGS --hpx:ini=hpx.parcel.zero_copy_optimization=0
+  ARGS --hpx:ini=hpx.parcel.zero_copy_optimization!=0
 )
 
 add_hpx_unit_test(
@@ -59,5 +59,5 @@ add_hpx_unit_test(
   EXECUTABLE zero_copy_parcel
   PSEUDO_DEPS_NAME zero_copy_parcel ${zero_copy_parcel_PARAMETERS}
   RUN_SERIAL
-  ARGS --hpx:ini=hpx.parcel.zero_copy_receive_optimization=0
+  ARGS --hpx:ini=hpx.parcel.zero_copy_receive_optimization!=0
 )
diff --git a/libs/full/runtime_distributed/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt b/libs/full/runtime_distributed/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
index 484f5814f0cc..69d5af24b200 100644
--- a/libs/full/runtime_distributed/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libs/full/runtime_distributed/tests/unit/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,9 +4,14 @@
 # Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
 # file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
 
-set(tests dijkstra_termination_forwarding thread_mapper_parcel_pools)
+set(tests dijkstra_termination_forwarding)
 
-set(thread_mapper_parcel_pools_PARAMETERS THREADS_PER_LOCALITY 4)
+# thread_mapper_parcel_pools runs a single locality with networking enabled,
+# which needs the TCP parcelport to bootstrap
+if(HPX_WITH_NETWORKING AND HPX_WITH_PARCELPORT_TCP)
+  set(tests ${tests} thread_mapper_parcel_pools)
+  set(thread_mapper_parcel_pools_PARAMETERS THREADS_PER_LOCALITY 4)
+endif()
 
 foreach(test ${tests})
   set(sources ${test}.cpp)