diff --git a/contrib/test/ci/integration.yml b/contrib/test/ci/integration.yml
index db6dce39759..44e490d0588 100644
--- a/contrib/test/ci/integration.yml
+++ b/contrib/test/ci/integration.yml
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@
         state: present
       loop: "{{ ['cgroups.bats'] | product(kata_skip_cgroups_tests) \
         + ['command.bats'] | product(kata_skip_command_tests) \
-        + ['config.bats'] | product(kata_skip_config_tests) \
         + ['reload_config.bats'] | product(kata_skip_reload_config) \
         + ['crio-wipe.bats'] | product(kata_skip_crio_wipe_tests) \
         + ['ctr.bats'] | product(kata_skip_ctr_tests) \
diff --git a/contrib/test/ci/vars.yml b/contrib/test/ci/vars.yml
index 03e22ab1751..0c81a4230bb 100644
--- a/contrib/test/ci/vars.yml
+++ b/contrib/test/ci/vars.yml
@@ -99,10 +99,6 @@ kata_skip_cgroups_tests:
 kata_skip_command_tests:
   - 'test "crio commands"'
   - 'test "log max boundary testing"'
-kata_skip_config_tests:
-  - 'test "choose different default runtime should succeed"'
-  - 'test "runc not existing when default_runtime changed should succeed"'
-  - 'test "retain default runtime should succeed"'
 kata_skip_reload_config:
   - 'test "reload config should remove pinned images when an empty list is provided"'
 kata_skip_crio_wipe_tests:
diff --git a/test/config.bats b/test/config.bats
index cd06fdefc25..c9a6b83a556 100644
--- a/test/config.bats
+++ b/test/config.bats
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ function teardown() {
 @test "choose different default runtime should succeed" {
 	# when
 	unset CONTAINER_RUNTIMES
+	unset CONTAINER_DEFAULT_RUNTIME
 	RES=$("$CRIO_BINARY_PATH" -c "$TESTDATA"/50-crun-default.conf -d "" config 2>&1)
 
 	# then
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ function teardown() {
 @test "runc not existing when default_runtime changed should succeed" {
 	# when
 	unset CONTAINER_RUNTIMES
+	unset CONTAINER_DEFAULT_RUNTIME
 	cat << EOF > "$TESTDIR"/50-runc-new-path.conf
 [crio.runtime]
 default_runtime = "crun"
@@ -83,6 +85,7 @@ EOF
 }
 
 @test "retain default runtime should succeed" {
+	unset CONTAINER_DEFAULT_RUNTIME
 	# when
 	RES=$("$CRIO_BINARY_PATH" -c "$TESTDATA"/50-crun.conf -d "" config 2>&1)
 
@@ -93,9 +96,7 @@ EOF
 }
 
 @test "monitor fields should be translated" {
-	if [[ "$RUNTIME_TYPE" == "vm" ]]; then
-		skip "not applicable to vm runtime type"
-	fi
+	unset CONTAINER_DEFAULT_RUNTIME
 	# when
 	RES=$("$CRIO_BINARY_PATH" --conmon-cgroup="pod" --conmon="/bin/true" -c "" -d "" config 2>&1)