diff --git a/.github/workflows/containers_ci.yml b/.github/workflows/containers_ci.yml
index 5522d93f58..3d99515782 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/containers_ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/containers_ci.yml
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: All code is formatted
         run: ./v test-cleancode
 
-      - name: Test V fixed tests
-        run: ./v test-self
+      - name: Run only essential tests
+        run: VTEST_JUST_ESSENTIAL=1 ./v test-self
 
   ubuntu-docker-musl:
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
diff --git a/cmd/tools/vtest-self.v b/cmd/tools/vtest-self.v
index ca9a146343..dd720e3c6b 100644
--- a/cmd/tools/vtest-self.v
+++ b/cmd/tools/vtest-self.v
@@ -6,7 +6,83 @@ import v.pref
 
 const github_job = os.getenv('GITHUB_JOB')
 
+const just_essential = os.getenv('VTEST_JUST_ESSENTIAL') != ''
+
 const (
+	essential_list                = [
+		'cmd/tools/vvet/vet_test.v',
+		'vlib/arrays/arrays_test.v',
+		'vlib/bitfield/bitfield_test.v',
+		//
+		'vlib/builtin/int_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/array_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/float_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/byte_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/rune_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/builtin_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/map_of_floats_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/string_int_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/utf8_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/map_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/string_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/sorting_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/gated_array_string_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/array_shrinkage_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/isnil_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/string_match_glob_test.v',
+		'vlib/builtin/string_strip_margin_test.v',
+		//
+		'vlib/cli/command_test.v',
+		'vlib/crypto/md5/md5_test.v',
+		'vlib/dl/dl_test.v',
+		'vlib/encoding/base64/base64_test.v',
+		'vlib/encoding/utf8/encoding_utf8_test.v',
+		'vlib/encoding/utf8/utf8_util_test.v',
+		'vlib/flag/flag_test.v',
+		'vlib/json/json_decode_test.v',
+		'vlib/math/math_test.v',
+		'vlib/net/tcp_test.v',
+		'vlib/net/http/http_test.v',
+		'vlib/net/http/server_test.v',
+		'vlib/net/http/request_test.v',
+		'vlib/io/io_test.v',
+		'vlib/io/os_file_reader_test.v',
+		'vlib/os/process_test.v',
+		'vlib/os/file_test.v',
+		'vlib/os/notify/notify_test.v',
+		'vlib/os/filepath_test.v',
+		'vlib/os/environment_test.v',
+		'vlib/os/glob_test.v',
+		'vlib/os/os_test.v',
+		'vlib/rand/random_numbers_test.v',
+		'vlib/rand/wyrand/wyrand_test.v',
+		'vlib/runtime/runtime_test.v',
+		'vlib/semver/semver_test.v',
+		'vlib/sync/stdatomic/atomic_test.v',
+		'vlib/sync/thread_test.v',
+		'vlib/sync/waitgroup_test.v',
+		'vlib/sync/pool/pool_test.v',
+		'vlib/strings/builder_test.v',
+		'vlib/strconv/atof_test.v',
+		'vlib/strconv/atoi_test.v',
+		'vlib/strconv/f32_f64_to_string_test.v',
+		'vlib/strconv/format_test.v',
+		'vlib/strconv/number_to_base_test.v',
+		'vlib/time/time_test.v',
+		'vlib/toml/tests/toml_test.v',
+		'vlib/v/compiler_errors_test.v',
+		'vlib/v/doc/doc_test.v',
+		'vlib/v/eval/interpret_test.v',
+		'vlib/v/fmt/fmt_keep_test.v',
+		'vlib/v/fmt/fmt_test.v',
+		'vlib/v/gen/c/coutput_test.v',
+		'vlib/v/gen/js/program_test.v',
+		'vlib/v/gen/native/macho_test.v',
+		'vlib/v/gen/native/tests/native_test.v',
+		'vlib/v/pkgconfig/pkgconfig_test.v',
+		'vlib/v/tests/inout/compiler_test.v',
+		'vlib/x/json2/json2_test.v',
+	]
 	skip_test_files               = [
 		'cmd/tools/vdoc/html_tag_escape_test.v', /* can't locate local module: markdown */
 		'cmd/tools/vdoc/tests/vdoc_file_test.v', /* fails on Windows; order of output is not as expected */
@@ -177,6 +253,11 @@ fn main() {
 	all_test_files << os.walk_ext(os.join_path(vroot, 'cmd'), '_test.v')
 	test_js_files := os.walk_ext(os.join_path(vroot, 'vlib'), '_test.js.v')
 	all_test_files << test_js_files
+
+	if just_essential {
+		rooted_essential_list := essential_list.map(os.join_path(vroot, it))
+		all_test_files = all_test_files.filter(rooted_essential_list.contains(it))
+	}
 	testing.eheader(title)
 	mut tsession := testing.new_test_session(cmd_prefix, true)
 	tsession.files << all_test_files.filter(!it.contains('testdata' + os.path_separator))