diff --git a/doc/testing.html b/doc/testing.html
index d71f7e569e8..be4c23302bd 100644
--- a/doc/testing.html
+++ b/doc/testing.html
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ $ make exploded-run-test TEST=hotspot_tier1</code></pre>
 <h3 id="gtest">Gtest</h3>
 <p>Since the Hotspot Gtest suite is so quick, the default is to run all tests. This is specified by just <code>gtest</code>, or as a fully qualified test descriptor <code>gtest:all</code>.</p>
 <p>If you want, you can single out an individual test or a group of tests, for instance <code>gtest:LogDecorations</code> or <code>gtest:LogDecorations.level_test_vm</code>. This can be particularly useful if you want to run a shaky test repeatedly.</p>
+<p>For Gtest, there is a separate test suite for each JVM variant. The JVM variant is defined by adding <code>/&lt;variant&gt;</code> to the test descriptor, e.g. <code>gtest:Log/client</code>. If you specify no variant, gtest will run once for each JVM variant present (e.g. server, client). So if you only have the server JVM present, then <code>gtest:all</code> will be equivalent to <code>gtest:all/server</code>.</p>
 <h2 id="test-results-and-summary">Test results and summary</h2>
 <p>At the end of the test run, a summary of all tests run will be presented. This will have a consistent look, regardless of what test suites were used. This is a sample summary:</p>
 <pre><code>==============================
diff --git a/doc/testing.md b/doc/testing.md
index ffd685ff516..da9b8ca7624 100644
--- a/doc/testing.md
+++ b/doc/testing.md
@@ -81,6 +81,12 @@ If you want, you can single out an individual test or a group of tests, for
 instance `gtest:LogDecorations` or `gtest:LogDecorations.level_test_vm`. This
 can be particularly useful if you want to run a shaky test repeatedly.
 
+For Gtest, there is a separate test suite for each JVM variant. The JVM variant
+is defined by adding `/<variant>` to the test descriptor, e.g.
+`gtest:Log/client`. If you specify no variant, gtest will run once for each JVM
+variant present (e.g. server, client). So if you only have the server JVM
+present, then `gtest:all` will be equivalent to `gtest:all/server`.
+
 ## Test results and summary
 
 At the end of the test run, a summary of all tests run will be presented. This
diff --git a/make/RunTests.gmk b/make/RunTests.gmk
index 1153bae8f02..2475106fbc5 100644
--- a/make/RunTests.gmk
+++ b/make/RunTests.gmk
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ ifneq ($(wildcard $(JTREG_FAILURE_HANDLER)), )
       -timeoutHandlerTimeout:0
 endif
 
+GTEST_LAUNCHER_DIRS := $(patsubst %/gtestLauncher, %, $(wildcard $(TEST_IMAGE_DIR)/hotspot/gtest/*/gtestLauncher))
+GTEST_VARIANTS := $(strip $(patsubst $(TEST_IMAGE_DIR)/hotspot/gtest/%, %, $(GTEST_LAUNCHER_DIRS)))
+
 ################################################################################
 # Parse control variables
 ################################################################################
@@ -166,16 +169,23 @@ hotspot_JTREG_PROBLEM_LIST += $(TOPDIR)/test/hotspot/jtreg/ProblemList.txt
 # Helper function to determine if a test specification is a Gtest test
 #
 # It is a Gtest test if it is either "gtest", or "gtest:" followed by an optional
-# test filter string.
+# test filter string, and an optional "/<variant>" to select a specific JVM
+# variant. If no variant is specified, all found variants are tested.
 define ParseGtestTestSelection
   $(if $(filter gtest%, $1), \
     $(if $(filter gtest, $1), \
-      gtest:all \
+      $(addprefix gtest:all/, $(GTEST_VARIANTS)) \
     , \
-      $(if $(filter gtest:, $1), \
-        gtest:all \
+      $(if $(strip $(or $(filter gtest/%, $1) $(filter gtest:/%, $1))), \
+        $(patsubst gtest:/%, gtest:all/%, $(patsubst gtest/%, gtest:/%, $1)) \
       , \
-        $1 \
+        $(if $(filter gtest:%, $1), \
+          $(if $(findstring /, $1), \
+            $1 \
+          , \
+            $(addprefix $1/, $(GTEST_VARIANTS)) \
+          ) \
+        ) \
       ) \
     ) \
   )
@@ -320,7 +330,12 @@ define SetupRunGtestTestBody
   $1_TEST_SUPPORT_DIR := $$(TEST_SUPPORT_DIR)/$1
   $1_EXITCODE := $$($1_TEST_RESULTS_DIR)/exitcode.txt
 
-  $1_TEST_NAME := $$(strip $$(patsubst gtest:%, %, $$($1_TEST)))
+  $1_VARIANT :=  $$(lastword $$(subst /, , $$($1_TEST)))
+  ifeq ($$(filter $$($1_VARIANT), $$(GTEST_VARIANTS)), )
+    $$(error Invalid gtest variant '$$($1_VARIANT)'. Valid variants: $$(GTEST_VARIANTS))
+  endif
+  $1_TEST_NAME := $$(strip $$(patsubst %/$$($1_VARIANT), %, \
+      $$(patsubst gtest:%, %, $$($1_TEST))))
   ifneq ($$($1_TEST_NAME), all)
     $1_GTEST_FILTER := --gtest_filter=$$($1_TEST_NAME)*
   endif
@@ -334,7 +349,7 @@ define SetupRunGtestTestBody
 	$$(call LogWarn, Running test '$$($1_TEST)')
 	$$(call MakeDir, $$($1_TEST_RESULTS_DIR) $$($1_TEST_SUPPORT_DIR))
 	$$(call ExecuteWithLog, $$($1_TEST_SUPPORT_DIR)/gtest, \
-	    $$(FIXPATH) $$(TEST_IMAGE_DIR)/hotspot/gtest/server/gtestLauncher \
+	    $$(FIXPATH) $$(TEST_IMAGE_DIR)/hotspot/gtest/$$($1_VARIANT)/gtestLauncher \
 	         -jdk $(JDK_IMAGE_DIR) $$($1_GTEST_FILTER) \
 	         --gtest_output=xml:$$($1_TEST_RESULTS_DIR)/gtest.xml \
 	         $$($1_GTEST_REPEAT) $$(GTEST_OPTIONS) $$(GTEST_VM_OPTIONS) \