diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 63ec99a73150c7a05092c281023d82504c24d2c0..42c9381543fb4adb7e8da5acd90719b7ea32322c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -416,18 +416,30 @@ endif()
 # optionally enable cmake testing (supported only on posix)
 option(CMAKE_TESTING "Configure test targets" OFF)
 if(CMAKE_TESTING)
-	include(CTest)
+	include(CTest) # sets BUILD_TESTING variable
 endif()
+
+# enable test filtering to run only specific tests with the ctest -R regex functionality
 set(TESTFILTER "" CACHE STRING "Filter string for ctest to selectively only run specific tests (ctest -R)")
 
+# if testing is enabled download and configure gtest
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/gtest/)
 include(px4_add_gtest)
-
 if(BUILD_TESTING)
 	include(gtest)
-	add_custom_target(unit_test COMMAND GTEST_COLOR=1 ${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND} -V -R ${TESTFILTER} USES_TERMINAL)
 endif()
 
+add_custom_target(test_results
+		COMMAND GTEST_COLOR=1 ${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND} --output-on-failure -T Test -R ${TESTFILTER} USES_TERMINAL
+		DEPENDS
+			px4
+			examples__dyn_hello
+			test_mixer_multirotor
+		USES_TERMINAL
+		COMMENT "Running tests"
+		WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_BINARY_DIR})
+set_target_properties(test_results PROPERTIES EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL TRUE)
+
 #=============================================================================
 # subdirectories
 #
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6c3f596546fa9a39fe8cd483e719e68f57f75afe..0c378cffe04ed435e3ddf969de1ef56e96b9f547 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -340,15 +340,9 @@ format:
 
 # Testing
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------
-.PHONY: tests tests_coverage tests_mission tests_mission_coverage tests_offboard tests_avoidance unit_test
+.PHONY: tests tests_coverage tests_mission tests_mission_coverage tests_offboard tests_avoidance
 .PHONY: rostest python_coverage
 
-unit_test:
-	$(eval CMAKE_ARGS += -DCMAKE_TESTING=ON)
-	$(eval CMAKE_ARGS += -DCONFIG=px4_sitl_test)
-	$(eval ARGS += unit_test)
-	$(call cmake-build,px4_sitl_test)
-
 tests:
 	$(eval CMAKE_ARGS += -DCMAKE_TESTING=ON)
 	$(eval CMAKE_ARGS += -DCONFIG=px4_sitl_test)
diff --git a/cmake/gtest/px4_add_gtest.cmake b/cmake/gtest/px4_add_gtest.cmake
index 8fd367b3da6ce62f388733e02863a84a1af168fb..4ae03387db20ced37e1c3b95c44b6f772b3e00f7 100644
--- a/cmake/gtest/px4_add_gtest.cmake
+++ b/cmake/gtest/px4_add_gtest.cmake
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ include(px4_base)
 #
 #	px4_add_gtest
 #
-#	Adds a googletest unit test to the unit_test target.
+#	Adds a googletest unit test to the test_results target.
 #
 function(px4_add_gtest)
 	# skip if unit testing is not configured
@@ -65,6 +65,6 @@ function(px4_add_gtest)
 		add_test(NAME ${TESTNAME} COMMAND ${TESTNAME})
 
 		# attach it to the unit test target
-		add_dependencies(unit_test ${TESTNAME})
+		add_dependencies(test_results ${TESTNAME})
 	endif()
 endfunction()
diff --git a/platforms/posix/cmake/sitl_tests.cmake b/platforms/posix/cmake/sitl_tests.cmake
index 010428d84254e24d9f88d90fd2d51049e60157c1..dcba66cb863aec5e4aa59986ba5186100560fae3 100644
--- a/platforms/posix/cmake/sitl_tests.cmake
+++ b/platforms/posix/cmake/sitl_tests.cmake
@@ -145,19 +145,6 @@ foreach(cmd_name ${test_cmds})
 	set_tests_properties(posix_${cmd_name} PROPERTIES PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Shutting down")
 endforeach()
 
-
-add_custom_target(test_results
-		COMMAND ${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND} --output-on-failure -T Test -R ${TESTFILTER}
-		DEPENDS
-			px4
-			examples__dyn_hello
-			test_mixer_multirotor
-			unit_test
-		USES_TERMINAL
-		COMMENT "Running tests in sitl"
-		WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_BINARY_DIR})
-set_target_properties(test_results PROPERTIES EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL TRUE)
-
 if (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL Coverage)
 	setup_target_for_coverage(test_coverage "${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND} --output-on-failure -T Test" tests)
 	setup_target_for_coverage(generate_coverage "${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E echo" generic)