diff --git a/src/bench/bench_bitcoin.cpp b/src/bench/bench_bitcoin.cpp
--- a/src/bench/bench_bitcoin.cpp
+++ b/src/bench/bench_bitcoin.cpp
@@ -109,6 +109,10 @@
         printer.reset(new benchmark::JunitPrinter());
     }
 
+    // gArgs no longer needed. Clear it here to avoid interactions with the
+    // testing setup in the benches
+    gArgs.ClearArgs();
+
     benchmark::BenchRunner::RunAll(*printer, evaluations, scaling_factor,
                                    regex_filter, is_list_only);
 
diff --git a/src/bitcoind.cpp b/src/bitcoind.cpp
--- a/src/bitcoind.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoind.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
     //
     // If Qt is used, parameters/bitcoin.conf are parsed in qt/bitcoin.cpp's
     // main()
-    SetupServerArgs();
+    SetupServerArgs(node);
     std::string error;
     if (!gArgs.ParseParameters(argc, argv, error)) {
         return InitError(Untranslated(
diff --git a/src/init.h b/src/init.h
--- a/src/init.h
+++ b/src/init.h
@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@
                  NodeContext &node);
 
 /**
- * Setup the arguments for gArgs.
+ * Register all arguments with the ArgsManager
  */
-void SetupServerArgs();
+void SetupServerArgs(NodeContext &node);
 
 /** Returns licensing information (for -version) */
 std::string LicenseInfo();
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@
     GetMainSignals().UnregisterBackgroundSignalScheduler();
     globalVerifyHandle.reset();
     ECC_Stop();
+    node.args = nullptr;
     node.mempool = nullptr;
     node.chainman = nullptr;
     node.scheduler.reset();
@@ -366,7 +367,10 @@
     LogPrint(BCLog::RPC, "RPC stopped.\n");
 }
 
-void SetupServerArgs() {
+void SetupServerArgs(NodeContext &node) {
+    assert(!node.args);
+    node.args = &gArgs;
+
     SetupHelpOptions(gArgs);
     // server-only for now
     gArgs.AddArg("-help-debug",
diff --git a/src/interfaces/node.cpp b/src/interfaces/node.cpp
--- a/src/interfaces/node.cpp
+++ b/src/interfaces/node.cpp
@@ -128,9 +128,7 @@
                 StopMapPort();
             }
         }
-        // PR18571: return SetupServerArgs(*m_context)
-        // See https://reviews.bitcoinabc.org/D7993
-        void setupServerArgs() override { return SetupServerArgs(); }
+        void setupServerArgs() override { return SetupServerArgs(*m_context); }
         bool getProxy(Network net, proxyType &proxy_info) override {
             return GetProxy(net, proxy_info);
         }
diff --git a/src/node/context.h b/src/node/context.h
--- a/src/node/context.h
+++ b/src/node/context.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <memory>
 #include <vector>
 
+class ArgsManager;
 class BanMan;
 class CConnman;
 class CScheduler;
@@ -38,6 +39,8 @@
     // Currently a raw pointer because the memory is not managed by this struct
     ChainstateManager *chainman{nullptr};
     std::unique_ptr<BanMan> banman;
+    // Currently a raw pointer because the memory is not managed by this struct
+    ArgsManager *args{nullptr};
     std::unique_ptr<interfaces::Chain> chain;
     std::vector<std::unique_ptr<interfaces::ChainClient>> chain_clients;
     std::unique_ptr<CScheduler> scheduler;
diff --git a/src/test/fixture.cpp b/src/test/fixture.cpp
--- a/src/test/fixture.cpp
+++ b/src/test/fixture.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 #include <util/system.h>
 
+#include <test/util/setup_common.h>
+
 #include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
 
 namespace utf = boost::unit_test::framework;
@@ -15,29 +17,24 @@
  * test case.
  */
 struct CustomArgumentsFixture {
-    std::string error;
-
     CustomArgumentsFixture() {
-        const std::string testsuitename = "-testsuitename";
+        auto &master_test_suite = utf::master_test_suite();
 
-        const std::set<std::string> testArgs = {
-            testsuitename,
-            "-axionactivationtime",
-        };
+        for (int i = 1; i < master_test_suite.argc; i++) {
+            std::string key(master_test_suite.argv[i]);
+            std::string val;
 
-        for (const auto &arg : testArgs) {
-            gArgs.AddArg(arg, "", ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY,
-                         OptionsCategory::HIDDEN);
-        }
+            if (!ParseKeyValue(key, val)) {
+                break;
+            }
 
-        auto &master_test_suite = utf::master_test_suite();
-        if (!gArgs.ParseParameters(master_test_suite.argc,
-                                   master_test_suite.argv, error)) {
-            throw utf::setup_error(error);
-        }
+            if (key == "-testsuitename") {
+                master_test_suite.p_name.value = val;
+                continue;
+            }
 
-        master_test_suite.p_name.value =
-            gArgs.GetArg(testsuitename, master_test_suite.p_name.value);
+            fixture_extra_args.push_back(master_test_suite.argv[i]);
+        }
     }
 
     ~CustomArgumentsFixture(){};
diff --git a/src/test/fuzz/process_message.cpp b/src/test/fuzz/process_message.cpp
--- a/src/test/fuzz/process_message.cpp
+++ b/src/test/fuzz/process_message.cpp
@@ -68,11 +68,16 @@
          {"block", "blocktxn", "cmpctblock", "tx"}},
 };
 
-const RegTestingSetup *g_setup;
+const TestingSetup *g_setup;
 } // namespace
 
 void initialize() {
-    static RegTestingSetup setup{};
+    static TestingSetup setup{
+        CBaseChainParams::REGTEST,
+        {
+            "-nodebuglogfile",
+        },
+    };
     g_setup = &setup;
 
     for (int i = 0; i < 2 * COINBASE_MATURITY; i++) {
diff --git a/src/test/fuzz/process_messages.cpp b/src/test/fuzz/process_messages.cpp
--- a/src/test/fuzz/process_messages.cpp
+++ b/src/test/fuzz/process_messages.cpp
@@ -17,10 +17,15 @@
 #include <test/util/net.h>
 #include <test/util/setup_common.h>
 
-const RegTestingSetup *g_setup;
+const TestingSetup *g_setup;
 
 void initialize() {
-    static RegTestingSetup setup{};
+    static TestingSetup setup{
+        CBaseChainParams::REGTEST,
+        {
+            "-nodebuglogfile",
+        },
+    };
     g_setup = &setup;
 
     for (int i = 0; i < 2 * COINBASE_MATURITY; i++) {
diff --git a/src/test/util/setup_common.h b/src/test/util/setup_common.h
--- a/src/test/util/setup_common.h
+++ b/src/test/util/setup_common.h
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@
 
 static constexpr Amount CENT(COIN / 100);
 
+extern std::vector<const char *> fixture_extra_args;
+
 /**
  * Basic testing setup.
  * This just configures logging, data dir and chain parameters.
@@ -101,7 +103,8 @@
     NodeContext m_node;
 
     explicit BasicTestingSetup(
-        const std::string &chainName = CBaseChainParams::MAIN);
+        const std::string &chainName = CBaseChainParams::MAIN,
+        const std::vector<const char *> &extra_args = {});
     ~BasicTestingSetup();
 
 private:
@@ -115,8 +118,8 @@
 struct TestingSetup : public BasicTestingSetup {
     boost::thread_group threadGroup;
 
-    explicit TestingSetup(
-        const std::string &chainName = CBaseChainParams::MAIN);
+    explicit TestingSetup(const std::string &chainName = CBaseChainParams::MAIN,
+                          const std::vector<const char *> &extra_args = {});
     ~TestingSetup();
 };
 
diff --git a/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp b/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
--- a/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
+++ b/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <util/strencodings.h>
 #include <util/time.h>
 #include <util/translation.h>
+#include <util/vector.h>
 #include <validation.h>
 #include <validationinterface.h>
 #include <walletinitinterface.h>
@@ -83,17 +84,40 @@
     return os;
 }
 
-BasicTestingSetup::BasicTestingSetup(const std::string &chainName)
+std::vector<const char *> fixture_extra_args{};
+
+BasicTestingSetup::BasicTestingSetup(
+    const std::string &chainName, const std::vector<const char *> &extra_args)
     : m_path_root{fs::temp_directory_path() / "test_common_" PACKAGE_NAME /
                   g_insecure_rand_ctx_temp_path.rand256().ToString()} {
+    std::vector<const char *> arguments = Cat(
+        {
+            "dummy",
+            "-printtoconsole=0",
+            "-logtimemicros",
+            "-debug",
+            "-debugexclude=libevent",
+            "-debugexclude=leveldb",
+        },
+        extra_args);
+    arguments = Cat(arguments, fixture_extra_args);
+    auto &config = const_cast<Config &>(GetConfig());
     SetMockTime(0);
     fs::create_directories(m_path_root);
     gArgs.ForceSetArg("-datadir", m_path_root.string());
     ClearDatadirCache();
+    {
+        SetupServerArgs(m_node);
+        std::string error;
+        const bool success{m_node.args->ParseParameters(
+            arguments.size(), arguments.data(), error)};
+        assert(success);
+        assert(error.empty());
+    }
     SelectParams(chainName);
     SeedInsecureRand();
-    gArgs.ForceSetArg("-printtoconsole", "0");
     InitLogging();
+    AppInitParameterInteraction(config);
     LogInstance().StartLogging();
     SHA256AutoDetect();
     ECC_Start();
@@ -102,7 +126,7 @@
     InitSignatureCache();
     InitScriptExecutionCache();
 
-    m_node.chain = interfaces::MakeChain(m_node, Params());
+    m_node.chain = interfaces::MakeChain(m_node, config.GetChainParams());
     g_wallet_init_interface.Construct(m_node);
 
     fCheckBlockIndex = true;
@@ -116,11 +140,13 @@
 BasicTestingSetup::~BasicTestingSetup() {
     LogInstance().DisconnectTestLogger();
     fs::remove_all(m_path_root);
+    gArgs.ClearArgs();
     ECC_Stop();
 }
 
-TestingSetup::TestingSetup(const std::string &chainName)
-    : BasicTestingSetup(chainName) {
+TestingSetup::TestingSetup(const std::string &chainName,
+                           const std::vector<const char *> &extra_args)
+    : BasicTestingSetup(chainName, extra_args) {
     const Config &config = GetConfig();
     const CChainParams &chainparams = config.GetChainParams();
 
@@ -198,6 +224,7 @@
     GetMainSignals().UnregisterBackgroundSignalScheduler();
     m_node.connman.reset();
     m_node.banman.reset();
+    m_node.args = nullptr;
     m_node.mempool = nullptr;
     m_node.scheduler.reset();
     UnloadBlockIndex();