diff --git a/admin/tool/behat/cli/init.php b/admin/tool/behat/cli/init.php
index 6c665db7395..b423cebc68b 100644
--- a/admin/tool/behat/cli/init.php
+++ b/admin/tool/behat/cli/init.php
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ list($options, $unrecognized) = cli_get_params(
         'torun'    => 0,
         'optimize-runs' => '',
         'add-core-features-to-theme' => false,
-        'axe'         => '',
-        'no-axe'      => false,
+        'axe'      => null,
         'disable-composer' => false,
         'composer-upgrade' => true,
         'composer-self-update' => true,
@@ -111,11 +110,9 @@ if (!empty($options['help'])) {
     exit(0);
 }
 
-if (!empty($options['axe'])) {
+if ($options['axe']) {
     echo "Axe accessibility tests are enabled by default, to disable them, use the --no-axe option.\n";
-}
-
-if (!empty($options['no-axe'])) {
+} else if ($options['axe'] === false) {
     echo "Axe accessibility tests have been disabled.\n";
 }
 
@@ -127,22 +124,17 @@ if ($options['parallel'] && $options['parallel'] > 1) {
     $utilfile = 'util.php';
     // Sanitize all input options, so they can be passed to util.
     foreach ($options as $option => $value) {
-        if ($value) {
-            $commandoptions .= " --$option=\"$value\"";
-        }
+        $commandoptions .= behat_get_command_flags($option, $value);
     }
 } else {
     // Only sanitize options for single run.
     $cmdoptionsforsinglerun = [
         'add-core-features-to-theme',
         'axe',
-        'no-axe',
     ];
 
     foreach ($cmdoptionsforsinglerun as $option) {
-        if (!empty($options[$option])) {
-            $commandoptions .= " --$option='$options[$option]'";
-        }
+        $commandoptions .= behat_get_command_flags($option, $options[$option]);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/admin/tool/behat/cli/util.php b/admin/tool/behat/cli/util.php
index c13116977e9..61247ab0e8f 100644
--- a/admin/tool/behat/cli/util.php
+++ b/admin/tool/behat/cli/util.php
@@ -57,8 +57,7 @@ list($options, $unrecognized) = cli_get_params(
         'torun'       => 0,
         'optimize-runs' => '',
         'add-core-features-to-theme' => false,
-        'axe'      => '',
-        'no-axe'      => false,
+        'axe'         => true,
     ),
     array(
         'h' => 'help',
@@ -321,12 +320,7 @@ function commands_to_execute($options) {
     }
 
     foreach ($extraoptions as $option => $value) {
-        if ($options[$option]) {
-            $extra .= " --$option";
-            if ($value) {
-                $extra .= "=\"$value\"";
-            }
-        }
+        $extra .= behat_get_command_flags($option, $value);
     }
 
     if (empty($options['parallel'])) {
diff --git a/admin/tool/behat/cli/util_single_run.php b/admin/tool/behat/cli/util_single_run.php
index ca0d5a61ac3..1b82f625b20 100644
--- a/admin/tool/behat/cli/util_single_run.php
+++ b/admin/tool/behat/cli/util_single_run.php
@@ -52,8 +52,7 @@ list($options, $unrecognized) = cli_get_params(
         'updatesteps' => false,
         'optimize-runs' => '',
         'add-core-features-to-theme' => false,
-        'axe'      => '',
-        'no-axe'      => false,
+        'axe'         => true,
     ),
     array(
         'h' => 'help',
@@ -187,11 +186,8 @@ if ($options['install']) {
         behat_config_manager::set_behat_run_config_value('behatsiteenabled', 1);
     }
 
-    // Always run Behat with axe tests.
-    if (!$options['no-axe']) {
-        behat_config_manager::set_behat_run_config_value('axe', true);
-    }
-
+    // Configure axe according to option.
+    behat_config_manager::set_behat_run_config_value('axe', $options['axe']);
 
     // Enable test mode.
     $timestart = microtime(true);
diff --git a/lib/behat/lib.php b/lib/behat/lib.php
index ccf2ebd159f..bbe95e66099 100644
--- a/lib/behat/lib.php
+++ b/lib/behat/lib.php
@@ -563,3 +563,24 @@ function cli_execute_parallel($cmds, $cwd = null, $delay = 0) {
     }
     return $processes;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Get command flags for an option/value combination
+ *
+ * @param string $option
+ * @param string|bool|null $value
+ * @return string
+ */
+function behat_get_command_flags(string $option, $value): string {
+    $commandoptions = '';
+    if (is_bool($value)) {
+        if ($value) {
+            return " --{$option}";
+        } else {
+            return " --no-{$option}";
+        }
+    } else if ($value !== null) {
+        return " --$option=\"$value\"";
+    }
+    return '';
+}