diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index 4f6254607b00..82568ba5a9be 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -5202,25 +5202,23 @@ lazy val shouldBuildNativeImage = taskKey[Boolean](
 )
 
 ThisBuild / shouldBuildNativeImage := {
-  val prop = System.getenv("ENSO_LAUNCHER")
-  prop != null && prop.contains("native")
+  GraalVM.EnsoLauncher.native
 }
 
 ThisBuild / NativeImage.additionalOpts := {
-  val prop = System.getenv("ENSO_LAUNCHER")
-  if (prop == null) {
+  if (GraalVM.EnsoLauncher.shell) {
     Seq()
   } else {
-    var opts = if (prop == "native") {
+    var opts = if (GraalVM.EnsoLauncher.release) {
       Seq("-O3")
     } else {
       Seq("-Ob")
     }
 
-    if (prop.contains("debug")) {
+    if (GraalVM.EnsoLauncher.debug) {
       opts = opts ++ Seq("-H:GenerateDebugInfo=1")
     }
-    if (prop.contains("test")) {
+    if (GraalVM.EnsoLauncher.test) {
       opts = opts ++ Seq("-ea")
     }
     opts
diff --git a/docs/infrastructure/native-image.md b/docs/infrastructure/native-image.md
index fa66324447df..8f13af3d5f9f 100644
--- a/docs/infrastructure/native-image.md
+++ b/docs/infrastructure/native-image.md
@@ -208,16 +208,17 @@ one of the following:
   the native image.
 - `native`: `buildEngineDistribution` command builds native image in _release
   mode_ - e.g. turns on maximal optimizations increasing the build time.
-- There are additional variants of `native` useful for _development_:
-  - anything that includes `native` substring turns on _native image_ build, but
-    disables optimizations - for example `fastnative` produces build similar to
-    _release mode_, but faster
-  - include `test` to _enable assertions_ - e.g. using `testnative` instructs
+- There are additional variants of `native` useful for _development_. They are specified
+  as comma separated attributes following `native`:
+  - using `native,fast` turns on _native image_ build, but
+    disables optimizations - e.g. produces build similar to
+    _release mode_, but more quickly
+  - using `native,test` _enables assertions_ - e.g. it instructs
     `buildEngineDistribution` command to build native image with assertions
-    enabled (`-ea`). Useful for running tests on the CI.
-  - include `debug` to generate _debugging informations_ for VSCode _native
+    enabled (`-ea`). Useful for running Enso tests in the _native mode_.
+  - using `native,debug` generates _debugging informations_ for VSCode _native
     image debugger_
-  - it is possible to combine all features - e.g. use `debugtestnative`
+  - it is possible to combine all features - e.g. use `debug,fast,test,native`
 
 To test _native image_ launcher choose one of the `native` configurations and
 invoke:
diff --git a/project/DistributionPackage.scala b/project/DistributionPackage.scala
index 42c68a3e77fe..4918881162d5 100644
--- a/project/DistributionPackage.scala
+++ b/project/DistributionPackage.scala
@@ -169,10 +169,9 @@ object DistributionPackage {
       log             = log
     )
 
-    var noCopyInNativeMode = System.getenv().get("ENSO_LAUNCHER")
-    if (noCopyInNativeMode != null && noCopyInNativeMode.contains("native")) {
+    if (!GraalVM.EnsoLauncher.shell) {
       log.info(
-        s"Not using shell launchers as ENSO_LAUNCHER env variable is $noCopyInNativeMode"
+        s"Not using shell launchers as ${GraalVM.EnsoLauncher.VAR_NAME} env variable is ${GraalVM.EnsoLauncher.toString}"
       )
     } else {
       copyDirectoryIncremental(
diff --git a/project/GraalVM.scala b/project/GraalVM.scala
index cea30af89bbb..9cf08d790ab2 100644
--- a/project/GraalVM.scala
+++ b/project/GraalVM.scala
@@ -9,6 +9,53 @@ import scala.collection.immutable.Seq
 /** A collection of utility methods for everything related to the GraalVM and Truffle.
   */
 object GraalVM {
+  object EnsoLauncher {
+    val VAR_NAME = "ENSO_LAUNCHER"
+
+    override def toString(): String = {
+      val prop = System.getenv(VAR_NAME)
+      // default value is `shell`
+      return if (prop == null) "shell" else prop;
+    }
+
+    private lazy val parsed: (Boolean, Boolean, Boolean, Boolean, Boolean) = {
+      var shell  = false
+      var native = false
+      var test   = false
+      var debug  = false
+      var fast   = false
+      toString().split(",").foreach {
+        case "shell"  => shell  = true
+        case "native" => native = true
+        case "test" => {
+          native = true
+          test   = true
+        }
+        case "debug" => {
+          native = true
+          debug  = true
+        }
+        case "fast" => {
+          native = true
+          fast   = true
+        }
+        case v =>
+          throw new IllegalStateException(s"Unexpected value of $VAR_NAME: $v")
+      }
+      if (shell && native) {
+        throw new IllegalStateException(
+          s"Cannot specify `shell` and other properties in $VAR_NAME env variable"
+        )
+      }
+      (shell, native, test, debug, fast)
+    }
+    val shell   = parsed._1
+    val native  = parsed._2
+    val test    = parsed._3
+    val debug   = parsed._4
+    val fast    = parsed._5
+    val release = native && !test && !debug && !fast
+  }
 
   /** Has the user requested to use Espresso for Java interop? */
   private def isEspressoMode(): Boolean =