diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 78435dfdf57ffbd11b7507bbbaa450304ff164b6..75e7d9265e24e2fc1898728840d32f4778bbad32 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ test-matlab920:
   - cd matlab
   variables:
     MATLABCMD: matlab920
+    TESTCASE: basic
 
 .test-matlab850-deployed:
   extends: .test-template-deployed
diff --git a/matlab/run_gdat_tests.m b/matlab/run_gdat_tests.m
index 3b2900641de497e6cdbee707a06a674f6c24f5eb..d9bbf28e729442b0e1fd00f92f7252c1e3fe264e 100644
--- a/matlab/run_gdat_tests.m
+++ b/matlab/run_gdat_tests.m
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ function [passed,results] = run_gdat_tests(test_case)
 
 % F. Felici, EPFL federico.felici@epfl.ch
 
-if nargin==0
-  test_case = 'all'; % default
+if nargin==0 || isempty(test_case)
+  test_case = 'basic'; % default
 end
 
 %% populate suite