diff --git a/core/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/deployment/dev/DevModeCommandLineBuilderTest.java b/core/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/deployment/dev/DevModeCommandLineBuilderTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..efc7fec09e16d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/deployment/dev/DevModeCommandLineBuilderTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,242 @@
+package io.quarkus.deployment.dev;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Set;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
+
+import io.quarkus.bootstrap.model.ExtensionDevModeConfig;
+import io.quarkus.bootstrap.model.JvmOptions;
+import io.quarkus.maven.dependency.ArtifactKey;
+
+public class DevModeCommandLineBuilderTest {
+
+    @TempDir
+    File outputDir;
+
+    @Test
+    public void extensionSetsJvmOptionWoValue() throws Exception {
+
+        final ExtensionDevModeConfig acmeMagic = new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.acme:acme-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder()
+                        .add("enable-preview")
+                        .build(),
+                Set.of());
+
+        var args = getCliArguments(acmeMagic);
+        assertThat(args).contains("--enable-preview");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void extensionSetsJvmOptionWithValue() throws Exception {
+
+        final ExtensionDevModeConfig acmeMagic = new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.acme:acme-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder()
+                        .add("enable-native-access", "ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .build(),
+                Set.of());
+
+        var args = getCliArguments(acmeMagic);
+        assertThat(args).contains("--enable-native-access=ALL-UNNAMED");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void extensionAddModules() throws Exception {
+
+        final ExtensionDevModeConfig acmeMagic = new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.acme:acme-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder()
+                        .add("add-modules", "jdk.incubator.vector")
+                        .addAll("add-modules", List.of("jdk.incubator.vector", "java.management"))
+                        .build(),
+                Set.of());
+
+        var args = getCliArguments(acmeMagic);
+        assertThat(args).contains("--add-modules=java.management,jdk.incubator.vector");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void extensionAddOpens() throws Exception {
+
+        final ExtensionDevModeConfig acmeMagic = new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.acme:acme-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder()
+                        .add("add-opens", "java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .add("add-opens", "java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .add("add-opens", "java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .build(),
+                Set.of());
+
+        var args = getCliArguments(acmeMagic);
+        assertThat(args).containsSequence("--add-opens", "java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED");
+        assertThat(args).containsSequence("--add-opens", "java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED");
+        assertThat(args).containsSequence("--add-opens", "java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void extensionEnablingC2() throws Exception {
+
+        var args = getCliArguments();
+        // C2 is disabled by default
+        assertThat(args).contains("-XX:TieredStopAtLevel=1");
+
+        // extension locking the default value of TieredStopAtLevel
+        final ExtensionDevModeConfig acmeMagic = new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.acme:acme-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder().build(),
+                Set.of("TieredStopAtLevel"));
+        args = getCliArguments(acmeMagic);
+        assertThat(args).doesNotContain("-XX:TieredStopAtLevel=1");
+
+        // user disabling C2 explicitly
+        args = getCliBuilder(acmeMagic).forceC2(false).build().getArguments();
+        assertThat(args).contains("-XX:TieredStopAtLevel=1");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void extensionDisablingDebugMode() throws Exception {
+
+        final String agentlibJdwpArg = "-agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,address=localhost:5005,server=y,suspend=n";
+
+        // in case the debug option is not set, it's expected to be enabled
+        var args = getCliBuilder().debug(null).build().getArguments();
+        assertThat(args).contains(agentlibJdwpArg);
+
+        // extension locking the default value of -agentlib:jdwp
+        final ExtensionDevModeConfig acmeMagic = new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.acme:acme-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder().build(),
+                Set.of("agentlib:jdwp"));
+        args = getCliBuilder(acmeMagic).debug(null).build().getArguments();
+        assertThat(args).doesNotContain(agentlibJdwpArg);
+
+        // user explicitly enables debug
+        args = getCliBuilder(acmeMagic).debug("true").build().getArguments();
+        assertThat(args).contains(agentlibJdwpArg);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void extensionSetsXxBooleanOption() throws Exception {
+
+        // false
+        var args = getCliArguments(new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.acme:acme-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder()
+                        .addXxOption("UseThreadPriorities", "false")
+                        .build(),
+                Set.of()));
+        assertThat(args).contains("-XX:-UseThreadPriorities");
+
+        // true
+        args = getCliArguments(new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.acme:acme-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder()
+                        .addXxOption("UseThreadPriorities", "true")
+                        .build(),
+                Set.of()));
+        assertThat(args).contains("-XX:+UseThreadPriorities");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void extensionSetsXxNumericOption() throws Exception {
+
+        var args = getCliArguments(new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.acme:acme-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder()
+                        .addXxOption("AllocatePrefetchStyle", "1")
+                        .build(),
+                Set.of()));
+        assertThat(args).contains("-XX:AllocatePrefetchStyle=1");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void disableAllExtensionArgs() throws Exception {
+
+        final ExtensionDevModeConfig acmeMagic = new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.acme:acme-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder()
+                        .add("add-opens", "java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .add("add-opens", "java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .build(),
+                Set.of("TieredStopAtLevel"));
+
+        final ExtensionDevModeConfig otherMagic = new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.other:other-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder()
+                        .add("add-opens", "java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .add("add-opens", "java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .build(),
+                Set.of());
+
+        // all enabled
+        var args = getCliArguments(acmeMagic, otherMagic);
+        assertThat(args).containsSequence("--add-opens", "java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED");
+        assertThat(args).containsSequence("--add-opens", "java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED");
+        assertThat(args).containsSequence("--add-opens", "java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED");
+        assertThat(args).doesNotContain("-XX:TieredStopAtLevel=1");
+
+        // all disabled
+        final ExtensionDevModeJvmOptionFilter filter = new ExtensionDevModeJvmOptionFilter();
+        filter.setDisableAll(true);
+        args = getCliBuilder(acmeMagic, otherMagic)
+                .extensionDevModeJvmOptionFilter(filter)
+                .build().getArguments();
+        assertThat(args).doesNotContain("--add-opens");
+        assertThat(args).contains("-XX:TieredStopAtLevel=1");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void disableParticularExtensionArgs() throws Exception {
+
+        final ExtensionDevModeConfig acmeMagic = new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.acme:acme-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder()
+                        .add("add-opens", "java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .add("add-opens", "java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .build(),
+                Set.of("TieredStopAtLevel"));
+
+        final ExtensionDevModeConfig otherMagic = new ExtensionDevModeConfig(
+                ArtifactKey.fromString("org.other:other-magic"),
+                JvmOptions.builder()
+                        .add("add-opens", "java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .add("add-opens", "java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED")
+                        .build(),
+                Set.of());
+
+        // all enabled
+        var args = getCliArguments(acmeMagic, otherMagic);
+        assertThat(args).containsSequence("--add-opens", "java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED");
+        assertThat(args).containsSequence("--add-opens", "java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED");
+        assertThat(args).containsSequence("--add-opens", "java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED");
+        assertThat(args).doesNotContain("-XX:TieredStopAtLevel=1");
+
+        // all disabled
+        final ExtensionDevModeJvmOptionFilter filter = new ExtensionDevModeJvmOptionFilter();
+        filter.setDisableFor(List.of("org.acme:acme-magic"));
+        args = getCliBuilder(acmeMagic, otherMagic)
+                .extensionDevModeJvmOptionFilter(filter)
+                .build().getArguments();
+        assertThat(args).containsSequence("--add-opens", "java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED");
+        assertThat(args).containsSequence("--add-opens", "java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED");
+        assertThat(args).contains("-XX:TieredStopAtLevel=1");
+    }
+
+    private List<String> getCliArguments(ExtensionDevModeConfig... extensionDevModeConfigs) throws Exception {
+        return getCliBuilder(extensionDevModeConfigs).build().getArguments();
+    }
+
+    private DevModeCommandLineBuilder getCliBuilder(ExtensionDevModeConfig... extensionDevModeConfigs) {
+        return DevModeCommandLine.builder("java")
+                .applicationName("test")
+                .outputDir(outputDir)
+                .debug("false") // disable debug port check
+                .extensionDevModeConfig(List.of(extensionDevModeConfigs));
+    }
+}