diff --git a/app/test/autotest.py b/app/test/autotest.py
index 9eef1efbe565..6ff2e71475a1 100644
--- a/app/test/autotest.py
+++ b/app/test/autotest.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 def usage():
     print("Usage: autotest.py [test app|test iso image] ",
-          "[target] [whitelist|-blacklist]")
+          "[target] [allow|-block]")
 
 if len(sys.argv) < 3:
     usage()
@@ -18,18 +18,18 @@ def usage():
 
 target = sys.argv[2]
 
-test_whitelist = None
-test_blacklist = None
+test_allowlist = None
+test_blocklist = None
 
-# get blacklist/whitelist
+# get blocklist/allowlist
 if len(sys.argv) > 3:
     testlist = sys.argv[3].split(',')
     testlist = [test.lower() for test in testlist]
     if testlist[0].startswith('-'):
         testlist[0] = testlist[0].lstrip('-')
-        test_blacklist = testlist
+        test_blocklist = testlist
     else:
-        test_whitelist = testlist
+        test_allowlist = testlist
 
 cmdline = "%s -c f" % (sys.argv[1])
 
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ def usage():
 # processes, so make it 1, otherwise make it 4. ignored for non-parallel tests
 n_processes = 1 if "bsd" in target else 4
 
-runner = autotest_runner.AutotestRunner(cmdline, target, test_blacklist,
-                                        test_whitelist, n_processes)
+runner = autotest_runner.AutotestRunner(cmdline, target, test_blocklist,
+                                        test_allowlist, n_processes)
 
 runner.parallel_tests = autotest_data.parallel_test_list[:]
 runner.non_parallel_tests = autotest_data.non_parallel_test_list[:]
diff --git a/app/test/autotest_runner.py b/app/test/autotest_runner.py
index 998fe57a55d1..72c40e85fdd2 100644
--- a/app/test/autotest_runner.py
+++ b/app/test/autotest_runner.py
@@ -188,14 +188,14 @@ class AutotestRunner:
     n_tests = 0
     fails = 0
     log_buffers = []
-    blacklist = []
-    whitelist = []
+    blocklist = []
+    allowlist = []
 
-    def __init__(self, cmdline, target, blacklist, whitelist, n_processes):
+    def __init__(self, cmdline, target, blocklist, allowlist, n_processes):
         self.cmdline = cmdline
         self.target = target
-        self.blacklist = blacklist
-        self.whitelist = whitelist
+        self.blocklist = blocklist
+        self.allowlist = allowlist
         self.skipped = []
         self.parallel_tests = []
         self.non_parallel_tests = []
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ def __process_result(self, result):
         self.csvwriter.writerow([test_name, test_result, result_str])
 
     # this function checks individual test and decides if this test should be in
-    # the group by comparing it against  whitelist/blacklist. it also checks if
+    # the group by comparing it against allowlist/blocklist. it also checks if
     # the test is compiled into the binary, and marks it as skipped if necessary
     def __filter_test(self, test):
         test_cmd = test["Command"]
@@ -279,10 +279,10 @@ def __filter_test(self, test):
         if "_autotest" in test_id:
             test_id = test_id[:-len("_autotest")]
 
-        # filter out blacklisted/whitelisted tests
-        if self.blacklist and test_id in self.blacklist:
+        # filter out blocklisted/allowlisted tests
+        if self.blocklist and test_id in self.blocklist:
             return False
-        if self.whitelist and test_id not in self.whitelist:
+        if self.allowlist and test_id not in self.allowlist:
             return False
 
         # if test wasn't compiled in, remove it as well
diff --git a/app/test/test.c b/app/test/test.c
index f27a56e03390..ba0b0309b561 100644
--- a/app/test/test.c
+++ b/app/test/test.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ do_recursive_call(void)
 			{ "test_main_lcore_flag", no_action },
 			{ "test_invalid_n_flag", no_action },
 			{ "test_no_hpet_flag", no_action },
-			{ "test_whitelist_flag", no_action },
+			{ "test_allow_flag", no_action },
 			{ "test_invalid_b_flag", no_action },
 			{ "test_invalid_vdev_flag", no_action },
 			{ "test_invalid_r_flag", no_action },
diff --git a/app/test/test_eal_flags.c b/app/test/test_eal_flags.c
index da119d4e4a92..85b6c6d7c7f9 100644
--- a/app/test/test_eal_flags.c
+++ b/app/test/test_eal_flags.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 #define no_hpet "--no-hpet"
 #define no_huge "--no-huge"
 #define no_shconf "--no-shconf"
-#define pci_whitelist "--pci-whitelist"
+#define allow "--allow"
 #define vdev "--vdev"
 #define memtest "memtest"
 #define memtest1 "memtest1"
@@ -223,12 +223,12 @@ get_number_of_sockets(void)
 #endif
 
 /*
- * Test that the app doesn't run with invalid whitelist option.
+ * Test that the app doesn't run with invalid allow option.
  * Final tests ensures it does run with valid options as sanity check (one
  * test for with Domain+BDF, second for just with BDF)
  */
 static int
-test_whitelist_flag(void)
+test_allow_flag(void)
 {
 	unsigned i;
 #ifdef RTE_EXEC_ENV_FREEBSD
@@ -245,45 +245,45 @@ test_whitelist_flag(void)
 
 	const char *wlinval[][7] = {
 		{prgname, prefix, mp_flag,
-				pci_whitelist, "error", "", ""},
+				allow, "error", "", ""},
 		{prgname, prefix, mp_flag,
-				pci_whitelist, "0:0:0", "", ""},
+				allow, "0:0:0", "", ""},
 		{prgname, prefix, mp_flag,
-				pci_whitelist, "0:error:0.1", "", ""},
+				allow, "0:error:0.1", "", ""},
 		{prgname, prefix, mp_flag,
-				pci_whitelist, "0:0:0.1error", "", ""},
+				allow, "0:0:0.1error", "", ""},
 		{prgname, prefix, mp_flag,
-				pci_whitelist, "error0:0:0.1", "", ""},
+				allow, "error0:0:0.1", "", ""},
 		{prgname, prefix, mp_flag,
-				pci_whitelist, "0:0:0.1.2", "", ""},
+				allow, "0:0:0.1.2", "", ""},
 	};
-	/* Test with valid whitelist option */
+	/* Test with valid allow option */
 	const char *wlval1[] = {prgname, prefix, mp_flag,
-			pci_whitelist, "00FF:09:0B.3"};
+			allow, "00FF:09:0B.3"};
 	const char *wlval2[] = {prgname, prefix, mp_flag,
-			pci_whitelist, "09:0B.3", pci_whitelist, "0a:0b.1"};
+			allow, "09:0B.3", allow, "0a:0b.1"};
 	const char *wlval3[] = {prgname, prefix, mp_flag,
-			pci_whitelist, "09:0B.3,type=test",
-			pci_whitelist, "08:00.1,type=normal",
+			allow, "09:0B.3,type=test",
+			allow, "08:00.1,type=normal",
 	};
 
 	for (i = 0; i < RTE_DIM(wlinval); i++) {
 		if (launch_proc(wlinval[i]) == 0) {
 			printf("Error - process did run ok with invalid "
-			    "whitelist parameter\n");
+			    "allow parameter\n");
 			return -1;
 		}
 	}
 	if (launch_proc(wlval1) != 0 ) {
-		printf("Error - process did not run ok with valid whitelist\n");
+		printf("Error - process did not run ok with valid allow\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 	if (launch_proc(wlval2) != 0 ) {
-		printf("Error - process did not run ok with valid whitelist value set\n");
+		printf("Error - process did not run ok with valid allow value set\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 	if (launch_proc(wlval3) != 0 ) {
-		printf("Error - process did not run ok with valid whitelist + args\n");
+		printf("Error - process did not run ok with valid allow + args\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ test_whitelist_flag(void)
 }
 
 /*
- * Test that the app doesn't run with invalid blacklist option.
+ * Test that the app doesn't run with invalid blocklist option.
  * Final test ensures it does run with valid options as sanity check
  */
 static int
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ test_invalid_b_flag(void)
 		{prgname, prefix, mp_flag, "-b", "error0:0:0.1"},
 		{prgname, prefix, mp_flag, "-b", "0:0:0.1.2"},
 	};
-	/* Test with valid blacklist option */
+	/* Test with valid blocklist option */
 	const char *blval[] = {prgname, prefix, mp_flag,
 			       "-b", "FF:09:0B.3"};
 
@@ -326,12 +326,12 @@ test_invalid_b_flag(void)
 	for (i = 0; i != RTE_DIM(blinval); i++) {
 		if (launch_proc(blinval[i]) == 0) {
 			printf("Error - process did run ok with invalid "
-			    "blacklist parameter\n");
+			    "blocklist parameter\n");
 			return -1;
 		}
 	}
 	if (launch_proc(blval) != 0) {
-		printf("Error - process did not run ok with valid blacklist value\n");
+		printf("Error - process did not run ok with valid blocklist value\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 	return 0;
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ test_invalid_r_flag(void)
 			{prgname, prefix, mp_flag, "-r", "-1"},
 			{prgname, prefix, mp_flag, "-r", "17"},
 	};
-	/* Test with valid blacklist option */
+	/* Test with valid blocklist option */
 	const char *rval[] = {prgname, prefix, mp_flag, "-r", "16"};
 
 	int i;
@@ -1492,9 +1492,9 @@ test_eal_flags(void)
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	ret = test_whitelist_flag();
+	ret = test_allow_flag();
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		printf("Error in test_invalid_whitelist_flag()\n");
+		printf("Error in test_allow_flag()\n");
 		return ret;
 	}
 
@@ -1546,7 +1546,8 @@ REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(eal_flags_main_opt_autotest, test_main_lcore_flag);
 REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(eal_flags_n_opt_autotest, test_invalid_n_flag);
 REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(eal_flags_hpet_autotest, test_no_hpet_flag);
 REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(eal_flags_no_huge_autotest, test_no_huge_flag);
-REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(eal_flags_w_opt_autotest, test_whitelist_flag);
+REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(eal_flags_w_opt_autotest, test_allow_flag); /* for legacy CI */
+REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(eal_flags_a_opt_autotest, test_allow_flag);
 REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(eal_flags_b_opt_autotest, test_invalid_b_flag);
 REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(eal_flags_vdev_opt_autotest, test_invalid_vdev_flag);
 REGISTER_TEST_COMMAND(eal_flags_r_opt_autotest, test_invalid_r_flag);
