diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 349fae7106d..a9669355eda 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
       - CHANGED: Upgrade to clang-tidy 15. [#6439](https://github.com/Project-OSRM/osrm-backend/pull/6439)
       - CHANGED: Update actions/cache to v3. [#6420](https://github.com/Project-OSRM/osrm-backend/pull/6420)
       - REMOVED: Drop support of Node 12 & 14. [#6431](https://github.com/Project-OSRM/osrm-backend/pull/6431)
+      - ADDED: Add 'load directly' mode to default Cucumber test suite. [#6663](https://github.com/Project-OSRM/osrm-backend/pull/6663)
     - NodeJS:
       - CHANGED: Use node-api instead of NAN. [#6452](https://github.com/Project-OSRM/osrm-backend/pull/6452)
     - Misc:
diff --git a/cucumber.js b/cucumber.js
index 288e3ba5aea..9cec411756b 100644
--- a/cucumber.js
+++ b/cucumber.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module.exports = {
-    default: '--strict --tags ~@stress --tags ~@todo --tags ~@mld-only --require features/support --require features/step_definitions',
-    verify: '--strict --tags ~@stress --tags ~@todo --tags ~@mld-only -f progress --require features/support --require features/step_definitions',
+    default: '--strict --tags ~@stress --tags ~@todo --tags ~@mld --require features/support --require features/step_definitions',
+    ch: '--strict --tags ~@stress --tags ~@todo --tags ~@mld -f progress --require features/support --require features/step_definitions',
     todo: '--strict --tags @todo --require features/support --require features/step_definitions',
     all: '--strict --require features/support --require features/step_definitions',
     mld: '--strict --tags ~@stress --tags ~@todo --tags ~@ch --require features/support --require features/step_definitions -f progress'
diff --git a/features/support/env.js b/features/support/env.js
index eaa25fbc541..85b7b43838f 100644
--- a/features/support/env.js
+++ b/features/support/env.js
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ module.exports = function () {
         this.DEFAULT_ENVIRONMENT = process.env;
         this.DEFAULT_PROFILE = 'bicycle';
         this.DEFAULT_INPUT_FORMAT = 'osm';
-        this.DEFAULT_LOAD_METHOD = process.argv[process.argv.indexOf('-m') +1].match('mmap') ? 'mmap' : 'datastore';
+        let loadMethod = process.argv[process.argv.indexOf('-m') +1];
+        this.DEFAULT_LOAD_METHOD = loadMethod.match('mmap') ? 'mmap' : loadMethod.match('directly') ? 'directly' : 'datastore';
         this.DEFAULT_ORIGIN = [1,1];
         this.OSM_USER = 'osrm';
         this.OSM_UID = 1;
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ module.exports = function () {
         this.OSRM_IP = process.env.OSRM_IP || '127.0.0.1';
         this.OSRM_CONNECTION_RETRIES = process.env.OSRM_CONNECTION_RETRIES && parseInt(process.env.OSRM_CONNECTION_RETRIES) || 10;
         this.OSRM_CONNECTION_EXP_BACKOFF_COEF = process.env.OSRM_CONNECTION_EXP_BACKOFF_COEF && parseFloat(process.env.OSRM_CONNECTION_EXP_BACKOFF_COEF) || 1.0;
-        
+
         this.HOST = `http://${this.OSRM_IP}:${this.OSRM_PORT}`;
 
         this.OSRM_PROFILE = process.env.OSRM_PROFILE;
diff --git a/features/testbot/alternative_loop.feature b/features/testbot/alternative_loop.feature
index 1821379694d..1e2925f1889 100644
--- a/features/testbot/alternative_loop.feature
+++ b/features/testbot/alternative_loop.feature
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Feature: Alternative route
             | 7    | 8  | ca,ab,bd,dc,ca,ca |             |
 
 
-    @mld-only
+    @mld
     Scenario: Alternative loop paths on a single node with an asymmetric circle
         # The test checks only MLD implementation, alternatives results are unpredictable for CH on windows (#4691, #4693)
         Given a grid size of 10 meters
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6e464a71a71..af92edaf408 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   },
   "scripts": {
     "lint": "node ./node_modules/eslint/bin/eslint.js -c ./.eslintrc features/step_definitions/ features/support/",
-    "test": "npm run lint && node ./node_modules/cucumber/bin/cucumber.js features/ -p verify && node ./node_modules/cucumber/bin/cucumber.js features/ -p verify -m mmap && node ./node_modules/cucumber/bin/cucumber.js features/ -p mld && node ./node_modules/cucumber/bin/cucumber.js features/ -p mld -m mmap",
+    "test": "npm run lint && ./scripts/cucumber_test_matrix.sh",
     "clean": "rm -rf test/cache",
     "docs": "./scripts/build_api_docs.sh",
     "install": "node-pre-gyp install --fallback-to-build=false || ./scripts/node_install.sh",
diff --git a/scripts/cucumber_test_matrix.sh b/scripts/cucumber_test_matrix.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..4d5c0457fdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/cucumber_test_matrix.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -o errexit
+set -o pipefail
+set -o nounset
+
+loadmethods=(datastore mmap directly)
+profiles=(ch mld)
+
+for profile in "${profiles[@]}"
+do
+  for loadmethod in "${loadmethods[@]}"
+  do
+    set -x
+    node ./node_modules/cucumber/bin/cucumber.js features/ -p $profile -m $loadmethod
+    { set +x; } 2>/dev/null
+  done
+done