diff --git a/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/os/TestWXHealing.java b/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/os/TestWXHealing.java
index 46875848a89..1ed2caf2433 100644
--- a/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/os/TestWXHealing.java
+++ b/test/hotspot/jtreg/runtime/os/TestWXHealing.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2025 IBM Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -22,31 +23,72 @@
  */
 
 /*
- * @test
+ * @test id=TraceWXHealing
+ * @summary Run shell with -XX:+StressWXHealing and -XX:+TraceWXHealing. This tests most of
+ * the triggers for WX mode.
  * @requires os.family == "mac"
  * @requires os.arch == "aarch64"
- * @summary Run shell with -XX:+StressWXHealing. This tests most of
- * the triggers for WX mode.
+ * @requires vm.debug == true
  * @library /test/lib
  * @compile WXHealing.java
- * @run main TestWXHealing
+ * @build jtreg.SkippedException
+ * @run main TestWXHealing traceWXHealing
  */
 
+/*
+ * @test id=No-TraceWXHealing
+ * @summary Run shell with -XX:+StressWXHealing. This tests most of
+ * the triggers for WX mode.
+ * @requires os.family == "mac"
+ * @requires os.arch == "aarch64"
+ * @library /test/lib
+ * @compile WXHealing.java
+ * @build jtreg.SkippedException
+ * @run main TestWXHealing
+ */
 import java.util.regex.*;
 import jdk.test.lib.process.*;
+import jtreg.SkippedException;
 
-import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.*;
+import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.UTF_8;
 
 public class TestWXHealing {
 
     public static void main(String[] args) throws Throwable {
-        String[] opts = {"-XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions",
-                         "-XX:+TraceWXHealing", "-XX:+StressWXHealing", "WXHealing"};
+        String[] opts;
+        boolean traceWXHealing = args.length > 0 && args[0].equals("traceWXHealing");
+        // pass -XX:+TraceWXHealing only when instructed to do so
+        if (traceWXHealing) {
+            opts = new String[]{
+                    "-XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions",
+                    "-XX:+TraceWXHealing",
+                    "-XX:+StressWXHealing",
+                    "WXHealing"
+            };
+        } else {
+            opts = new String[]{
+                    "-XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions",
+                    "-XX:+StressWXHealing",
+                    "WXHealing"
+            };
+        }
         var process = ProcessTools.createTestJavaProcessBuilder(opts).start();
-        String output = new String(process.getInputStream().readAllBytes(), UTF_8);
-        System.out.println(output);
+        OutputAnalyzer oa = new OutputAnalyzer(process, UTF_8);
+        oa.shouldHaveExitValue(0);
+        String output = oa.getStdout();
+        System.out.println("output from WXHealing application: " + output);
+        if (output.isEmpty()) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("no output generated by WXHealing application");
+        }
+        if (!traceWXHealing) {
+            // if -XX:+TraceWXHealing wasn't enabled, then this test merely
+            // verifies that the java application launched with -XX:+StressWXHealing
+            // exited normally.
+            return;
+        }
+        // verify the output generated by -XX:+TraceWXHealing
         if (output.contains("MAP_JIT write protection does not work on this system")) {
-            System.out.println("Test was not run because MAP_JIT write protection does not work on this system");
+            throw new SkippedException("Test was not run because MAP_JIT write protection does not work on this system");
         } else {
             var pattern = Pattern.compile("Healing WXMode WXArmedForWrite at 0x[0-9a-f]* to WXWrite  ");
             var matches = pattern.matcher(output).results().count();