diff --git a/test/mocha/20-issue.js b/test/mocha/20-issue.js
index 6994c359..461a85e0 100644
--- a/test/mocha/20-issue.js
+++ b/test/mocha/20-issue.js
@@ -13,50 +13,27 @@ import {
 } from './assertions/testTerseBitstringStatusList.js';
 
 describe('issue', () => {
-  describe('eddsa-rdfc-2022', () => {
-    const options = {
+  const suites = {
+    'eddsa-rdfc-2022': {
       suiteName: 'eddsa-rdfc-2022',
       algorithm: 'Ed25519',
       issueOptions: {},
-      statusOptions: {}
-    };
-    testIssueWithoutStatus(options);
-    testBitstringStatusList(options);
-    testTerseBitstringStatusList(options);
-
-    // to reduce runtime and because a different suite should not change
-    // the results, only this suite runs against these tests
-    testIssueWithOAuth2(options);
-    testIssueCrashRecovery(options);
-    testStatusScaling(options);
-  });
-
-  describe('ecdsa-rdfc-2019, P-256', () => {
-    const options = {
+      statusOptions: {},
+      tags: ['general']
+    },
+    'ecdsa-rdfc-2019, P-256': {
       suiteName: 'ecdsa-rdfc-2019',
       algorithm: 'P-256',
       issueOptions: {},
       statusOptions: {}
-    };
-    testIssueWithoutStatus(options);
-    testBitstringStatusList(options);
-    testTerseBitstringStatusList(options);
-  });
-
-  describe('ecdsa-rdfc-2019, P-384', () => {
-    const options = {
+    },
+    'ecdsa-rdfc-2019, P-384': {
       suiteName: 'ecdsa-rdfc-2019',
       algorithm: 'P-384',
       issueOptions: {},
       statusOptions: {}
-    };
-    testIssueWithoutStatus(options);
-    testBitstringStatusList(options);
-    testTerseBitstringStatusList(options);
-  });
-
-  describe('ecdsa-sd-2023', () => {
-    const options = {
+    },
+    'ecdsa-sd-2023': {
       suiteName: 'ecdsa-sd-2023',
       algorithm: 'P-256',
       issueOptions: {},
@@ -65,15 +42,10 @@ describe('issue', () => {
         suiteName: 'ecdsa-rdfc-2019',
         algorithm: 'P-256'
       },
-      terseIssueOptions: {mandatoryPointers: ['/issuer']}
-    };
-    testIssueWithoutStatus(options);
-    testBitstringStatusList(options);
-    testTerseBitstringStatusList(options);
-  });
-
-  describe('bbs-2023', () => {
-    const options = {
+      terseIssueOptions: {mandatoryPointers: ['/issuer']},
+      tags: ['sd']
+    },
+    'bbs-2023': {
       suiteName: 'bbs-2023',
       algorithm: 'Bls12381G2',
       issueOptions: {},
@@ -82,16 +54,10 @@ describe('issue', () => {
         suiteName: 'ecdsa-rdfc-2019',
         algorithm: 'P-256'
       },
-      terseIssueOptions: {mandatoryPointers: ['/issuer']}
-    };
-    testIssueWithoutStatus(options);
-    testIssueSd(options);
-    testBitstringStatusList(options);
-    testTerseBitstringStatusList(options);
-  });
-
-  describe('ecdsa-xi-2023, P-256', () => {
-    const options = {
+      terseIssueOptions: {mandatoryPointers: ['/issuer']},
+      tags: ['sd']
+    },
+    'ecdsa-xi-2023': {
       suiteName: 'ecdsa-xi-2023',
       algorithm: 'P-256',
       issueOptions: {
@@ -101,24 +67,42 @@ describe('issue', () => {
         // sign status list with simple ECDSA
         suiteName: 'ecdsa-rdfc-2019',
         algorithm: 'P-256'
-      }
-    };
-
-    testIssueWithoutStatus(options);
-    testIssueXi(options);
-    testBitstringStatusList(options);
-    testTerseBitstringStatusList(options);
-  });
-
-  describe('Ed25519Signature2020', () => {
-    const options = {
+      },
+      tags: ['xi']
+    },
+    Ed25519Signature2020: {
       suiteName: 'Ed25519Signature2020',
       algorithm: 'Ed25519',
       issueOptions: {},
       statusOptions: {}
-    };
-    testIssueWithoutStatus(options);
-    testBitstringStatusList(options);
-    testTerseBitstringStatusList(options);
-  });
+    }
+  };
+
+  for(const name in suites) {
+    const options = suites[name];
+    describe(name, () => {
+      // these tests run for every suite
+      testIssueWithoutStatus(options);
+      testBitstringStatusList(options);
+      testTerseBitstringStatusList(options);
+
+      // to reduce runtime and because a different suite should not change
+      // the results, only suites marked "general" run these tests
+      if(options.tags?.includes('general')) {
+        testIssueWithOAuth2(options);
+        testIssueCrashRecovery(options);
+        testStatusScaling(options);
+      }
+
+      // tests that run for SD suites only
+      if(options.tags?.includes('sd')) {
+        testIssueSd(options);
+      }
+
+      // tests that run for XI suites only
+      if(options.tags?.includes('xi')) {
+        testIssueXi(options);
+      }
+    });
+  }
 });
diff --git a/test/mocha/assertions/assertions.js b/test/mocha/assertions/index.js
similarity index 100%
rename from test/mocha/assertions/assertions.js
rename to test/mocha/assertions/index.js
diff --git a/test/mocha/assertions/issueWithoutStatus.js b/test/mocha/assertions/issueWithoutStatus.js
index 94384c2a..48d118d9 100644
--- a/test/mocha/assertions/issueWithoutStatus.js
+++ b/test/mocha/assertions/issueWithoutStatus.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2024 Digital Bazaar, Inc. All rights reserved.
  */
-import * as assertions from './assertions.js';
+import * as assertions from './index.js';
 import * as helpers from '../helpers.js';
 import {createRequire} from 'node:module';
 import {klona} from 'klona';
diff --git a/test/mocha/assertions/testBitstringStatusList.js b/test/mocha/assertions/testBitstringStatusList.js
index cf5480b7..3b46a392 100644
--- a/test/mocha/assertions/testBitstringStatusList.js
+++ b/test/mocha/assertions/testBitstringStatusList.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*!
  * Copyright (c) 2020-2024 Digital Bazaar, Inc. All rights reserved.
  */
-import * as assertions from './assertions.js';
+import * as assertions from './index.js';
 import * as helpers from '../helpers.js';
 import {createRequire} from 'node:module';
 import {klona} from 'klona';
diff --git a/test/mocha/assertions/testIssueSd.js b/test/mocha/assertions/testIssueSd.js
index 6791d134..d8ac68c8 100644
--- a/test/mocha/assertions/testIssueSd.js
+++ b/test/mocha/assertions/testIssueSd.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*!
  * Copyright (c) 2020-2024 Digital Bazaar, Inc. All rights reserved.
  */
-import * as assertions from './assertions.js';
+import * as assertions from './index.js';
 import * as helpers from '../helpers.js';
 import {createRequire} from 'node:module';
 import {klona} from 'klona';
diff --git a/test/mocha/assertions/testIssueXi.js b/test/mocha/assertions/testIssueXi.js
index b0c1b9d3..7c796ec0 100644
--- a/test/mocha/assertions/testIssueXi.js
+++ b/test/mocha/assertions/testIssueXi.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*!
  * Copyright (c) 2020-2024 Digital Bazaar, Inc. All rights reserved.
  */
-import * as assertions from './assertions.js';
+import * as assertions from './index.js';
 import * as helpers from '../helpers.js';
 import {createRequire} from 'node:module';
 import {encode} from 'base64url-universal';
diff --git a/test/mocha/helpers.js b/test/mocha/helpers.js
index 789b7326..1577812f 100644
--- a/test/mocha/helpers.js
+++ b/test/mocha/helpers.js
@@ -480,20 +480,9 @@ export async function provisionDependencies({
         // key already set
         continue;
       }
-      let assertionMethodKey;
-      if(['P-256', 'P-384', 'Bls12381G2'].includes(algorithm)) {
-        assertionMethodKey = await _generateMultikey({
-          keystoreAgent,
-          type: `urn:webkms:multikey:${algorithm}`,
-          publicAliasTemplate
-        });
-      } else {
-        assertionMethodKey = await keystoreAgent.generateKey({
-          type: 'asymmetric',
-          publicAliasTemplate
-        });
-      }
-      suite.assertionMethodKey = assertionMethodKey;
+      suite.assertionMethodKey = await generateAsymmetricKey({
+        keystoreAgent, algorithm, publicAliasTemplate
+      });
     }
 
     if(zcaps) {
@@ -588,18 +577,9 @@ export async function provisionIssuerForStatus({
     const didTemplate = did ?? 'did:key:{publicKeyMultibase}';
     const publicAliasTemplate = didTemplate + '#{publicKeyMultibase}';
     const algorithm = statusOptions.algorithm ?? suiteOptions.algorithm;
-    if(['P-256', 'P-384'].includes(algorithm)) {
-      assertionMethodKey = await _generateMultikey({
-        keystoreAgent,
-        type: `urn:webkms:multikey:${algorithm}`,
-        publicAliasTemplate
-      });
-    } else {
-      assertionMethodKey = await keystoreAgent.generateKey({
-        type: 'asymmetric',
-        publicAliasTemplate
-      });
-    }
+    const assertionMethodKey = await generateAsymmetricKey({
+      keystoreAgent, algorithm, publicAliasTemplate
+    });
 
     // delegate assertion method zcap to service agent
     zcaps.assertionMethod = await delegate({
@@ -706,22 +686,20 @@ export async function provisionStatus({
   };
 }
 
-export async function _generateMultikey({
-  keystoreAgent, type, publicAliasTemplate
+export async function generateAsymmetricKey({
+  keystoreAgent, algorithm, publicAliasTemplate
 }) {
-  const {capabilityAgent, kmsClient} = keystoreAgent;
-  const invocationSigner = capabilityAgent.getSigner();
-  const {keyId, keyDescription} = await kmsClient.generateKey({
-    type,
-    suiteContextUrl: 'https://w3id.org/security/multikey/v1',
-    invocationSigner,
+  if(['P-256', 'P-384', 'Bls12381G2'].includes(algorithm)) {
+    return _generateMultikey({
+      keystoreAgent,
+      type: `urn:webkms:multikey:${algorithm}`,
+      publicAliasTemplate
+    });
+  }
+  return keystoreAgent.generateKey({
+    type: 'asymmetric',
     publicAliasTemplate
   });
-  const {id} = keyDescription;
-  ({type} = keyDescription);
-  return new AsymmetricKey({
-    id, kmsId: keyId, type, invocationSigner, kmsClient, keyDescription
-  });
 }
 
 const serviceCoreConfigCollection =
@@ -769,3 +747,21 @@ export function parseEnvelope({verifiableCredential}) {
   }
   throw new Error(`Unknown envelope format "${format}".`);
 }
+
+async function _generateMultikey({
+  keystoreAgent, type, publicAliasTemplate
+}) {
+  const {capabilityAgent, kmsClient} = keystoreAgent;
+  const invocationSigner = capabilityAgent.getSigner();
+  const {keyId, keyDescription} = await kmsClient.generateKey({
+    type,
+    suiteContextUrl: 'https://w3id.org/security/multikey/v1',
+    invocationSigner,
+    publicAliasTemplate
+  });
+  const {id} = keyDescription;
+  ({type} = keyDescription);
+  return new AsymmetricKey({
+    id, kmsId: keyId, type, invocationSigner, kmsClient, keyDescription
+  });
+}