diff --git a/.github/workflows/reference-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/reference-tests.yml
index 68310944af..84123b226d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reference-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reference-tests.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           cache-disabled: true
       - name: execute generate reference tests
-        run: ./gradlew ethereum:referencetests:blockchainReferenceTests ethereum:referencetests:generalstateReferenceTests ethereum:referencetests:generalstateRegressionReferenceTests -Dorg.gradle.parallel=true -Dorg.gradle.caching=true
+        run: ./gradlew ethereum:referencetests:referenceTestClasses -Dorg.gradle.parallel=true -Dorg.gradle.caching=true
       - name: list test files generated
         run: find ethereum/referencetests/build/generated/sources/reference-test -name "*.java" | sort >> filenames.txt
       - name: Split tests
diff --git a/ethereum/referencetests/build.gradle b/ethereum/referencetests/build.gradle
index 70841e62ff..9b3924ddd8 100644
--- a/ethereum/referencetests/build.gradle
+++ b/ethereum/referencetests/build.gradle
@@ -80,13 +80,22 @@ def executionSpecTests = tasks.register("executionSpecTests") {
 
   inputs.files fileTree(referenceTestsPath), fileTree(generatedTestsPath)
   outputs.files generatedTestsPath
+  // generate blockchain_tests:
   generateTestFiles(
-    fileTree(referenceTestsPath + "/fixtures"),
-    file("src/reference-test/templates/BlockchainReferenceTest.java.template"),
+    fileTree(referenceTestsPath + "/fixtures/blockchain_tests"),
+    file("src/reference-test/templates/ExecutionSpecTest.java.template"),
+    "fixtures",
+    "$generatedTestsPath/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/executionspec",
+    "ExecutionSpecBlockchainTest"
+    )
+
+  // generate state_tests:
+  generateTestFiles(
+    fileTree(referenceTestsPath + "/fixtures/state_tests"),
+    file("src/reference-test/templates/ExecutionSpecStateTest.java.template"),
     "fixtures",
     "$generatedTestsPath/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/executionspec",
-    "ExecutionSpecTest",
-    ("fixtures/example/example") // exclude test for test filling tool
+    "ExecutionSpecStateTest"
     )
 }
 
@@ -170,7 +179,7 @@ dependencies {
   referenceTestImplementation project(path: ':testutil')
   referenceTestImplementation project(path: ':util')
   // the following will be resolved via custom ivy repository declared in root build.gradle
-  referenceTestImplementation 'ethereum:execution-spec-tests:0.2.5:fixtures@tar.gz'
+  referenceTestImplementation 'ethereum:execution-spec-tests:2.1.1:fixtures@tar.gz'
   referenceTestImplementation 'com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind'
   referenceTestImplementation 'com.google.guava:guava'
   referenceTestImplementation 'io.tmio:tuweni-bytes'
diff --git a/ethereum/referencetests/src/reference-test/templates/ExecutionSpecStateTest.java.template b/ethereum/referencetests/src/reference-test/templates/ExecutionSpecStateTest.java.template
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..76da5d64f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ethereum/referencetests/src/reference-test/templates/ExecutionSpecStateTest.java.template
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.vm.executionspec;
+
+import static org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.vm.GeneralStateReferenceTestTools.executeTest;
+import static org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.vm.GeneralStateReferenceTestTools.generateTestParametersForConfig;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assumptions.assumeTrue;
+
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.referencetests.GeneralStateTestCaseEipSpec;
+
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.Arguments;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.MethodSource;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assumptions.assumeTrue;
+
+/** The general state test operation testing framework entry point. */
+public class %%TESTS_NAME%% {
+
+  private static final String[] TEST_CONFIG_FILE_DIR_PATH = new String[] {%%TESTS_FILE%%};
+
+  public static Stream<Arguments> getTestParametersForConfig() {
+    return generateTestParametersForConfig(TEST_CONFIG_FILE_DIR_PATH).stream().map(params ->
+        Arguments.of(params[0], params[1], params[2])
+        );
+  }
+
+  @ParameterizedTest(name = "Name: {0}")
+  @MethodSource("getTestParametersForConfig")
+  public void execution(
+      final String name,
+      final GeneralStateTestCaseEipSpec spec,
+      final boolean runTest) {
+    assumeTrue(runTest, "Test " + name + " was ignored");
+    executeTest(spec);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/ethereum/referencetests/src/reference-test/templates/ExecutionSpecTest.java.template b/ethereum/referencetests/src/reference-test/templates/ExecutionSpecTest.java.template
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d56115f123
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ethereum/referencetests/src/reference-test/templates/ExecutionSpecTest.java.template
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.vm.executionspec;
+
+import static org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.vm.BlockchainReferenceTestTools.executeTest;
+import static org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.vm.BlockchainReferenceTestTools.generateTestParametersForConfig;
+
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.referencetests.BlockchainReferenceTestCaseSpec;
+
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.Arguments;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.MethodSource;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assumptions.assumeTrue;
+
+/** The blockchain test operation testing framework entry point. */
+public class %%TESTS_NAME%% {
+
+  private static final String[] TEST_CONFIG_FILE_DIR_PATH = new String[] {%%TESTS_FILE%%};
+
+  public static Stream<Arguments> getTestParametersForConfig() {
+    return generateTestParametersForConfig(TEST_CONFIG_FILE_DIR_PATH).stream().map(params ->
+        Arguments.of(params[0], params[1], params[2])
+        );
+  }
+
+  @ParameterizedTest(name = "Name: {0}")
+  @MethodSource("getTestParametersForConfig")
+  public void execution(
+      final String name,
+      final BlockchainReferenceTestCaseSpec spec,
+      final boolean runTest) {
+    assumeTrue(runTest, "Test " + name + " was ignored");
+    executeTest(spec);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/gradle/verification-metadata.xml b/gradle/verification-metadata.xml
index 91dccd51cd..3bb5283d45 100644
--- a/gradle/verification-metadata.xml
+++ b/gradle/verification-metadata.xml
@@ -1417,6 +1417,11 @@
             <sha256 value="1c67818ff9ad052f2da636c1f2e99fbb801191e56af9f1ee1ebe3997039d8186" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>
          </artifact>
       </component>
+      <component group="ethereum" name="execution-spec-tests" version="2.1.1">
+         <artifact name="execution-spec-tests-2.1.1-fixtures.tar.gz">
+            <sha256 value="817ca59a93dae2cd6458f015dfbc604d234bcbeca63ffe763bd5b5e27ff3c1a1" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>
+         </artifact>
+      </component>
       <component group="info.picocli" name="picocli" version="3.0.0">
          <artifact name="picocli-3.0.0.jar">
             <sha256 value="22dbbe287dd0ab9d4d519ac9f2dd909537b6daf279ac5962a3bad8c9dae61032" origin="Generated by Gradle"/>