diff --git a/internal/testrunner/runners/policy/testconfig.go b/internal/testrunner/runners/policy/testconfig.go
index acae9a1a74..cfddd740f4 100644
--- a/internal/testrunner/runners/policy/testconfig.go
+++ b/internal/testrunner/runners/policy/testconfig.go
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
-	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+	"github.com/elastic/go-ucfg"
+	"github.com/elastic/go-ucfg/yaml"
 
 	"github.com/elastic/elastic-package/internal/testrunner"
 )
@@ -16,11 +17,11 @@ import (
 type testConfig struct {
 	testrunner.SkippableConfig `config:",inline"`
 
-	Input      string         `yaml:"input,omitempty"`
-	Vars       map[string]any `yaml:"vars,omitempty"`
+	Input      string         `config:"input,omitempty" yaml:"input,omitempty"`
+	Vars       map[string]any `config:"vars,omitempty" yaml:"vars,omitempty"`
 	DataStream struct {
-		Vars map[string]any `yaml:"vars,omitempty"`
-	} `yaml:"data_stream"`
+		Vars map[string]any `config:"vars,omitempty" yaml:"vars,omitempty"`
+	} `config:"data_stream" yaml:"data_stream"`
 }
 
 func readTestConfig(testPath string) (*testConfig, error) {
@@ -30,9 +31,12 @@ func readTestConfig(testPath string) (*testConfig, error) {
 	}
 
 	var config testConfig
-	err = yaml.Unmarshal(d, &config)
+	cfg, err := yaml.NewConfig(d, ucfg.PathSep("."))
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to decode config: %w", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to load system test configuration file: %s: %w", testPath, err)
+	}
+	if err := cfg.Unpack(&config); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to unpack system test configuration file: %s: %w", testPath, err)
 	}
 
 	return &config, nil
diff --git a/test/packages/parallel/httpcheck/_dev/test/policy/test-skip.expected b/test/packages/parallel/httpcheck/_dev/test/policy/test-skip.expected
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e86914b30f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/packages/parallel/httpcheck/_dev/test/policy/test-skip.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+connectors:
+    forward: {}
+exporters:
+    elasticsearch/componentid-0:
+        endpoints:
+            - https://elasticsearch:9200
+inputs: []
+output_permissions:
+    default:
+        _elastic_agent_checks:
+            cluster:
+                - monitor
+        _elastic_agent_monitoring:
+            indices: []
+        uuid-for-permissions-on-related-indices:
+            indices:
+                - names:
+                    - metrics-*-*
+                  privileges:
+                    - auto_configure
+                    - create_doc
+processors:
+    transform/componentid-0:
+        metric_statements:
+            - context: datapoint
+              statements:
+                - set(attributes["data_stream.type"], "metrics")
+                - set(attributes["data_stream.dataset"], "httpcheckreceiver")
+                - set(attributes["data_stream.namespace"], "ep")
+receivers:
+    httpcheck/componentid-0:
+        collection_interval: 1m
+        targets:
+            - endpoints:
+                - https://epr.elastic.co
+              method: GET
+secret_references: []
+service:
+    pipelines:
+        metrics:
+            exporters:
+                - elasticsearch/componentid-0
+            receivers:
+                - forward
+        metrics/componentid-0:
+            exporters:
+                - forward
+            processors:
+                - transform/componentid-0
+            receivers:
+                - httpcheck/componentid-0
diff --git a/test/packages/parallel/httpcheck/_dev/test/policy/test-skip.yml b/test/packages/parallel/httpcheck/_dev/test/policy/test-skip.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2320b17cea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/packages/parallel/httpcheck/_dev/test/policy/test-skip.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+skip:
+  reason: Test skipped tests
+  link: https://github.com/elastic/elastic-package/pull/3299
+vars:
+  endpoints:
+    - https://epr.elastic.co