diff --git a/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/CMakeLists.txt b/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/CMakeLists.txt
index 678ea8bf6..a0915558e 100644
--- a/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,7 +11,3 @@ set(EXTRA_COMPONENT_DIRS
 
 set(COMPONENTS main)
 project(host_test_app)
-
-idf_component_get_property(esp_modem esp_modem COMPONENT_LIB)
-target_compile_definitions(${esp_modem} PRIVATE "-DCONFIG_COMPILER_CXX_EXCEPTIONS")
-target_compile_definitions(${esp_modem} PRIVATE "-DCONFIG_IDF_TARGET_LINUX")
diff --git a/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt b/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
index 3f9f8309f..55c3dd40d 100644
--- a/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,11 +5,10 @@ set(THREADS_PREFER_PTHREAD_FLAG ON)
 find_package(Threads REQUIRED)
 target_link_libraries(${COMPONENT_LIB} PRIVATE Threads::Threads)
 
-target_link_libraries(${COMPONENT_LIB} PRIVATE Catch2WithMain)
+target_link_libraries(${COMPONENT_LIB} PRIVATE Catch2)
 
 set_target_properties(${COMPONENT_LIB} PROPERTIES
     CXX_STANDARD 17
     CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON
     CXX_EXTENSIONS ON
 )
-target_compile_definitions(${COMPONENT_LIB} PRIVATE "-DCONFIG_IDF_TARGET_LINUX")
diff --git a/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/main/test_app.cpp b/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/main/test_app.cpp
index 89dae8015..0cef5f552 100644
--- a/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/main/test_app.cpp
+++ b/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/main/test_app.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Unlicense OR CC0-1.0
  */
 
-#define CATCH_CONFIG_MAIN
 #include <memory>
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <unistd.h>
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@ static std::shared_ptr<DTE> create_test_dte()
     return create_vfs_dte(&dte_config);
 }
 
-TEST_CASE("Basic AT command via socket", "[esp_modem][at]")
+TEST_CASE("AT commands via socket", "[esp_modem][at]")
 {
     auto dte = create_test_dte();
     REQUIRE(dte != nullptr);
@@ -57,115 +56,51 @@ TEST_CASE("Basic AT command via socket", "[esp_modem][at]")
     auto dce = create_SIM7600_dce(&dce_config, dte, &netif);
     REQUIRE(dce != nullptr);
 
-    CHECK(dce->set_command_mode() == command_result::OK);
-}
-
-TEST_CASE("Get signal quality", "[esp_modem][at]")
-{
-    auto dte = create_test_dte();
-    REQUIRE(dte != nullptr);
-
-    esp_modem_dce_config_t dce_config = ESP_MODEM_DCE_DEFAULT_CONFIG("internet");
-    esp_netif_t netif{};
-    auto dce = create_SIM7600_dce(&dce_config, dte, &netif);
-    REQUIRE(dce != nullptr);
-
-    int rssi, ber;
-    CHECK(dce->get_signal_quality(rssi, ber) == command_result::OK);
-    CHECK(rssi == 27);
-    CHECK(ber == 99);
-}
-
-TEST_CASE("Get module name", "[esp_modem][at]")
-{
-    auto dte = create_test_dte();
-    REQUIRE(dte != nullptr);
-
-    esp_modem_dce_config_t dce_config = ESP_MODEM_DCE_DEFAULT_CONFIG("internet");
-    esp_netif_t netif{};
-    auto dce = create_SIM7600_dce(&dce_config, dte, &netif);
-    REQUIRE(dce != nullptr);
-
-    std::string model;
-    CHECK(dce->get_module_name(model) == command_result::OK);
-    CHECK(model == "SimModem-7600");
-}
-
-TEST_CASE("Get operator name", "[esp_modem][at]")
-{
-    auto dte = create_test_dte();
-    REQUIRE(dte != nullptr);
-
-    esp_modem_dce_config_t dce_config = ESP_MODEM_DCE_DEFAULT_CONFIG("internet");
-    esp_netif_t netif{};
-    auto dce = create_SIM7600_dce(&dce_config, dte, &netif);
-    REQUIRE(dce != nullptr);
-
-    std::string operator_name;
-    int act = -1;
-    CHECK(dce->get_operator_name(operator_name, act) == command_result::OK);
-    CHECK(operator_name == "TestOperator");
-    CHECK(act == 7);
-}
-
-TEST_CASE("Get IMSI", "[esp_modem][at]")
-{
-    auto dte = create_test_dte();
-    REQUIRE(dte != nullptr);
-
-    esp_modem_dce_config_t dce_config = ESP_MODEM_DCE_DEFAULT_CONFIG("internet");
-    esp_netif_t netif{};
-    auto dce = create_SIM7600_dce(&dce_config, dte, &netif);
-    REQUIRE(dce != nullptr);
-
-    std::string imsi;
-    CHECK(dce->get_imsi(imsi) == command_result::OK);
-    CHECK(imsi == "987654321098765");
-}
-
-TEST_CASE("Get IMEI", "[esp_modem][at]")
-{
-    auto dte = create_test_dte();
-    REQUIRE(dte != nullptr);
-
-    esp_modem_dce_config_t dce_config = ESP_MODEM_DCE_DEFAULT_CONFIG("internet");
-    esp_netif_t netif{};
-    auto dce = create_SIM7600_dce(&dce_config, dte, &netif);
-    REQUIRE(dce != nullptr);
-
-    std::string imei;
-    CHECK(dce->get_imei(imei) == command_result::OK);
-    CHECK(imei == "123456789012345");
-}
-
-TEST_CASE("Read PIN status", "[esp_modem][at]")
-{
-    auto dte = create_test_dte();
-    REQUIRE(dte != nullptr);
-
-    esp_modem_dce_config_t dce_config = ESP_MODEM_DCE_DEFAULT_CONFIG("internet");
-    esp_netif_t netif{};
-    auto dce = create_SIM7600_dce(&dce_config, dte, &netif);
-    REQUIRE(dce != nullptr);
-
-    bool pin_ok;
-    CHECK(dce->read_pin(pin_ok) == command_result::OK);
-    CHECK(pin_ok == true);
-}
-
-#define CATCH_CONFIG_RUNNER
-extern "C" int app_main(void)
-{
-    int argc = 5;
-    const char *argv[] = {"host_test_app", "-r", "junit", "-o", "junit.xml", nullptr};
-
-    int result = Catch::Session().run(argc, argv);
-
-    if (result != 0) {
-        printf("Test failed with result %d.\n", result);
-    } else {
-        printf("All tests passed successfully.\n");
+    SECTION("set_command_mode") {
+        CHECK(dce->set_command_mode() == command_result::OK);
     }
 
-    std::exit(result);
+    SECTION("get_signal_quality") {
+        int rssi, ber;
+        CHECK(dce->get_signal_quality(rssi, ber) == command_result::OK);
+        CHECK(rssi == 27);
+        CHECK(ber == 99);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("get_module_name") {
+        std::string model;
+        CHECK(dce->get_module_name(model) == command_result::OK);
+        CHECK(model == "SimModem-7600");
+    }
+
+    SECTION("get_operator_name") {
+        std::string operator_name;
+        int act = -1;
+        CHECK(dce->get_operator_name(operator_name, act) == command_result::OK);
+        CHECK(operator_name == "TestOperator");
+        CHECK(act == 7);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("get_imsi") {
+        std::string imsi;
+        CHECK(dce->get_imsi(imsi) == command_result::OK);
+        CHECK(imsi == "987654321098765");
+    }
+
+    SECTION("get_imei") {
+        std::string imei;
+        CHECK(dce->get_imei(imei) == command_result::OK);
+        CHECK(imei == "123456789012345");
+    }
+
+    SECTION("read_pin") {
+        bool pin_ok;
+        CHECK(dce->read_pin(pin_ok) == command_result::OK);
+        CHECK(pin_ok == true);
+    }
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+    return Catch::Session().run(argc, argv);
 }
diff --git a/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/run_test.sh b/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/run_test.sh
index 46b015ce1..7102f3d3e 100755
--- a/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/run_test.sh
+++ b/components/esp_modem/test/host_test_app/run_test.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 #
-# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2024 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: Unlicense OR CC0-1.0
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 #
 # Test harness: starts modem simulator, runs test app, collects results.