diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootContextLoader.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootContextLoader.java
index 34a1a5d6245..8b2be553c2b 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootContextLoader.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootContextLoader.java
@@ -146,13 +146,9 @@ public class SpringBootContextLoader extends AbstractContextLoader {
 	 * @deprecated since 2.2.7
 	 * @see SpringApplication#run(String...)
 	 */
+	@Deprecated
 	protected String[] getArgs(MergedContextConfiguration config) {
-		ContextCustomizer customizer = config.getContextCustomizers().stream()
-				.filter((c) -> c instanceof SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer).findFirst().orElse(null);
-		if (customizer != null) {
-			return ((SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer) customizer).getArgs();
-		}
-		return SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer.NO_ARGS;
+		return SpringBootTestArgs.get(config.getContextCustomizers());
 	}
 
 	private void setActiveProfiles(ConfigurableEnvironment environment, String[] profiles) {
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTest.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTest.java
index 4ac2071f76f..02d61007c0d 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTest.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTest.java
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ public @interface SpringBootTest {
 	 * @return the application arguments to pass to the application under test.
 	 * @see ApplicationArguments
 	 * @see SpringApplication#run(String...)
+	 * @since 2.2.0
 	 */
 	String[] args() default {};
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTestArgs.java
similarity index 72%
rename from spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer.java
rename to spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTestArgs.java
index b1486bb7e4f..750754cb25b 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTestArgs.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.springframework.boot.test.context;
 
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.core.annotation.MergedAnnotations;
@@ -31,26 +32,21 @@ import org.springframework.test.context.MergedContextConfiguration;
  *
  * @author Madhura Bhave
  */
-class SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer implements ContextCustomizer {
+class SpringBootTestArgs implements ContextCustomizer {
 
-	static final String[] NO_ARGS = new String[0];
+	private static final String[] NO_ARGS = new String[0];
 
-	private String[] args;
+	private final String[] args;
 
-	SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer(Class<?> testClass) {
+	SpringBootTestArgs(Class<?> testClass) {
 		this.args = MergedAnnotations.from(testClass, MergedAnnotations.SearchStrategy.TYPE_HIERARCHY)
 				.get(SpringBootTest.class).getValue("args", String[].class).orElse(NO_ARGS);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void customizeContext(ConfigurableApplicationContext context, MergedContextConfiguration mergedConfig) {
-
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Return the application arguments that are tracked by this customizer.
-	 * @return the args
-	 */
 	String[] getArgs() {
 		return this.args;
 	}
@@ -58,7 +54,7 @@ class SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer implements ContextCustomizer {
 	@Override
 	public boolean equals(Object obj) {
 		return (obj != null) && (getClass() == obj.getClass())
-				&& Arrays.equals(this.args, ((SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer) obj).args);
+				&& Arrays.equals(this.args, ((SpringBootTestArgs) obj).args);
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -66,4 +62,18 @@ class SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer implements ContextCustomizer {
 		return Arrays.hashCode(this.args);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Return the application arguments from the given customizers.
+	 * @param customizers the customizers to check
+	 * @return the application args or an empty array
+	 */
+	static String[] get(Set<ContextCustomizer> customizers) {
+		for (ContextCustomizer customizer : customizers) {
+			if (customizer instanceof SpringBootTestArgs) {
+				return ((SpringBootTestArgs) customizer).args;
+			}
+		}
+		return NO_ARGS;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTestContextBootstrapper.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTestContextBootstrapper.java
index ef5a566b367..b8b80cbb37e 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTestContextBootstrapper.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/test/context/SpringBootTestContextBootstrapper.java
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ public class SpringBootTestContextBootstrapper extends DefaultTestContextBootstr
 	protected final MergedContextConfiguration createModifiedConfig(MergedContextConfiguration mergedConfig,
 			Class<?>[] classes, String[] propertySourceProperties) {
 		Set<ContextCustomizer> contextCustomizers = new LinkedHashSet<>(mergedConfig.getContextCustomizers());
-		contextCustomizers.add(new SpringBootTestArgsTrackingContextCustomizer(mergedConfig.getTestClass()));
+		contextCustomizers.add(new SpringBootTestArgs(mergedConfig.getTestClass()));
 		return new MergedContextConfiguration(mergedConfig.getTestClass(), mergedConfig.getLocations(), classes,
 				mergedConfig.getContextInitializerClasses(), mergedConfig.getActiveProfiles(),
 				mergedConfig.getPropertySourceLocations(), propertySourceProperties, contextCustomizers,