diff --git a/lib/OpenQA/Script/CloneJob.pm b/lib/OpenQA/Script/CloneJob.pm
index 1fd05807454..016a107db8c 100644
--- a/lib/OpenQA/Script/CloneJob.pm
+++ b/lib/OpenQA/Script/CloneJob.pm
@@ -39,13 +39,13 @@ sub clone_job_apply_settings ($argv, $depth, $settings, $options) {
 
     for my $arg (@$argv) {
         # split arg into key and value
-        unless ($arg =~ /([A-Z0-9_]+\+?)=(.*)/) {
-            warn "arg '$arg' does not match";
+        unless ($arg =~ /([A-Z0-9_]+)(:(\w+))?(\+)?=(.*)/) {
+            warn "command-line argument '$arg' is no valid setting and will be ignored\n";
             next;
         }
-        my ($key, $value) = ($1, $2);
-
-        next unless is_global_setting($key) || $depth <= 1 || $options->{'parental-inheritance'};
+        my ($key, $scope, $plus, $value) = ($1, $3, $4, $5);
+        next if defined $scope && ($settings->{TEST} // '') ne $scope;
+        next if !defined $scope && !is_global_setting($key) && $depth > 1 && !$options->{'parental-inheritance'};
 
         # delete key if value empty
         if (!defined $value || $value eq '') {
@@ -54,10 +54,7 @@ sub clone_job_apply_settings ($argv, $depth, $settings, $options) {
         }
 
         # allow appending via `+=`
-        if (substr($key, -1) eq '+') {
-            $key = substr $key, 0, -1;
-            $value = ($settings->{$key} // '') . $value;
-        }
+        $value = ($settings->{$key} // '') . $value if $plus;
 
         # assign value to key, delete overrides
         $settings->{$key} = $value;
diff --git a/script/openqa-clone-job b/script/openqa-clone-job
index 9cb149c7e3d..f11ae47b5f9 100755
--- a/script/openqa-clone-job
+++ b/script/openqa-clone-job
@@ -68,8 +68,14 @@ this:
 Any parent jobs (chained or parallel) are also cloned unless C<--skip-deps> or
 C<--skip-chained-deps> is specified. If C<--skip-chained-deps> is specified
 published assets generated by parent jobs are downloaded to be directly used
-instead of generated. Keep in mind that by default any additionally specified
-job settings are NOT added to the also cloned parent jobs.
+instead of generated.
+
+Keep in mind that by default any additionally specified job settings are NOT
+added to the also cloned parent jobs. Specify C<--parental-inheritance> if this
+is wanted. It is also possible to specify the job a setting should be added to
+explicitly, e.g. C<WORKER_CLASS:create_hpc=special-worker>. In this example the
+setting "WORKER_CLASS" will only be set to the specified value for jobs where
+the setting "TEST" equals "create_hpc".
 
 Note that the child job is the one which has the "START_AFTER_TEST" or
 "PARALLEL_WITH" setting and the parent job is the one mentioned by that setting.
diff --git a/t/35-script_clone_job.t b/t/35-script_clone_job.t
index a6326a4cc1a..9f552fba3dd 100644
--- a/t/35-script_clone_job.t
+++ b/t/35-script_clone_job.t
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
 
 use Test::Most;
-use Test::Warnings ':report_warnings';
+use Test::Warnings qw(:report_warnings warning);
 
 use FindBin;
 use lib "$FindBin::Bin/lib", "$FindBin::Bin/../external/os-autoinst-common/lib";
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ use Mojo::Transaction;
     }
 }
 
-my @argv = qw(WORKER_CLASS=local HDD_1=new.qcow2 HDDSIZEGB=40);
+my @argv = qw(WORKER_CLASS=local HDD_1=new.qcow2 HDDSIZEGB=40 WORKER_CLASS:create_hpc+=-parent);
 my %options = ('parental-inheritance' => '');
 my %child_settings = (
     NAME => '00000810-sle-15-Installer-DVD-x86_64-Build665.2-hpc_test@64bit',
@@ -68,10 +68,13 @@ subtest 'clone job apply settings tests' => sub {
     is_deeply(\%child_settings, \%test_settings, 'cloned child job with correct global setting and new settings');
 
     %test_settings = %parent_settings;
-    $test_settings{WORKER_CLASS} = 'local';
+    $test_settings{WORKER_CLASS} = 'local-parent';
     delete $test_settings{NAME};
     clone_job_apply_settings(\@argv, 2, \%parent_settings, \%options);
     is_deeply(\%parent_settings, \%test_settings, 'cloned parent job only take global setting');
+
+    like warning { clone_job_apply_settings(['foo'], 1, \%child_settings, \%options) },
+      qr/no valid setting/, 'warning when argument is no valid setting';
 };
 
 subtest '_GROUP and _GROUP_ID override each other' => sub {