diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index fb525def3b832..c381fca288209 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -12791,7 +12791,7 @@ checksum = "accd4ea62f7bb7a82fe23066fb0957d48ef677f6eeb8215f372f52e48bb32426"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "vdev"
-version = "0.3.4"
+version = "0.3.5"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "cfg-if",
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index bbe578ea375df..8631d5c2f6013 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ check-component-features: ## Check that all component features are setup properl
 
 .PHONY: check-clippy
 check-clippy: ## Check code with Clippy
-	$(VDEV) check rust
+	$(VDEV) check rust $(if $(filter-out default default-msvc,$(FEATURES)),--features "$(FEATURES)")
 
 .PHONY: check-docs
 check-docs: generate-vrl-docs ## Check that all /docs file are valid - vrl docs due to remap.functions.* references
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ ci-generate-publish-metadata: ## Generates the necessary metadata required for b
 
 .PHONY: clippy-fix
 clippy-fix:
-	$(VDEV) check rust --fix
+	$(VDEV) check rust --fix $(if $(filter-out default default-msvc,$(FEATURES)),--features "$(FEATURES)")
 
 .PHONY: fmt
 fmt:
diff --git a/vdev/Cargo.toml b/vdev/Cargo.toml
index e8b4d3b2254dc..a78a640f58e42 100644
--- a/vdev/Cargo.toml
+++ b/vdev/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "vdev"
-version = "0.3.4"
+version = "0.3.5"
 edition = "2024"
 authors = ["Vector Contributors <vector@datadoghq.com>"]
 license = "MPL-2.0"
diff --git a/vdev/src/commands/build/vector.rs b/vdev/src/commands/build/vector.rs
index d06a8206f1b48..4f00864e38ae6 100644
--- a/vdev/src/commands/build/vector.rs
+++ b/vdev/src/commands/build/vector.rs
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ pub struct Cli {
     #[arg(short, long)]
     release: bool,
 
-    /// The feature to activate (multiple allowed)
-    #[arg(short = 'F', long)]
-    feature: Vec<String>,
+    /// Features to activate (comma-separated, or set FEATURES env var)
+    #[arg(short = 'F', long, value_delimiter = ',', env = "FEATURES")]
+    features: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 impl Cli {
@@ -31,7 +31,12 @@ impl Cli {
             command.arg("--release");
         }
 
-        command.features(&self.feature);
+        let features: Vec<String> = self
+            .features
+            .into_iter()
+            .filter(|f| !f.is_empty())
+            .collect();
+        command.features(&features);
 
         let target = self.target.unwrap_or_else(platform::default_target);
         command.args(["--target", &target]);
diff --git a/vdev/src/commands/check/rust.rs b/vdev/src/commands/check/rust.rs
index 3656ff96d62c4..a8e64d6c1f273 100644
--- a/vdev/src/commands/check/rust.rs
+++ b/vdev/src/commands/check/rust.rs
@@ -13,9 +13,12 @@ pub struct Cli {
     #[arg(long, default_value_t = true)]
     clippy: bool,
 
-    #[arg(value_name = "FEATURE")]
+    #[arg(short = 'F', long, value_delimiter = ',')]
     features: Vec<String>,
 
+    #[arg(long)]
+    no_default_features: bool,
+
     #[arg(long)]
     fix: bool,
 }
@@ -36,14 +39,21 @@ impl Cli {
             Vec::default()
         };
 
-        let feature_args = if self.features.is_empty() {
-            vec!["--all-features".to_string()]
+        let features: Vec<&str> = self
+            .features
+            .iter()
+            .map(String::as_str)
+            .filter(|f| !f.is_empty())
+            .collect();
+        let feature_args = if self.no_default_features || !features.is_empty() {
+            let mut args = vec!["--no-default-features".to_string()];
+            if !features.is_empty() {
+                args.push("--features".to_string());
+                args.push(features.join(","));
+            }
+            args
         } else {
-            vec![
-                "--no-default-features".to_string(),
-                "--features".to_string(),
-                self.features.join(",").clone(),
-            ]
+            vec!["--all-features".to_string()]
         };
 
         [tool.as_ref(), "--workspace", "--all-targets"]
diff --git a/vdev/src/commands/crate_versions.rs b/vdev/src/commands/crate_versions.rs
index 9b9fa3f6fea04..10d6445a02fc7 100644
--- a/vdev/src/commands/crate_versions.rs
+++ b/vdev/src/commands/crate_versions.rs
@@ -18,19 +18,24 @@ pub struct Cli {
     #[arg(long)]
     all: bool,
 
-    /// The feature to active (multiple allowed). If none are specified, the default is used.
-    #[arg(short = 'F', long)]
-    feature: Vec<String>,
+    /// Features to activate (comma-separated, or set FEATURES env var)
+    #[arg(short = 'F', long, value_delimiter = ',', env = "FEATURES")]
+    features: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 impl Cli {
     pub fn exec(self) -> Result<()> {
         let re_crate = Regex::new(r" (\S+) v([0-9.]+)").unwrap();
         let mut versions: HashMap<String, HashSet<String>> = HashMap::default();
+        let features: Vec<String> = self
+            .features
+            .into_iter()
+            .filter(|f| !f.is_empty())
+            .collect();
 
         for line in Command::new("cargo")
             .arg("tree")
-            .features(&self.feature)
+            .features(&features)
             .check_output()?
             .lines()
         {
diff --git a/vdev/src/commands/test.rs b/vdev/src/commands/test.rs
index 72719e14d74dc..f677136370782 100644
--- a/vdev/src/commands/test.rs
+++ b/vdev/src/commands/test.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ pub struct Cli {
     /// Environment variables in the form KEY[=VALUE]
     #[arg(short, long)]
     env: Option<Vec<String>>,
+
+    /// Features to activate (comma-separated, or set FEATURES env var)
+    #[arg(short = 'F', long, value_delimiter = ',', env = "FEATURES")]
+    features: Vec<String>,
+
+    #[arg(long)]
+    no_default_features: bool,
 }
 
 fn parse_env(env: Vec<String>) -> BTreeMap<String, Option<String>> {
@@ -39,9 +46,22 @@ impl Cli {
             args.append(&mut extra_args);
         }
 
-        if !args.contains(&"--features".to_string()) {
-            let features = platform::default_features();
-            args.extend(["--features".to_string(), features.to_string()]);
+        let features: Vec<String> = self
+            .features
+            .into_iter()
+            .filter(|f| !f.is_empty())
+            .collect();
+
+        if self.no_default_features || !features.is_empty() {
+            args.push("--no-default-features".to_string());
+            if !features.is_empty() {
+                args.extend(["--features".to_string(), features.join(",")]);
+            }
+        } else if !args.contains(&"--features".to_string()) {
+            args.extend([
+                "--features".to_string(),
+                platform::default_features().to_string(),
+            ]);
         }
 
         LocalTestRunner.test(