diff --git a/easybuild/toolchains/compiler/intel_compilers.py b/easybuild/toolchains/compiler/intel_compilers.py
index 515b3920c9..50950f0552 100644
--- a/easybuild/toolchains/compiler/intel_compilers.py
+++ b/easybuild/toolchains/compiler/intel_compilers.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 """
 import os
 
+import easybuild.tools.systemtools as systemtools
 from easybuild.toolchains.compiler.inteliccifort import IntelIccIfort
 from easybuild.tools import LooseVersion
 from easybuild.tools.toolchain.compiler import Compiler
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ class IntelCompilers(IntelIccIfort):
     COMPILER_MODULE_NAME = ['intel-compilers']
     COMPILER_UNIQUE_OPTS = dict(IntelIccIfort.COMPILER_UNIQUE_OPTS)
     COMPILER_UNIQUE_OPTS.update({
-        'oneapi': (False, "Use oneAPI compilers icx/icpx/ifx instead of classic compilers"),
+        'oneapi': (None, "Use oneAPI compilers icx/icpx/ifx instead of classic compilers"),
         'oneapi_c_cxx': (None, "Use oneAPI C/C++ compilers icx/icpx instead of classic Intel C/C++ compilers "
                                "(auto-enabled for Intel compilers version 2022.2.0, or newer)"),
         'oneapi_fortran': (False, "Use oneAPI Fortran compiler ifx instead of classic Intel Fortran compiler"),
@@ -75,7 +76,8 @@ def set_variables(self):
             if self.options.get('oneapi_c_cxx', None) is None:
                 self.options['oneapi_c_cxx'] = True
 
-        if self.options.get('oneapi', False):
+        oneapi_tcopt = self.options.get('oneapi')
+        if oneapi_tcopt:
             oneapi = True
             self.COMPILER_CXX = 'icpx'
             self.COMPILER_CC = 'icx'
@@ -84,7 +86,7 @@ def set_variables(self):
             self.COMPILER_FC = 'ifx'
 
         # if both 'oneapi' and 'oneapi_*' are set, the latter are ignored
-        else:
+        elif oneapi_tcopt is None:
             if self.options.get('oneapi_c_cxx', False):
                 oneapi = True
                 self.COMPILER_CC = 'icx'
@@ -108,5 +110,12 @@ def set_variables(self):
             # recommended in porting guide
             self.options.options_map['openmp'] = ['fiopenmp']
 
+            # -xSSE2 is not supported by Intel oneAPI compilers,
+            # so use -march=x86-64 -mtune=generic when using optarch=GENERIC
+            self.COMPILER_GENERIC_OPTION = {
+                (systemtools.X86_64, systemtools.AMD): 'march=x86-64 -mtune=generic',
+                (systemtools.X86_64, systemtools.INTEL): 'march=x86-64 -mtune=generic',
+            }
+
         # skip IntelIccIfort.set_variables (no longer relevant for recent versions)
         Compiler.set_variables(self)
diff --git a/test/framework/toolchain.py b/test/framework/toolchain.py
index e61692c06e..a26ff0c86f 100644
--- a/test/framework/toolchain.py
+++ b/test/framework/toolchain.py
@@ -702,29 +702,49 @@ def test_override_optarch(self):
 
     def test_optarch_generic(self):
         """Test whether --optarch=GENERIC works as intended."""
+
+        intel_generic_flags_classic = "-xSSE2 -ftz -fp-speculation=safe -fp-model source"
+        intel_generic_flags_oneapi_old = "-march=x86-64 -mtune=generic -fp-speculation=safe -fp-model precise"
+        intel_generic_flags_oneapi_new = "-march=x86-64 -mtune=generic -ftz -fp-speculation=safe -fp-model precise"
+
         for generic in [False, True]:
             if generic:
                 init_config(build_options={'optarch': 'GENERIC', 'silent': True})
             flag_vars = ['CFLAGS', 'CXXFLAGS', 'FCFLAGS', 'FFLAGS', 'F90FLAGS']
             tcs = {
-                'gompi': ('2018a', "-march=x86-64 -mtune=generic"),
-                'iccifort': ('2018.1.163', "-xSSE2 -ftz -fp-speculation=safe -fp-model source"),
-                'intel-compilers': ('2021.4.0', "-xSSE2 -fp-speculation=safe -fp-model precise"),
+                'gompi': ('2018a', "-march=x86-64 -mtune=generic", {}),
+                'iccifort': ('2018.1.163', "-xSSE2 -ftz -fp-speculation=safe -fp-model source", {}),
+                # check generic compiler flags for old versions of intel-compilers with/without opting in to oneapi
+                'intel-compilers@old-default': ('2021.4.0', intel_generic_flags_classic, {}),
+                'intel-compilers@old-oneapi-false': ('2021.4.0', intel_generic_flags_classic, {'oneapi': False}),
+                'intel-compilers@old-oneapi-true': ('2021.4.0', intel_generic_flags_oneapi_old, {'oneapi': True}),
+                # check generic compiler flags for recent versions of intel-compilers with/without opting in to oneapi
+                'intel-compilers@new-default': ('2022.2.0', intel_generic_flags_oneapi_new, {}),
+                'intel-compilers@new-oneapi-true': ('2022.2.0', intel_generic_flags_oneapi_new, {'oneapi': True}),
+                'intel-compilers@new-oneapi-false': ('2022.2.0', intel_generic_flags_classic, {'oneapi': False}),
             }
             for tcopt_optarch in [False, True]:
-                for tcname in tcs:
-                    tcversion, generic_flags = tcs[tcname]
+                for key in tcs:
+                    tcname = key.split('@')[0]
+                    tcversion, generic_flags, custom_tcopts = tcs[key]
                     tc = self.get_toolchain(tcname, version=tcversion)
-                    if tcname == 'intel-compilers':
-                        tc.set_options({'optarch': tcopt_optarch, 'oneapi': True})
-                    else:
-                        tc.set_options({'optarch': tcopt_optarch})
+
+                    tcopts = {'optarch': tcopt_optarch}
+                    tcopts.update(custom_tcopts)
+                    tc.set_options(tcopts)
+
                     tc.prepare()
                     for var in flag_vars:
+                        val = tc.get_variable(var)
+                        tup = (key, tcversion, tcopts, generic_flags, val)
                         if generic:
-                            self.assertTrue(generic_flags in tc.get_variable(var))
+                            error_msg = "(%s, %s, %s) '%s' flags should be found in: '%s'"
+                            self.assertTrue(generic_flags in val, error_msg % tup)
                         else:
-                            self.assertFalse(generic_flags in tc.get_variable(var))
+                            error_msg = "(%s, %s, %s) '%s' flags should not be found in: '%s'"
+                            self.assertFalse(generic_flags in val, error_msg % tup)
+
+                    modules.modules_tool().purge()
 
     def test_optarch_aarch64_heuristic(self):
         """Test whether AArch64 pre-GCC-6 optimal architecture flag heuristic works."""