diff --git a/.github/workflows/testing.yml b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
index a0e63053fb4e4..20afd1fd1a720 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/testing.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ jobs:
           docker exec --user dev check_clang_tidy /home/dev/taichi/.github/workflows/scripts/check_clang_tidy.sh "$CI_SETUP_CMAKE_ARGS"
         env:
           CR_PAT: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-          CI_SETUP_CMAKE_ARGS: -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON -DTI_WITH_OPENGL:BOOL=ON -DTI_WITH_CC:BOOL=ON -DTI_WITH_VULKAN:BOOL=ON -DTI_BUILD_TESTS:BOOL=ON -DTI_BUILD_CI:BOOL=ON -DTI_WITH_BACKTRACE:BOOL=ON
+          CI_SETUP_CMAKE_ARGS: -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON -DTI_WITH_OPENGL:BOOL=ON -DTI_WITH_CC:BOOL=ON -DTI_WITH_VULKAN:BOOL=ON -DTI_BUILD_TESTS:BOOL=ON -DTI_WITH_BACKTRACE:BOOL=ON
 
   build_and_test_cpu_mac:
     name: Build and Test macos (CPU)
@@ -149,7 +149,6 @@ jobs:
             -DTI_WITH_VULKAN:BOOL=ON
             -DTI_WITH_C_API=ON
             -DTI_WITH_BACKTRACE:BOOL=ON
-            -DTI_BUILD_CI:BOOL=ON
             -DTI_BUILD_TESTS:BOOL=${{ matrix.with_cpp_tests }}
 
       # [DEBUG] Copy this step around to enable debugging inside Github Action instances.
@@ -215,7 +214,6 @@ jobs:
             -DTI_WITH_VULKAN:BOOL=ON
             -DTI_WITH_BACKTRACE:BOOL=ON
             -DTI_BUILD_TESTS:BOOL=ON
-            -DTI_BUILD_CI:BOOL=ON
             -DTI_WITH_C_API=ON
 
       - name: Check C-API Export Symbols
@@ -304,7 +302,6 @@ jobs:
             -DTI_WITH_VULKAN:BOOL=OFF
             -DTI_WITH_OPENGL:BOOL=OFF
             -DTI_BUILD_TESTS:BOOL=ON
-            -DTI_BUILD_CI:BOOL=ON
 
       - name: Test
         id: test
@@ -373,7 +370,6 @@ jobs:
             -DTI_WITH_DX12:BOOL=ON
             -DTI_WITH_CC:BOOL=OFF
             -DTI_BUILD_TESTS:BOOL=ON
-            -DTI_BUILD_CI:BOOL=ON
             -DTI_WITH_BACKTRACE=ON
             -DTI_WITH_C_API=ON
 
@@ -435,7 +431,6 @@ jobs:
             -DTI_WITH_CC:BOOL=OFF
             -DTI_WITH_VULKAN:BOOL=ON
             -DTI_BUILD_TESTS:BOOL=ON
-            -DTI_BUILD_CI:BOOL=ON
             -DTI_WITH_BACKTRACE:BOOL=ON
             -DTI_WITH_C_API=ON
 
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 360bf50dc0ff5..1a220b8570364 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
 
 option(USE_LLD "Use lld (from llvm) linker" OFF)
 option(USE_MOLD "Use mold (A Modern Linker)" OFF)
-option(TI_BUILD_CI "(Internal Use) Enable certain validations and possible debuggers for Taichi CI system" OFF)
 option(TI_WITH_BACKTRACE "Use backward-cpp to print out C++ stack trace upon failure" OFF)
 
 if(LINUX OR APPLE)
diff --git a/c_api/src/taichi_core_impl.cpp b/c_api/src/taichi_core_impl.cpp
index 97faebef0ed10..920172ea59202 100644
--- a/c_api/src/taichi_core_impl.cpp
+++ b/c_api/src/taichi_core_impl.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "taichi/program/ndarray.h"
 #include "taichi/program/texture.h"
 #include "taichi/common/virtual_dir.h"
+#include "taichi/common/utils.h"
 
 bool is_vulkan_available() {
 #ifdef TI_WITH_VULKAN
@@ -225,14 +226,14 @@ TiRuntime ti_create_runtime(TiArch arch) {
   switch (arch) {
 #ifdef TI_WITH_VULKAN
     case TI_ARCH_VULKAN: {
-#ifdef TI_BUILD_CI
-      auto param = make_vulkan_runtime_creator_params();
-      param.enable_validation_layer = true;
-      auto vulkan_runtime = new VulkanRuntimeOwned(std::move(param));
-#else
-      auto vulkan_runtime = new VulkanRuntimeOwned;
-#endif
-
+      VulkanRuntimeOwned *vulkan_runtime;
+      if (is_ci()) {
+        auto param = make_vulkan_runtime_creator_params();
+        param.enable_validation_layer = true;
+        vulkan_runtime = new VulkanRuntimeOwned(std::move(param));
+      } else {
+        vulkan_runtime = new VulkanRuntimeOwned;
+      }
       out = (TiRuntime)(static_cast<Runtime *>(vulkan_runtime));
       break;
     }
diff --git a/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake b/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake
index 3aaea31358214..241d8df91922a 100644
--- a/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake
+++ b/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake
@@ -97,10 +97,6 @@ if(TI_WITH_LLVM)
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DTI_WITH_LLVM")
 endif()
 
-if(TI_BUILD_CI)
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DTI_BUILD_CI")
-endif()
-
 ## This version var is only used to locate slim_libdevice.10.bc
 if(NOT CUDA_VERSION)
     set(CUDA_VERSION 10.0)
diff --git a/taichi/common/utils.h b/taichi/common/utils.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..5c6cafd798981
--- /dev/null
+++ b/taichi/common/utils.h
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#include <cstdlib>
+
+inline bool is_ci() {
+  char *res = std::getenv("TI_CI");
+  if (res == nullptr)
+    return false;
+  return std::stoi(res);
+}
diff --git a/taichi/rhi/vulkan/vulkan_device_creator.cpp b/taichi/rhi/vulkan/vulkan_device_creator.cpp
index 02181fdb4753c..1d56d557883c8 100644
--- a/taichi/rhi/vulkan/vulkan_device_creator.cpp
+++ b/taichi/rhi/vulkan/vulkan_device_creator.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "taichi/rhi/vulkan/vulkan_common.h"
 #include "taichi/rhi/vulkan/vulkan_loader.h"
 #include "taichi/rhi/vulkan/vulkan_device.h"
+#include "taichi/common/utils.h"
 
 namespace taichi::lang {
 namespace vulkan {
@@ -72,13 +73,13 @@ vk_debug_callback(VkDebugUtilsMessageSeverityFlagBitsEXT message_severity,
     snprintf(msg_buf, sizeof(msg_buf), "Vulkan validation layer: %d, %s",
              message_type, p_callback_data->pMessage);
 
-#ifdef TI_BUILD_CI
-    auto msg_name = std::string(p_callback_data->pMessageIdName);
-    if (!vk_ignore_validation_warning(msg_name))
-      TI_ERROR(msg_buf);
-#else
-    RHI_LOG_ERROR(msg_buf);
-#endif
+    if (is_ci()) {
+      auto msg_name = std::string(p_callback_data->pMessageIdName);
+      if (!vk_ignore_validation_warning(msg_name))
+        TI_ERROR(msg_buf);
+    } else {
+      RHI_LOG_ERROR(msg_buf);
+    }
   }
 
   return VK_FALSE;