diff --git a/.github/workflows/testing.yml b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
index 20afd1fd1a720..a0e63053fb4e4 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_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_BUILD_CI:BOOL=ON -DTI_WITH_BACKTRACE:BOOL=ON
 
   build_and_test_cpu_mac:
     name: Build and Test macos (CPU)
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ 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.
@@ -214,6 +215,7 @@ 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
@@ -302,6 +304,7 @@ 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
@@ -370,6 +373,7 @@ 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
 
@@ -431,6 +435,7 @@ 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 1a220b8570364..360bf50dc0ff5 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ 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 4c60bcf8b0bf6..97faebef0ed10 100644
--- a/c_api/src/taichi_core_impl.cpp
+++ b/c_api/src/taichi_core_impl.cpp
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ TiRuntime ti_create_runtime(TiArch arch) {
   switch (arch) {
 #ifdef TI_WITH_VULKAN
     case TI_ARCH_VULKAN: {
-#ifdef TI_BUILD_TESTS
+#ifdef TI_BUILD_CI
       auto param = make_vulkan_runtime_creator_params();
       param.enable_validation_layer = true;
       auto vulkan_runtime = new VulkanRuntimeOwned(std::move(param));
diff --git a/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake b/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake
index d65ebcdf46330..3aaea31358214 100644
--- a/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake
+++ b/cmake/TaichiCore.cmake
@@ -93,14 +93,14 @@ file(GLOB TAICHI_CORE_SOURCE
     "taichi/rhi/*.h" "taichi/rhi/*.cpp"
 )
 
-if(TI_BUILD_TESTS)
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DTI_BUILD_TESTS")
-endif()
-
 if(TI_WITH_LLVM)
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${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/rhi/vulkan/vulkan_device_creator.cpp b/taichi/rhi/vulkan/vulkan_device_creator.cpp
index 960d1236bd18e..02181fdb4753c 100644
--- a/taichi/rhi/vulkan/vulkan_device_creator.cpp
+++ b/taichi/rhi/vulkan/vulkan_device_creator.cpp
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ 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_TESTS
+#ifdef TI_BUILD_CI
     auto msg_name = std::string(p_callback_data->pMessageIdName);
     if (!vk_ignore_validation_warning(msg_name))
       TI_ERROR(msg_buf);