diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index d70f12efbc..0e10cecd39 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ variables:
   # target test repo parameters
   TEST_ENV_CONFIG_REPO: "https://gitlab-ci-token:${BOT_TOKEN}@${CI_SERVER_HOST}:${CI_SERVER_PORT}/qa/ci-test-runner-configs.git"
 
+  IDF_CI_BUILD: 1
+
 .setup_tools_unless_target_test: &setup_tools_unless_target_test |
   if [[ -n "$IDF_DONT_USE_MIRRORS" ]]; then
   export IDF_MIRROR_PREFIX_MAP=
diff --git a/Kconfig b/Kconfig
index 928d274106..d584399954 100644
--- a/Kconfig
+++ b/Kconfig
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ mainmenu "Espressif IoT Development Framework Configuration"
         bool
         option env="IDF_ENV_FPGA"
 
+    config IDF_CI_BUILD
+        bool
+        default y if "$(IDF_CI_BUILD)" = "y" || "$(IDF_CI_BUILD)" = 1
+
     config IDF_TARGET_ARCH_RISCV
         bool
         default "n"
diff --git a/components/esp_common/include/esp_attr.h b/components/esp_common/include/esp_attr.h
index d65b9dae9d..319415e41f 100644
--- a/components/esp_common/include/esp_attr.h
+++ b/components/esp_common/include/esp_attr.h
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ FORCE_INLINE_ATTR TYPE& operator<<=(TYPE& a, int b) { a = a << b; return a; }
 /* Use IDF_DEPRECATED attribute to mark anything deprecated from use in
    ESP-IDF's own source code, but not deprecated for external users.
 */
-#ifdef IDF_CI_BUILD
+#ifdef CONFIG_IDF_CI_BUILD
 #define IDF_DEPRECATED(REASON) __attribute__((deprecated(REASON)))
 #else
 #define IDF_DEPRECATED(REASON)
diff --git a/components/esp_hw_support/test/test_rtc_clk.c b/components/esp_hw_support/test/test_rtc_clk.c
index 10fa7cc114..a04d90e3dc 100644
--- a/components/esp_hw_support/test/test_rtc_clk.c
+++ b/components/esp_hw_support/test/test_rtc_clk.c
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ TEST_CASE("Test fast switching between PLL and XTAL", "[rtc_clk]")
 
 /* In CI environments, the 32kXTAL runners don't have 8MB psram for bank switching.
    So can only test one config or the other. */
-#if !IDF_CI_BUILD || !CONFIG_SPIRAM_BANKSWITCH_ENABLE
+#if !defined(CONFIG_IDF_CI_BUILD) || !CONFIG_SPIRAM_BANKSWITCH_ENABLE
 
 #define COUNT_TEST      3
 #define TIMEOUT_TEST_MS (5 + CONFIG_ESP32_RTC_CLK_CAL_CYCLES / 16)
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ TEST_CASE("Test starting 'External 32kHz XTAL' on the board without it.", "[rtc_
     start_freq(RTC_SLOW_FREQ_RTC, 0);
 }
 
-#endif // !IDF_CI_BUILD || !CONFIG_SPIRAM_BANKSWITCH_ENABLE
+#endif // !defined(CONFIG_IDF_CI_BUILD) || !CONFIG_SPIRAM_BANKSWITCH_ENABLE
 
 #endif // !TEMPORARY_DISABLED_FOR_TARGETS(ESP32S2, ESP32S3, ESP32C3)
 
diff --git a/tools/ci/configure_ci_environment.sh b/tools/ci/configure_ci_environment.sh
index d3617bd057..1a6c1920b2 100644
--- a/tools/ci/configure_ci_environment.sh
+++ b/tools/ci/configure_ci_environment.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ DEBUG_SHELL=${DEBUG_SHELL:-"0"}
 # Compiler flags to thoroughly check the IDF code in some CI jobs
 # (Depends on default options '-Wno-error=XXX' used in the IDF build system)
 
-PEDANTIC_FLAGS="-DIDF_CI_BUILD -Werror -Werror=deprecated-declarations -Werror=unused-variable -Werror=unused-but-set-variable -Werror=unused-function"
+PEDANTIC_FLAGS="-Werror -Werror=deprecated-declarations -Werror=unused-variable -Werror=unused-but-set-variable -Werror=unused-function"
 export PEDANTIC_CFLAGS="${PEDANTIC_FLAGS} -Wstrict-prototypes"
 export PEDANTIC_CXXFLAGS="${PEDANTIC_FLAGS}"