diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 7e436b234..d1b584a57 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -76,9 +76,7 @@ debian-bullseye:
 meson:
     extends: .common-build-and-test
     script:
-        - meson -Dc_args="-fno-common" -Dprefix=/usr -Dxephyr=true -Dwerror=true $MESON_EXTRA_OPTIONS build/
-        - ninja -j${FDO_CI_CONCURRENT:-4} -C build/ dist
-        - PIGLIT_DIR=/root/piglit XTEST_DIR=/root/xts ninja -j${FDO_CI_CONCURRENT:-4} -C build/ test
+        - .gitlab-ci/build-and-test.sh
         - .gitlab-ci/manpages-check
 
 meson-noglamor:
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/build-and-test.sh b/.gitlab-ci/build-and-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..5caf3b129
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/build-and-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+set -o xtrace
+
+meson -Dc_args="-fno-common" -Dprefix=/usr -Dxephyr=true -Dwerror=true $MESON_EXTRA_OPTIONS build/
+
+ninja -j${FDO_CI_CONCURRENT:-4} -C build/ dist
+
+export PIGLIT_DIR=/root/piglit XTEST_DIR=/root/xts
+ninja -j${FDO_CI_CONCURRENT:-4} -C build/ test