diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 83e38ea19f3d..b0e5417146bf 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ include:
     - make -j"$JOBS"
     - if test -n "$MAKE_CHECK_ARGS";
       then
-        make $MAKE_CHECK_ARGS ;
+        make -j"$JOBS" $MAKE_CHECK_ARGS ;
       fi
 
 .native_test_job_template: &native_test_job_definition
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ build-system-ubuntu-main:
     TARGETS: aarch64-softmmu alpha-softmmu cris-softmmu hppa-softmmu lm32-softmmu
       moxie-softmmu microblazeel-softmmu mips64el-softmmu m68k-softmmu ppc-softmmu
       riscv64-softmmu sparc-softmmu
+    MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check-build
   artifacts:
     paths:
       - build
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ build-system-fedora-alt:
     TARGETS: tricore-softmmu unicore32-softmmu microblaze-softmmu mips-softmmu
       riscv32-softmmu s390x-softmmu sh4-softmmu sparc64-softmmu x86_64-softmmu
       xtensa-softmmu nios2-softmmu or1k-softmmu
+    MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check-build
   artifacts:
     paths:
       - build
@@ -124,6 +126,7 @@ build-system-fedora-disabled:
       --disable-qom-cast-debug --disable-spice --disable-vhost-vsock
       --disable-vhost-net --disable-vhost-crypto --disable-vhost-user
     TARGETS: i386-softmmu ppc64-softmmu mips64-softmmu i386-linux-user
+    MAKE_CHECK_ARGS: check-build
   artifacts:
     paths:
       - build
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.include b/tests/Makefile.include
index c316e0d66475..94b1cc8302ed 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/Makefile.include
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ endif
 	@echo " $(MAKE) check-venv           Creates a Python venv for tests"
 	@echo " $(MAKE) check-clean          Clean the tests and related data"
 	@echo
+	@echo "The following are useful for CI builds"
+	@echo " $(MAKE) check-build          Build most test binaris"
 	@echo " $(MAKE) get-vm-images        Downloads all images used by acceptance tests, according to configured targets (~350 MB each, 1.5 GB max)"
 	@echo
 	@echo
@@ -649,6 +651,10 @@ $(patsubst %, check-qtest-%, $(QTEST_TARGETS)): check-qtest-%: %-softmmu/all $(c
 	  QTEST_QEMU_BINARY=$*-softmmu/qemu-system-$* \
 	  QTEST_QEMU_IMG=qemu-img$(EXESUF))
 
+build-qtest: $(patsubst %, %-softmmu/all, $(QTEST_TARGETS)) $(check-qtest-y)
+
+build-unit: $(check-unit-y)
+
 check-unit: $(check-unit-y)
 	$(call do_test_human, $^)
 
@@ -680,7 +686,6 @@ check-report.tap: $(patsubst %,check-report-qtest-%.tap, $(QTEST_TARGETS)) check
 FP_TEST_BIN=$(BUILD_DIR)/tests/fp/fp-test
 
 # the build dir is created by configure
-.PHONY: $(FP_TEST_BIN)
 $(FP_TEST_BIN): config-host.h $(test-util-obj-y)
 	$(call quiet-command, \
 	 	$(MAKE) $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS) -C $(dir $@) V="$(V)" $(notdir $@), \
@@ -814,9 +819,10 @@ check-softfloat-ops: $(SF_MATH_RULES)
 
 .PHONY: check-softfloat
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_TCG),y)
-check-softfloat: check-softfloat-conv check-softfloat-compare check-softfloat-ops
+build-softfloat: $(FP_TEST_BIN)
+check-softfloat: build-softfloat check-softfloat-conv check-softfloat-compare check-softfloat-ops
 else
-check-softfloat:
+build-softfloat check-softfloat:
 	$(call quiet-command, /bin/true, "FLOAT TEST", \
 		"SKIPPED for non-TCG builds")
 endif
@@ -955,7 +961,8 @@ check-qtest: $(patsubst %,check-qtest-%, $(QTEST_TARGETS))
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_TOOLS),y)
 check-block: $(patsubst %,check-%, $(check-block-y))
 endif
-check: check-block check-qapi-schema check-unit check-softfloat check-qtest check-decodetree
+check-build: build-unit build-softfloat build-qtest
+
 check-clean:
 	rm -rf $(check-unit-y) tests/*.o tests/*/*.o $(QEMU_IOTESTS_HELPERS-y)
 	rm -rf $(sort $(foreach target,$(SYSEMU_TARGET_LIST), $(check-qtest-$(target)-y:%=tests/qtest/%$(EXESUF))) $(check-qtest-generic-y:%=tests/qtest/%$(EXESUF)))
@@ -963,6 +970,8 @@ check-clean:
 	rm -f tests/qtest/dbus-vmstate1-gen-timestamp
 	rm -rf $(TESTS_VENV_DIR) $(TESTS_RESULTS_DIR)
 
+check: check-block check-qapi-schema check-unit check-softfloat check-qtest check-decodetree
+
 clean: check-clean
 
 # Build the help program automatically
