diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 3fa3ba16d1..35936c37d8 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -117,10 +117,11 @@ release-build:
     EXTRA_MESON_FLAGS: "--buildtype=release"
   script:
     - .gitlab-ci/show-info-linux.sh
-    - export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
+    - mkdir _install
+    - export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/_install/bin:$PATH"
+    - .gitlab-ci/install-meson-project.sh --prefix ${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/_install https://gitlab.gnome.org/jadahl/catch.git main
     - meson subprojects download
     - meson subprojects update --reset
-    - mkdir _install
     - meson setup
             --prefix=${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/_install
             ${COMMON_MESON_FLAGS}
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/install-meson-project.sh b/.gitlab-ci/install-meson-project.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..67e55b75c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/install-meson-project.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<-EOF
+	Usage: $(basename $0) [OPTION…] REPO_URL COMMIT
+
+	Check out and install a meson project
+
+	Options:
+	  -Dkey=val      Option to pass on to meson
+	  --prefix       Prefix to install to
+	  --subdir       Build subdirectory instead of whole project
+	  --prepare      Script to run before build
+
+	  -h, --help     Display this help
+
+	EOF
+}
+
+TEMP=$(getopt \
+  --name=$(basename $0) \
+  --options='D:h' \
+  --longoptions='prefix:' \
+  --longoptions='subdir:' \
+  --longoptions='prepare:' \
+  --longoptions='help' \
+  -- "$@")
+
+eval set -- "$TEMP"
+unset TEMP
+
+MESON_OPTIONS=()
+PREFIX=/usr
+SUBDIR=.
+PREPARE=:
+
+while true; do
+  case "$1" in
+    -D)
+      MESON_OPTIONS+=( -D$2 )
+      shift 2
+    ;;
+
+    --prefix)
+      PREFIX=$2
+      shift 2
+    ;;
+
+    --subdir)
+      SUBDIR=$2
+      shift 2
+    ;;
+
+    --prepare)
+      PREPARE=$2
+      shift 2
+    ;;
+
+    -h|--help)
+      usage
+      exit 0
+    ;;
+
+    --)
+      shift
+      break
+    ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+if [[ $# -lt 2 ]]; then
+  usage
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+REPO_URL="$1"
+COMMIT="$2"
+
+CHECKOUT_DIR=$(mktemp --directory)
+trap "rm -rf $CHECKOUT_DIR" EXIT
+
+git clone --depth 1 "$REPO_URL" -b "$COMMIT" "$CHECKOUT_DIR"
+
+pushd "$CHECKOUT_DIR/$SUBDIR"
+sh -c "$PREPARE"
+meson setup --prefix "$PREFIX" _build "${MESON_OPTIONS[@]}"
+meson compile -C _build
+meson install -C _build
+popd
diff --git a/testsuite/meson.build b/testsuite/meson.build
index 7c671c4c08..490a04eb4f 100644
--- a/testsuite/meson.build
+++ b/testsuite/meson.build
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ gtk_libexecdir = join_paths(gtk_prefix, get_option('libexecdir'))
 installed_test_bindir = join_paths(gtk_libexecdir, 'installed-tests', 'gtk-4.0')
 installed_test_datadir = join_paths(gtk_datadir, 'installed-tests', 'gtk-4.0')
 
+test_wrappers = []
+catch = find_program('catch', required: false)
+if catch.found()
+  test_wrappers += [ catch ]
+endif
+
 common_env = [
   'GIO_USE_VOLUME_MONITOR=unix',
   'GIO_USE_VFS=local',
@@ -56,12 +62,14 @@ foreach setup : setups
       env: env + ['TEST_OUTPUT_SUBDIR=@0@'.format(name)],
       exclude_suites: exclude_unstable + exclude,
       is_default: setup.get('is_default', false),
+      exe_wrapper: test_wrappers,
     )
 
     add_test_setup(
       '@0@_unstable'.format(name),
       env: env + ['TEST_OUTPUT_SUBDIR=@0@_unstable'.format(name)],
       exclude_suites: exclude,
+      exe_wrapper: test_wrappers,
     )
   endif
 endforeach