diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index a712ec27..39d07a72 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ freebsd:11.2@container-clean:
     - echo "CI_JOB_NAME=\"$CI_JOB_NAME\"" >> sshenv
     - echo "MESON_ARGS=\"$MESON_ARGS\"" >> sshenv
     - echo "MESON_BUILDDIR=\"$MESON_BUILDDIR\"" >> sshenv
-    - echo "MESON_TEST_ARGS=\"$MESON_TEST_ARGS $SUITES\"" >> sshenv
+    - echo "MESON_TEST_ARGS=\"$MESON_TEST_ARGS\"" >> sshenv
     - echo "NINJA_ARGS=\"$NINJA_ARGS\"" >> sshenv
     - "scp sshenv vm:~/$CI_PROJECT_NAME/.meson_environment"
     - /app/vmctl exec "cd $CI_PROJECT_NAME ; .gitlab-ci/meson-build.sh" && touch .success || true
@@ -515,6 +515,7 @@ freebsd:11.2@container-clean:
   before_script:
     - if ! [[ -z $SUITE_NAMES ]]; then SUITES=$(echo $SUITE_NAMES | sed 's/\([^ ]*\)/libinput-test-suite-\1/g'); fi
     - echo "Testing $SUITES"
+    - export MESON_TEST_ARGS="$MESON_TEST_ARGS $SUITES"
   retry:
     max: 2
     when: script_failure
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/ci.template b/.gitlab-ci/ci.template
index 85402d9d..6a6c437f 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/ci.template
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/ci.template
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ freebsd:11.2@container-clean:
     - echo "CI_JOB_NAME=\"$CI_JOB_NAME\"" >> sshenv
     - echo "MESON_ARGS=\"$MESON_ARGS\"" >> sshenv
     - echo "MESON_BUILDDIR=\"$MESON_BUILDDIR\"" >> sshenv
-    - echo "MESON_TEST_ARGS=\"$MESON_TEST_ARGS $SUITES\"" >> sshenv
+    - echo "MESON_TEST_ARGS=\"$MESON_TEST_ARGS\"" >> sshenv
     - echo "NINJA_ARGS=\"$NINJA_ARGS\"" >> sshenv
     - "scp sshenv vm:~/$CI_PROJECT_NAME/.meson_environment"
     - /app/vmctl exec "cd $CI_PROJECT_NAME ; .gitlab-ci/meson-build.sh" && touch .success || true
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ freebsd:11.2@container-clean:
   before_script:
     - if ! [[ -z $SUITE_NAMES ]]; then SUITES=$(echo $SUITE_NAMES | sed 's/\([^ ]*\)/libinput-test-suite-\1/g'); fi
     - echo "Testing $SUITES"
+    - export MESON_TEST_ARGS="$MESON_TEST_ARGS $SUITES"
   retry:
     max: 2
     when: script_failure