diff --git a/ci/test/02_run_container.py b/ci/test/02_run_container.py
index f1bb85c3240..4d0bed2ad41 100755
--- a/ci/test/02_run_container.py
+++ b/ci/test/02_run_container.py
@@ -145,6 +145,15 @@ def main():
         ).stdout.strip()
         os.environ["CI_CONTAINER_ID"] = container_id
 
+    # GNU getopt is required for the CI_RETRY_EXE script
+    if os.getenv("CI_OS_NAME") == "macos":
+        prefix = run(
+            ["brew", "--prefix", "gnu-getopt"],
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            text=True,
+        ).stdout.strip()
+        os.environ["IN_GETOPT_BIN"] = f"{prefix}/bin/getopt"
+
     run(["./ci/test/02_run_container.sh"])  # run the remainder
 
 
diff --git a/ci/test/02_run_container.sh b/ci/test/02_run_container.sh
index beb9f139822..251b01c0eb9 100755
--- a/ci/test/02_run_container.sh
+++ b/ci/test/02_run_container.sh
@@ -17,11 +17,6 @@ else
   mkdir -p "${PREVIOUS_RELEASES_DIR}"
 fi
 
-if [ "$CI_OS_NAME" == "macos" ]; then
-  IN_GETOPT_BIN="$(brew --prefix gnu-getopt)/bin/getopt"
-  export IN_GETOPT_BIN
-fi
-
 CI_EXEC () {
   $CI_EXEC_CMD_PREFIX bash -c "export PATH=\"/path_with space:${BINS_SCRATCH_DIR}:${BASE_ROOT_DIR}/ci/retry:\$PATH\" && cd \"${BASE_ROOT_DIR}\" && $*"
 }