diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 8e938da6d..c72a6a831 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -109,12 +109,15 @@ build_template_app:
       - $BOT_LABEL_BUILD
       - $BOT_LABEL_REGULAR_TEST
   script:
-    - git clone https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf-template.git
+    # Set the variable for 'esp-idf-template' testing
+    - ESP_IDF_TEMPLATE_GIT=${ESP_IDF_TEMPLATE_GIT:-"https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf-template.git"}
+    - git clone ${ESP_IDF_TEMPLATE_GIT}
     - cd esp-idf-template
     # Try to use the same branch name for esp-idf-template that we're
     # using on esp-idf. If it doesn't exist then just stick to the default
     # branch
     - python $CHECKOUT_REF_SCRIPT esp-idf-template
+    - make defconfig
     # Test debug build (default)
     - make all V=1
     # Now test release build
diff --git a/tools/ci/test_build_system_cmake.sh b/tools/ci/test_build_system_cmake.sh
index bb57375d1..c5e02fc4d 100755
--- a/tools/ci/test_build_system_cmake.sh
+++ b/tools/ci/test_build_system_cmake.sh
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ function run_tests()
     idf.py build
     take_build_snapshot
     # need to actually change config, or cmake is too smart to rebuild
-    sed -i s/CONFIG_FREERTOS_UNICORE=/CONFIG_FREERTOS_UNICORE=y/ sdkconfig
+    sed -i s/^\#\ CONFIG_FREERTOS_UNICORE\ is\ not\ set/CONFIG_FREERTOS_UNICORE=y/ sdkconfig
     idf.py build
     # check the sdkconfig.h file was rebuilt
     assert_rebuilt config/sdkconfig.h
diff --git a/tools/cmake/idf_functions.cmake b/tools/cmake/idf_functions.cmake
index 8f22ea28b..0d1c1832f 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/idf_functions.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/idf_functions.cmake
@@ -154,7 +154,10 @@ function(idf_add_executable)
         # Create a dummy file to work around CMake requirement of having a source
         # file while adding an executable
         add_executable(${exe_target} "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/dummy_main_src.c")
-        file(WRITE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/dummy_main_src.c)
+        add_custom_command(OUTPUT dummy_main_src.c
+            COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E touch dummy_main_src.c
+            WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}
+            VERBATIM)
 
         add_custom_target(dummy_main_src DEPENDS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/dummy_main_src.c)