diff --git a/.gitlab-ci-env.sh b/.gitlab-ci-env.sh
index 70b677db8b75ad0679d4a89f71c26d5f648b2283..26096fece72842b28d511637398499b64a807636 100755
--- a/.gitlab-ci-env.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci-env.sh
@@ -5,11 +5,20 @@
 # these paths may depend on the runner used, please be careful and add
 # the necessary if blocks depending on the machine
 
+# too noisy
 export STARPU_SILENT=1
 
+# if simgrid change the default starpu dir to use
 if [ "$1" == "simu" ]; then
-  export STARPU_DIR=/builds/install/starpu-simgrid
+  export STARPU_DIR=$STARPUSIMGRID_DIR
 fi
 
+# for build: better to rely on pkg-config than to guess libraries with the env. var.
 export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$PARSEC_DIR/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH
 export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$STARPU_DIR/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH
+
+# for ctest: we need this at runtime
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$PARSEC_DIR/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$QUARK_DIR/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$STARPU_DIR/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$SIMGRID_DIR/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH