diff --git a/ci/test/00_setup_env.sh b/ci/test/00_setup_env.sh
index 887083de1..dae61c5e3 100755
--- a/ci/test/00_setup_env.sh
+++ b/ci/test/00_setup_env.sh
@@ -59,4 +59,4 @@ export DOCKER_PACKAGES=${DOCKER_PACKAGES:-build-essential libtool autotools-dev
 export GOAL=${GOAL:-install}
 export DIR_QA_ASSETS=${DIR_QA_ASSETS:-${BASE_SCRATCH_DIR}/qa-assets}
 export PATH=${BASE_ROOT_DIR}/ci/retry:$PATH
-export CI_RETRY_EXE=${CI_RETRY_EXE:retry}
+export CI_RETRY_EXE=${CI_RETRY_EXE:-"retry --"}
diff --git a/ci/test/04_install.sh b/ci/test/04_install.sh
index b428a2e5b..5dbf1b82f 100755
--- a/ci/test/04_install.sh
+++ b/ci/test/04_install.sh
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ else
     bash -c "export PATH=$BASE_SCRATCH_DIR/bins/:\$PATH && cd $P_CI_DIR && $*"
   }
 fi
+export -f DOCKER_EXEC
 
 if [ -n "$DPKG_ADD_ARCH" ]; then
   DOCKER_EXEC dpkg --add-architecture "$DPKG_ADD_ARCH"