diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 7ad07e60d491d315ad614e51fbf06258baaa03c0..a99d74e5e8a22a0166fcaa71cdd718ad0c560420 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -249,3 +249,51 @@ buildnode-stuff:
       - ${YASHCHIKI_HOME}/log
       - spack-build-outs.tar.gz
   timeout: 5 days
+
+test-oci-buildcache:
+  when: manual
+  dependencies:
+    - buildenv
+  stage: frontend
+  tags:
+    - esd_image
+  image: $GITLAB_BUILD_ENV_DOCKER_IMAGE
+  variables:
+    SPACK_DEV_ENV: ebrains-dev
+  script:
+    - date
+    - ls -lisa
+    - . esd_spack_buildenv/share/spack/setup-env.sh
+    - spack load py-pyyaml rsync
+    - rm -rf esd_spack
+    - test -d esd_spack || git clone -b eric_testing https://gitlab.ebrains.eu/ri/tech-hub/platform/esd/spack esd_spack
+    - pushd esd_spack; git fetch origin eric_testing && git reset --hard FETCH_HEAD; popd
+    - test -d esd_spack/var/spack/repos/ebrains-spack-builds || git clone -b image_build https://gitlab.ebrains.eu/ri/tech-hub/platform/esd/ebrains-spack-builds esd_spack/var/spack/repos/ebrains-spack-builds
+    - pushd esd_spack/var/spack/repos/ebrains-spack-builds; git fetch origin image_build && git reset --hard FETCH_HEAD; popd
+    - echo "repos:" > esd_spack/etc/spack/repos.yaml
+    - echo "  - \$spack/var/spack/repos/ebrains-spack-builds" >> esd_spack/etc/spack/repos.yaml
+    - esd_spack/bin/spack repo list
+    - esd_spack/bin/spack repo list --scope=site
+    - echo "mirrors:" > esd_spack/etc/spack/mirrors.yaml
+    - echo "  ebrains_harbor:" >> esd_spack/etc/spack/mirrors.yaml
+    - echo "    url:" "oci://docker-registry.ebrains.eu/brainscales/esd_buildcache_spackformat" >> esd_spack/etc/spack/mirrors.yaml
+    - . esd_spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh
+    - spack mirror list
+    - spack mirror list --scope=site
+    - spack buildcache list
+    - spack env create default
+    - rsync -a ${SPACK_ENVIRONMENT_REPO}/. esd_spack/var/spack/environments/default
+    - spack-python ${SPACK_ENVIRONMENT_REPO}/site-config/ymerge.py esd_spack/var/spack/environments/default/spack.yaml ${SPACK_ENVIRONMENT_REPO}/site-config/${SYSTEMNAME}/spack.yaml > /tmp/spack.yaml
+    - mv /tmp/spack.yaml esd_spack/var/spack/environments/default
+    - date
+    - spack -e default --test=root --fresh concretize
+    - date
+    - spack -e default spec
+    - date
+    - spack -e default install --use-buildcache=only
+    - date
+  cache:
+    - key: buildenv-$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG
+      policy: pull
+      paths:
+        - esd_spack_buildenv/