diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index dc41370..e268bad 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -23,18 +23,21 @@ stages:
   after_script:
     - docker logout
 
+.git_build_vars: &git_build_vars |
+  export MAKEFLAGS="-j$(getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN)"
+  export SCRATCH_DIR="$PWD/scratch"
+  export VROOT="$SCRATCH_DIR/vroot"
+  export LIBDIR="$VROOT/lib"
+  export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$LIBDIR"
+  export PATH="$VROOT/bin:$PATH"
+  export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$LIBDIR/pkgconfig"
+  export CFLAGS="-Werror"
+
 .git_build_job:
   image: $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE/ci-$NAME:latest
   stage: builds
   before_script:
-    - export MAKEFLAGS="-j$(getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN)"
-    - export SCRATCH_DIR="/tmp/scratch"
-    - export VROOT="$SCRATCH_DIR/vroot"
-    - export LIBDIR="$VROOT/lib"
-    - export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$LIBDIR"
-    - export PATH="$VROOT/bin:$PATH"
-    - export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$LIBDIR/pkgconfig"
-    - export CFLAGS="-Werror"
+    - *git_build_vars
   script:
     - pushd "$PWD"
     - mkdir -p "$SCRATCH_DIR"
@@ -140,6 +143,11 @@ centos-8-git-build:
     - centos-8-container
   variables:
     NAME: centos-8
+  artifacts:
+    expire_in: 2 days
+    paths:
+      - scratch
+      - build
 
 
 centos-7-dist-build:
@@ -219,3 +227,18 @@ ubuntu-2004-dist-build:
     - ubuntu-2004-container
   variables:
     NAME: ubuntu-2004
+
+api-coverage:
+  image: $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE/ci-centos-8:latest
+  stage: sanity_checks
+  needs:
+    - job: centos-8-git-build
+      artifacts: true
+  before_script:
+    - *git_build_vars
+  script:
+    - LIBVIRT_API_COVERAGE=1 $PYTHON setup.py test
+  rules:
+    - if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "push"'
+      allow_failure: true
+    - if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule"'
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index af81968..6d0bd43 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -313,7 +313,9 @@ class my_test(Command):
             os.environ["PYTHONPATH"] = self.build_platlib + ":" + os.environ["PYTHONPATH"]
         else:
             os.environ["PYTHONPATH"] = self.build_platlib
-        self.spawn([sys.executable, "sanitytest.py", self.build_platlib, apis[0]])
+
+        if "LIBVIRT_API_COVERAGE" in os.environ:
+            self.spawn([sys.executable, "sanitytest.py", self.build_platlib, apis[0]])
         pytest = self.find_pytest_path()
         self.spawn([sys.executable, pytest])