diff --git a/barretenberg/acir_tests/Earthfile b/barretenberg/acir_tests/Earthfile
index 6bf730639d3..eff9239ae55 100644
--- a/barretenberg/acir_tests/Earthfile
+++ b/barretenberg/acir_tests/Earthfile
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ test:
   WORKDIR /usr/src/barretenberg/acir_tests
   RUN ./bootstrap.sh ci
 
+benches-bb:
+  FROM ../../+bootstrap-noir-bb
+  WORKDIR /usr/src/barretenberg/acir_tests
+  RUN ./bootstrap.sh prepare-benches
+
 bench:
   # This target is used for debugging the benchmarking target.
   # For precise benchmarks in CI use `bench-publish`
@@ -13,7 +18,7 @@ bench:
 
 export-bench-acir-bb:
   ARG EARTHLY_GIT_HASH
-  FROM +test
+  FROM +benches-bb
   SAVE IMAGE aztecprotocol/barretenberg-acir-benches:$EARTHLY_GIT_HASH
 
 bench-publish:
diff --git a/barretenberg/acir_tests/bootstrap.sh b/barretenberg/acir_tests/bootstrap.sh
index d51634cfeb8..6c56795ba72 100755
--- a/barretenberg/acir_tests/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/barretenberg/acir_tests/bootstrap.sh
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@ source $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/ci3/source_bootstrap
 cmd=${1:-}
 export CRS_PATH=$HOME/.bb-crs
 
-function build_tests {
+function prepare_tests {
   set -eu
 
-  github_group "acir_tests build"
+  github_group "acir_tests copy tests"
 
   rm -rf acir_tests
   cp -R ../../noir/noir-repo/test_programs/execution_success acir_tests
@@ -16,6 +16,16 @@ function build_tests {
   # TODO(https://github.com/AztecProtocol/barretenberg/issues/1108): problem regardless the proof system used
   rm -rf acir_tests/regression_5045
 
+  github_endgroup
+}
+
+function build_tests {
+  set -eu
+
+  github_group "acir_tests build"
+
+  prepare_tests
+
   # COMPILE=2 only compiles the test.
   denoise "parallel --joblog joblog.txt --line-buffered 'COMPILE=2 ./run_test.sh \$(basename {})' ::: ./acir_tests/*"
 
@@ -154,6 +164,9 @@ case "$cmd" in
   "test")
     test
     ;;
+  "prepare-benches")
+    prepare_tests
+    ;;
   "test-cmds")
     test_cmds
     ;;