diff --git a/.buildkite/pipelines/periodic.template.yml b/.buildkite/pipelines/periodic.template.yml
index 40bc6277379f5..a92e190be7963 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipelines/periodic.template.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipelines/periodic.template.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ steps:
   - group: bwc
     steps: $BWC_STEPS
   - label: concurrent-search-tests
-    command: .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true -Dtests.jvm.argline=-Des.concurrent_search=true -Des.concurrent_search=true check
+    command: .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true -Dtests.jvm.argline=-Des.concurrent_search=true -Des.concurrent_search=true functionalTests
     timeout_in_minutes: 420
     agents:
       provider: gcp
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ steps:
       diskSizeGb: 350
       machineType: custom-32-98304
   - label: single-processor-node-tests
-    command: .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true -Dtests.configure_test_clusters_with_one_processor=true check
+    command: .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true -Dtests.configure_test_clusters_with_one_processor=true functionalTests
     timeout_in_minutes: 420
     agents:
       provider: gcp
diff --git a/.buildkite/pipelines/periodic.yml b/.buildkite/pipelines/periodic.yml
index 07bc1de57b752..97d174b546e4f 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipelines/periodic.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipelines/periodic.yml
@@ -1123,7 +1123,7 @@ steps:
         env:
           BWC_VERSION: 8.13.0
   - label: concurrent-search-tests
-    command: .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true -Dtests.jvm.argline=-Des.concurrent_search=true -Des.concurrent_search=true check
+    command: .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true -Dtests.jvm.argline=-Des.concurrent_search=true -Des.concurrent_search=true functionalTests
     timeout_in_minutes: 420
     agents:
       provider: gcp
@@ -1218,7 +1218,7 @@ steps:
       diskSizeGb: 350
       machineType: custom-32-98304
   - label: single-processor-node-tests
-    command: .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true -Dtests.configure_test_clusters_with_one_processor=true check
+    command: .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true -Dtests.configure_test_clusters_with_one_processor=true functionalTests
     timeout_in_minutes: 420
     agents:
       provider: gcp
diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/encryption-at-rest.sh b/.buildkite/scripts/encryption-at-rest.sh
index 6aa0a3b174fe0..a003107cb00f6 100755
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/encryption-at-rest.sh
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/encryption-at-rest.sh
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ touch .output.log
 rm -Rf "$WORKSPACE"
 ln -s "$PWD" "$WORKSPACE"
 
-.ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true check
\ No newline at end of file
+.ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true functionalTests
diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/release-tests.sh b/.buildkite/scripts/release-tests.sh
index aa5c50d2e87c1..e4185c642f244 100755
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/release-tests.sh
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/release-tests.sh
@@ -20,4 +20,4 @@ curl --fail -o "${ML_IVY_REPO}/maven/org/elasticsearch/ml/ml-cpp/${ES_VERSION}/m
 curl --fail -o "${ML_IVY_REPO}/maven/org/elasticsearch/ml/ml-cpp/${ES_VERSION}/ml-cpp-${ES_VERSION}.zip" https://artifacts-snapshot.elastic.co/ml-cpp/${ES_VERSION}-SNAPSHOT/downloads/ml-cpp/ml-cpp-${ES_VERSION}-SNAPSHOT.zip
 
 .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true -Dbuild.snapshot=false -Dbuild.ml_cpp.repo=file://${ML_IVY_REPO} \
-  -Dtests.jvm.argline=-Dbuild.snapshot=false -Dlicense.key=${WORKSPACE}/x-pack/license-tools/src/test/resources/public.key -Dbuild.id=deadbeef build
\ No newline at end of file
+  -Dtests.jvm.argline=-Dbuild.snapshot=false -Dlicense.key=${WORKSPACE}/x-pack/license-tools/src/test/resources/public.key -Dbuild.id=deadbeef assemble functionalTests