diff --git a/ci-scripts/oai-ci-vm-tool b/ci-scripts/oai-ci-vm-tool
index 9d6349077f00288301e1fc6d510f50d674abc695..eb4f46f16ec9f49150c9f937df38f7b5eaf93fe1 100755
--- a/ci-scripts/oai-ci-vm-tool
+++ b/ci-scripts/oai-ci-vm-tool
@@ -171,19 +171,19 @@ function setvar_usage {
 
 function variant__v1__enb_usrp {
     NB_PATTERN_FILES=9
-    BUILD_OPTIONS="--eNB -w USRP --mu"
+    BUILD_OPTIONS="--eNB -w USRP --mu --ninja"
 }
     
 function variant__v2__basic_sim {
     NB_PATTERN_FILES=13
-    BUILD_OPTIONS="--eNB --UE"
+    BUILD_OPTIONS="--eNB --UE --ninja"
     VM_MEMORY=8192
     RUN_OPTIONS="complex"
 }
 
 function variant__v3__phy_sim {
     NB_PATTERN_FILES=13
-    BUILD_OPTIONS="--phy_simulators"
+    BUILD_OPTIONS="--phy_simulators --ninja"
     VM_MEMORY=8192
     VM_DISK=20
     RUN_OPTIONS="./run_exec_autotests.bash -g \"01510* 015111\" -q -np -b"
@@ -200,28 +200,28 @@ function variant__v5__gnb_usrp {
     VM_MEMORY=8192
     VM_CPU=8
     NB_PATTERN_FILES=9
-    BUILD_OPTIONS="--gNB -w USRP"
+    BUILD_OPTIONS="--gNB -w USRP --ninja"
 }
 
 function variant__v6__nr_ue_usrp {
     VM_MEMORY=4096
     VM_CPU=4
     NB_PATTERN_FILES=9
-    BUILD_OPTIONS="--nrUE -w USRP"
+    BUILD_OPTIONS="--nrUE -w USRP --ninja"
 }
 
 function variant__v7__enb_ethernet {
     VM_MEMORY=4096
     ARCHIVES_LOC=enb_eth
     NB_PATTERN_FILES=8
-    BUILD_OPTIONS="--eNB"
+    BUILD_OPTIONS="--eNB --ninja"
 }
 
 function variant__v8__ue_ethernet {
     VM_MEMORY=4096
     ARCHIVES_LOC=ue_eth
     NB_PATTERN_FILES=12
-    BUILD_OPTIONS="--UE"
+    BUILD_OPTIONS="--UE --ninja"
 }
 
 function variant__v10__flexran_rtc {