diff --git a/makefiles/libc/newlib.mk b/makefiles/libc/newlib.mk
index 1bc3ac00bdb3..8ee2c09113a7 100644
--- a/makefiles/libc/newlib.mk
+++ b/makefiles/libc/newlib.mk
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ ifeq (1,$(USE_NEWLIB_NANO))
   # the regular system include dirs.
   INCLUDES := $(addprefix -isystem ,$(NEWLIB_NANO_INCLUDE_DIR)) $(INCLUDES)
 
-  ifneq (,$(filter 1, $(ASSERT_NEWLIB_NANO_HEADER)))
+  ifneq (,$(filter 1, $(ASSERT_NEWLIB_NANO_HEADER) $(RIOT_CI_BUILD)))
     # Add a check to assert newlib-nano is used
     CFLAGS += -include '$(RIOTMAKE)/libc/assert_newlib_nano_included.h'
   endif