diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index db6230396..980702ed0 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ variables:
     value: "27.3"
     description: "Version of docker to use in pipelines"
 
+  # mender-artifact version for tests
+  MENDER_ARTIFACT_VERSION: 4.0.0
+
 include:
   - project: 'Northern.tech/Mender/mendertesting'
     file: '.gitlab-ci-github-status-updates.yml'
@@ -39,11 +42,11 @@ test:unit:
   stage: test
   image: ${CI_DEPENDENCY_PROXY_DIRECT_GROUP_IMAGE_PREFIX}/debian:11
   before_script:
-    - apt update && apt install -yyq g++ cmake git make lcov pkg-config liblmdb++-dev libboost-dev libboost-log-dev libssl-dev libarchive-dev libdbus-1-dev curl dbus stunnel4 tinyproxy-bin netcat
+    - apt update && apt install -yyq g++ cmake git make lcov pkg-config liblmdb++-dev libboost-dev libboost-log-dev libssl-dev libarchive-dev libdbus-1-dev curl dbus stunnel4 tinyproxy-bin netcat wget
     # mender-artifact install
-    - curl https://downloads.mender.io/mender-artifact/master/linux/mender-artifact
-      -o /usr/local/bin/mender-artifact
-    - chmod +x /usr/local/bin/mender-artifact
+    - wget "https://downloads.mender.io/repos/debian/pool/main/m/mender-artifact/mender-artifact_${MENDER_ARTIFACT_VERSION}-1%2bdebian%2bbullseye_amd64.deb"
+      --output-document mender-artifact.deb
+    - dpkg --install mender-artifact.deb
   script:
     - cmake -D COVERAGE=ON .
     - make --jobs=$(nproc --all) --keep-going coverage
@@ -77,19 +80,11 @@ test:backward-compat:
   stage: test
   image: ${CI_DEPENDENCY_PROXY_DIRECT_GROUP_IMAGE_PREFIX}/ubuntu:22.04
   before_script:
-    - apt update && apt install -yyq ccache clang cmake git make pkg-config liblmdb++-dev libboost-dev libboost-log-dev libssl-dev libarchive-dev libdbus-1-dev curl dbus stunnel4 tinyproxy-bin netcat
+    - apt update && apt install -yyq ccache clang cmake git make pkg-config liblmdb++-dev libboost-dev libboost-log-dev libssl-dev libarchive-dev libdbus-1-dev curl dbus stunnel4 tinyproxy-bin netcat wget
     # mender-artifact install
-    - apt-get install --assume-yes
-        apt-transport-https
-        ca-certificates
-        curl
-        gnupg-agent
-        software-properties-common
-    - curl -fsSL https://downloads.mender.io/repos/debian/gpg >> /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/mender.asc
-    - echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture)] https://downloads.mender.io/repos/debian ubuntu/jammy/experimental main"
-      > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mender.list
-    - apt-get update
-    - apt install mender-artifact
+    - wget "https://downloads.mender.io/repos/debian/pool/main/m/mender-artifact/mender-artifact_${MENDER_ARTIFACT_VERSION}-1%2bubuntu%2bjammy_amd64.deb"
+      --output-document mender-artifact.deb
+    - dpkg --install mender-artifact.deb
     - export CC=$(which clang)
     - export CXX=$(which clang++)
   script: