diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-test-plan.py b/.github/workflows/create-test-plan.py
index 4ce15489b7211..f84ca1b153a97 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/create-test-plan.py
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-test-plan.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import logging
 import os
 import re
+import shlex
 from typing import Optional
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -234,6 +235,7 @@ class JobDetails:
     pypi_packages: list[str] = dataclasses.field(default_factory=list)
     setup_gage_sdk_path: str = ""
     binutils_strings: str = "strings"
+    ctest_args: str = ""
 
     def to_workflow(self, enable_artifacts: bool) -> dict[str, str|bool]:
         data = {
@@ -303,6 +305,7 @@ def to_workflow(self, enable_artifacts: bool) -> dict[str, str|bool]:
             "pypi-packages": my_shlex_join(self.pypi_packages),
             "setup-ngage-sdk-path": self.setup_gage_sdk_path,
             "binutils-strings": self.binutils_strings,
+            "ctest-args": self.ctest_args,
         }
         return {k: v for k, v in data.items() if v != ""}
 
@@ -318,7 +321,7 @@ def escape(s):
     return " ".join(escape(s))
 
 
-def spec_to_job(spec: JobSpec, key: str, trackmem_symbol_names: bool) -> JobDetails:
+def spec_to_job(spec: JobSpec, key: str, trackmem_symbol_names: bool, ctest_args: list[str]) -> JobDetails:
     job = JobDetails(
         name=spec.name,
         key=key,
@@ -487,6 +490,8 @@ def spec_to_job(spec: JobSpec, key: str, trackmem_symbol_names: bool) -> JobDeta
             job.shared_lib = SharedLibType.SO_0
             job.static_lib = StaticLibType.A
             fpic = True
+            job.cmake_arguments.append("-DSDLTEST_GDB=ON")
+            job.apt_packages.append("gdb")
             if spec.more_hard_deps:
                 # Some distros prefer to make important dependencies
                 # mandatory, so that SDL won't start up but lack expected
@@ -828,6 +833,7 @@ def spec_to_job(spec: JobSpec, key: str, trackmem_symbol_names: bool) -> JobDeta
             "-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache",
             "-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache",
         ))
+    job.ctest_args = shlex.join(ctest_args)
     if not build_parallel:
         job.cmake_build_arguments.append("-j1")
     if job.cflags or job.cppflags:
@@ -850,9 +856,14 @@ def tf(b):
     return job
 
 
-def spec_to_platform(spec: JobSpec, key: str, enable_artifacts: bool, trackmem_symbol_names: bool) -> dict[str, str|bool]:
+def spec_to_platform(spec: JobSpec, key: str, enable_artifacts: bool, trackmem_symbol_names: bool, ctest_args:list[str]) -> dict[str, str|bool]:
     logger.info("spec=%r", spec)
-    job = spec_to_job(spec, key=key, trackmem_symbol_names=trackmem_symbol_names)
+    job = spec_to_job(
+        spec,
+        key=key,
+        trackmem_symbol_names=trackmem_symbol_names,
+        ctest_args=ctest_args,
+    )
     logger.info("job=%r", job)
     platform = job.to_workflow(enable_artifacts=enable_artifacts)
     logger.info("platform=%r", platform)
@@ -881,6 +892,7 @@ def main():
     )
 
     filters = []
+    ctest_args = []
     if args.commit_message_file:
         with open(args.commit_message_file, "r") as f:
             commit_message = f.read()
@@ -893,6 +905,9 @@ def main():
             if re.search(r"\[sdl-ci-(full-)?trackmem(-symbol-names)?]", commit_message, flags=re.M):
                 args.trackmem_symbol_names = True
 
+            for m in re.finditer(r"\[sdl-ci-ctest-args? (.*)]", commit_message, flags=re.M):
+                ctest_args.extend(shlex.split(m.group(1)))
+
     if not filters:
         filters.append("*")
 
@@ -900,7 +915,7 @@ def main():
 
     all_level_platforms = {}
 
-    all_platforms = {key: spec_to_platform(spec, key=key, enable_artifacts=args.enable_artifacts, trackmem_symbol_names=args.trackmem_symbol_names) for key, spec in JOB_SPECS.items()}
+    all_platforms = {key: spec_to_platform(spec, key=key, enable_artifacts=args.enable_artifacts, trackmem_symbol_names=args.trackmem_symbol_names, ctest_args=ctest_args) for key, spec in JOB_SPECS.items()}
 
     for level_i, level_keys in enumerate(all_level_keys, 1):
         level_key = f"level{level_i}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/generic.yml b/.github/workflows/generic.yml
index 183146679b3fe..82fcbaf15666d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/generic.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/generic.yml
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ jobs:
           ${{ matrix.platform.pretest-cmd }}
           set -eu
           export SDL_TESTS_QUICK=1
-          ctest -VV --test-dir build/ -j2
+          ctest --test-dir build/ ${{ matrix.platform.ctest-args || '-VV -j2' }}
       - name: "Build test apk's (CMake)"
         id: apks
         if: ${{ always() && steps.build.outcome == 'success' && matrix.platform.android-apks != '' }}
diff --git a/docs/README-contributing.md b/docs/README-contributing.md
index 02a37bf756620..b926e1d0deee5 100644
--- a/docs/README-contributing.md
+++ b/docs/README-contributing.md
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ Its behaviour can be influenced slightly by including SDL-specific tags in your
 - `[sdl-ci-filter GLOB]` limits the platforms for which to run ci.
 - `[sdl-ci-artifacts]` forces SDL artifacts, which can then be downloaded from the summary page.
 - `[sdl-ci-trackmem-symbol-names]` makes sure the final report generated by `--trackmem` contains symbol names.
+- `[sdl-ci-ctest-args]` allows overriding the ctest arguments. Adding `--repeat-until-fail N` and `-R NAME` is useful.
 
 ## Contributing to the documentation
 
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index a77c5aa685c00..81caee0d7414e 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -54,6 +54,12 @@ if(WIN32)
     else()
         set_property(TARGET sdlprocdump PROPERTY EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL "1")
     endif()
+else()
+    option(SDLTEST_GDB "Run tests using headless gdb" OFF)
+    find_program(GDB_BIN NAMES "gdb")
+    if(SDLTEST_GDB AND GDB_BIN)
+        set(CMAKE_TEST_LAUNCHER "${GDB_BIN};-batch;-nx;-x;${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/unix/gdbcmds.txt;--args")
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 if(EMSCRIPTEN)
diff --git a/test/unix/gdbcmds.txt b/test/unix/gdbcmds.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c7a8ff9f08d02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unix/gdbcmds.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# Script to run a headless gdb printing a stacktrace on a fatal signal
+# Use it as: `gdb -batch -nx -x gdbcmds.txt --args $PROGRAM_AND_ARGS`
+# Configure CMake with -DSDLTEST_GDB=ON to use with within CTest.
+
+set pagination off
+set confirm off
+set verbose off
+
+# Only stop on real crash signals
+handle SIGSEGV stop print nopass
+handle SIGABRT stop print nopass
+handle SIGILL  stop print nopass
+handle SIGFPE  stop print nopass
+handle SIGBUS  stop print nopass
+
+# Ignore SIGPIPE and SIGTERM signals
+# (SIGTERM is used by testthread)
+handle SIGPIPE nostop noprint pass
+handle SIGTERM nostop noprint pass
+
+define hook-stop
+  if !$_isvoid($_siginfo)
+    printf "\n=== Crash detected (signal %d) ===\n", $_siginfo.si_signo
+    bt full
+    quit 1
+  end
+end
+
+run
+
+# Normal exit path
+if !$_isvoid($_exitcode)
+  quit $_exitcode
+end
+
+quit 0