diff --git a/pipeline/src/test_util.rs b/pipeline/src/test_util.rs
index 9f4c0429f..bbbff59cc 100644
--- a/pipeline/src/test_util.rs
+++ b/pipeline/src/test_util.rs
@@ -76,7 +76,10 @@ pub fn verify_pipeline(
     verify(pipeline.output_dir().as_ref().unwrap())
 }
 
-pub fn make_pipeline<T: FieldElement>(file_name: &str, inputs: Vec<T>) -> Pipeline<T> {
+/// Makes a new pipeline for the given file and inputs. All steps until witness generation are
+/// already computed, so that the test can branch off from there, without having to re-compute
+/// these steps.
+pub fn make_prepared_pipeline<T: FieldElement>(file_name: &str, inputs: Vec<T>) -> Pipeline<T> {
     let mut pipeline = Pipeline::default()
         .with_tmp_output()
         .from_file(resolve_test_file(file_name))
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ pub fn make_pipeline<T: FieldElement>(file_name: &str, inputs: Vec<T>) -> Pipeli
 }
 
 pub fn gen_estark_proof(file_name: &str, inputs: Vec<GoldilocksField>) {
-    let pipeline = make_pipeline(file_name, inputs);
+    let pipeline = make_prepared_pipeline(file_name, inputs);
     gen_estark_proof_with_backend_variant(pipeline.clone(), BackendVariant::Monolithic);
     gen_estark_proof_with_backend_variant(pipeline, BackendVariant::Composite);
 }
@@ -130,7 +133,7 @@ pub fn gen_estark_proof_with_backend_variant(
 }
 
 pub fn test_halo2(file_name: &str, inputs: Vec<Bn254Field>) {
-    let pipeline = make_pipeline(file_name, inputs);
+    let pipeline = make_prepared_pipeline(file_name, inputs);
     test_halo2_with_backend_variant(pipeline.clone(), BackendVariant::Monolithic);
     test_halo2_with_backend_variant(pipeline, BackendVariant::Composite);
 }
diff --git a/pipeline/tests/asm.rs b/pipeline/tests/asm.rs
index 7aa1bf2a1..66d69592c 100644
--- a/pipeline/tests/asm.rs
+++ b/pipeline/tests/asm.rs
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@ use powdr_backend::BackendType;
 use powdr_number::{Bn254Field, FieldElement, GoldilocksField};
 use powdr_pipeline::{
     test_util::{
-        gen_estark_proof, gen_estark_proof_with_backend_variant, make_pipeline, resolve_test_file,
-        test_halo2, test_halo2_with_backend_variant, verify_test_file, BackendVariant,
+        gen_estark_proof, gen_estark_proof_with_backend_variant, make_prepared_pipeline,
+        resolve_test_file, test_halo2, test_halo2_with_backend_variant, verify_test_file,
+        BackendVariant,
     },
     util::{read_poly_set, FixedPolySet, WitnessPolySet},
     Pipeline,
@@ -227,8 +228,11 @@ fn vm_to_block_different_length() {
     let f = "asm/vm_to_block_different_length.asm";
     // Because machines have different lengths, this can only be proven
     // with a composite proof.
-    test_halo2_with_backend_variant(make_pipeline(f, vec![]), BackendVariant::Composite);
-    gen_estark_proof_with_backend_variant(make_pipeline(f, vec![]), BackendVariant::Composite);
+    test_halo2_with_backend_variant(make_prepared_pipeline(f, vec![]), BackendVariant::Composite);
+    gen_estark_proof_with_backend_variant(
+        make_prepared_pipeline(f, vec![]),
+        BackendVariant::Composite,
+    );
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/pipeline/tests/pil.rs b/pipeline/tests/pil.rs
index f47c22cfd..073739705 100644
--- a/pipeline/tests/pil.rs
+++ b/pipeline/tests/pil.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use powdr_pipeline::test_util::{
     assert_proofs_fail_for_invalid_witnesses, assert_proofs_fail_for_invalid_witnesses_estark,
     assert_proofs_fail_for_invalid_witnesses_halo2,
     assert_proofs_fail_for_invalid_witnesses_pilcom, gen_estark_proof,
-    gen_estark_proof_with_backend_variant, make_pipeline, test_halo2,
+    gen_estark_proof_with_backend_variant, make_prepared_pipeline, test_halo2,
     test_halo2_with_backend_variant, test_plonky3, verify_test_file, BackendVariant,
 };
 
@@ -313,8 +313,11 @@ fn different_degrees() {
     let f = "pil/different_degrees.pil";
     // Because machines have different lengths, this can only be proven
     // with a composite proof.
-    test_halo2_with_backend_variant(make_pipeline(f, vec![]), BackendVariant::Composite);
-    gen_estark_proof_with_backend_variant(make_pipeline(f, vec![]), BackendVariant::Composite);
+    test_halo2_with_backend_variant(make_prepared_pipeline(f, vec![]), BackendVariant::Composite);
+    gen_estark_proof_with_backend_variant(
+        make_prepared_pipeline(f, vec![]),
+        BackendVariant::Composite,
+    );
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/pipeline/tests/powdr_std.rs b/pipeline/tests/powdr_std.rs
index 3af1d8baf..f241f5053 100644
--- a/pipeline/tests/powdr_std.rs
+++ b/pipeline/tests/powdr_std.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use powdr_pil_analyzer::evaluator::Value;
 use powdr_pipeline::{
     test_util::{
         evaluate_function, evaluate_integer_function, execute_test_file, gen_estark_proof,
-        gen_halo2_proof, make_pipeline, resolve_test_file, std_analyzed, test_halo2,
+        gen_halo2_proof, make_prepared_pipeline, resolve_test_file, std_analyzed, test_halo2,
         verify_test_file, BackendVariant,
     },
     Pipeline,
@@ -21,8 +21,11 @@ fn poseidon_bn254_test() {
     // `test_halo2` only does a mock proof in the PR tests.
     // This makes sure we test the whole proof generation for one example
     // file even in the PR tests.
-    gen_halo2_proof(make_pipeline(f, vec![]), BackendVariant::Monolithic);
-    gen_halo2_proof(make_pipeline(f, vec![]), BackendVariant::Composite);
+    gen_halo2_proof(
+        make_prepared_pipeline(f, vec![]),
+        BackendVariant::Monolithic,
+    );
+    gen_halo2_proof(make_prepared_pipeline(f, vec![]), BackendVariant::Composite);
 }
 
 #[test]