diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4eaed2111c..af5ce57919 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ var/
 *.egg-info/
 .installed.cfg
 *.egg
+external/
 
 # Ignore Mac DS_Store files
 .DS_Store
diff --git a/reframe/frontend/ci.py b/reframe/frontend/ci.py
index bd48df85ef..6caf50fe11 100644
--- a/reframe/frontend/ci.py
+++ b/reframe/frontend/ci.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import os
 import sys
+import copy
 import yaml
 
 import reframe.core.exceptions as errors
@@ -21,6 +22,17 @@ def _emit_gitlab_pipeline(testcases, child_pipeline_opts):
     recurse = config.get('general/0/check_search_recursive')
     verbosity = 'v' * config.get('general/0/verbose')
 
+    # Collect the generate CI options
+    before_script = config.get('generate-ci/0/before_script')
+    after_script = config.get('generate-ci/0/after_script')
+    artifacts = config.get('generate-ci/0/artifacts')
+    artifacts_expiry = config.get('generate-ci/0/artifacts_expiry')
+
+    # Need to append prefix to artifacts
+    artifacts = [os.path.join(prefix, a)
+                 if a in ['perflogs', 'stage', 'output']
+                 else a for a in artifacts]
+
     def rfm_command(testcase):
         # Ignore the first argument, it should be '<builtin>'
         config_opt = ' '.join([f'-C {arg}' for arg in config.sources[1:]])
@@ -64,9 +76,13 @@ def rfm_command(testcase):
     for tc in testcases:
         json[f'{tc.check.unique_name}'] = {
             'stage': f'rfm-stage-{tc.level}',
+            'before_script': copy.deepcopy(before_script),
             'script': [rfm_command(tc)],
+            'after_script': copy.deepcopy(after_script),
             'artifacts': {
-                'paths': [f'{tc.check.unique_name}-report.json']
+                'paths': [f'{tc.check.unique_name}-report.json',
+                          f'{tc.check.unique_name}-report.xml'] + artifacts,
+                'expire_in': artifacts_expiry,
             },
             'needs': [t.check.unique_name for t in tc.deps]
         }
diff --git a/reframe/schemas/config.json b/reframe/schemas/config.json
index 697004ebbb..85b0bebce8 100644
--- a/reframe/schemas/config.json
+++ b/reframe/schemas/config.json
@@ -394,6 +394,32 @@
                 "additionalProperties": false
             }
         },
+        "generate-ci": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "items": {
+                "type": "object",
+                "properties": {
+                    "before_script": {
+                        "type": "array",
+                        "items": {"type": "string"}
+                    },
+                    "after_script": {
+                        "type": "array",
+                        "items": {"type": "string"}
+                    },
+                    "artifacts": {
+                        "type": "array",
+                        "items": {
+                          "type": "string",
+                          "enum": ["perflogs", "output", "stage"]
+                        }
+                    },
+                    "target_systems": {"$ref": "#/defs/system_ref"},
+                    "artifacts_expiry": {"type": "string"}
+                },
+                "additionalProperties": false
+            }
+        },
         "logging": {
             "type": "array",
             "items": {
@@ -506,6 +532,11 @@
     "required": ["systems", "environments", "logging"],
     "additionalProperties": false,
     "defaults": {
+        "generate-ci/after_script": ["echo 'noop'"],
+        "generate-ci/before_script": ["echo 'noop'"],
+        "generate-ci/artifacts": [],
+        "generate-ci/artifacts_expiry": "30 days",
+        "generate-ci/target_systems": ["*"],
         "environments/modules": [],
         "environments/env_vars": [],
         "environments/variables": [],