diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate.yml b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
index 25a734a47aa..1b49436476b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
@@ -208,7 +208,6 @@ jobs:
         run: sh validate.sh $FLAGS -s cli-tests
 
       - name: Validate cli-suite
-        if: runner.os != 'Windows'
         run: sh validate.sh $FLAGS -s cli-suite
 
       - name: Validate solver-benchmarks-tests
diff --git a/cabal-testsuite/cabal-testsuite.cabal b/cabal-testsuite/cabal-testsuite.cabal
index f6b1b4fd1a5..7a47f027fc0 100644
--- a/cabal-testsuite/cabal-testsuite.cabal
+++ b/cabal-testsuite/cabal-testsuite.cabal
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ executable cabal-tests
   import: shared
   main-is: cabal-tests.hs
   hs-source-dirs: main
-  ghc-options: -threaded
+  ghc-options: -threaded -rtsopts
   -- Make sure these are built before the executable is run
   build-tool-depends: cabal-testsuite:test-runtime-deps
   build-depends:
diff --git a/validate.sh b/validate.sh
index c7c86f07633..e4ef46549df 100755
--- a/validate.sh
+++ b/validate.sh
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ doctest:             $DOCTEST
 benchmarks:          $BENCHMARKS
 verbose:             $VERBOSE
 extra compilers:     $EXTRAHCS
+extra RTS options:   $RTSOPTS
 
 EOF
 }
@@ -433,7 +434,7 @@ fi
 step_lib_suite() {
 print_header "Cabal: cabal-testsuite"
 
-CMD="$($CABALLISTBIN cabal-testsuite:exe:cabal-tests) --builddir=$CABAL_TESTSUITE_BDIR $TESTSUITEJOBS --with-ghc=$HC --hide-successes"
+CMD="$($CABALLISTBIN cabal-testsuite:exe:cabal-tests) --builddir=$CABAL_TESTSUITE_BDIR $TESTSUITEJOBS --with-ghc=$HC --hide-successes $RTSOPTS"
 (cd cabal-testsuite && timed $CMD) || exit 1
 }
 
@@ -475,7 +476,7 @@ CMD="$($CABALLISTBIN cabal-install:test:integration-tests2) -j1 --hide-successes
 step_cli_suite() {
 print_header "cabal-install: cabal-testsuite"
 
-CMD="$($CABALLISTBIN cabal-testsuite:exe:cabal-tests) --builddir=$CABAL_TESTSUITE_BDIR --with-cabal=$($CABALLISTBIN cabal-install:exe:cabal) $TESTSUITEJOBS  --with-ghc=$HC --hide-successes --intree-cabal-lib=$PWD --test-tmp=$PWD/testdb"
+CMD="$($CABALLISTBIN cabal-testsuite:exe:cabal-tests) --builddir=$CABAL_TESTSUITE_BDIR --with-cabal=$($CABALLISTBIN cabal-install:exe:cabal) $TESTSUITEJOBS  --with-ghc=$HC --hide-successes --intree-cabal-lib=$PWD --test-tmp=$PWD/testdb $RTSOPTS"
 (cd cabal-testsuite && timed $CMD) || exit 1
 }