diff --git a/ci-automation/test.sh b/ci-automation/test.sh
index c66fffeb09..2810ca9faf 100644
--- a/ci-automation/test.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/test.sh
@@ -146,6 +146,9 @@ function test_run() {
     local success=false
     # A job on each worker prunes old mantle images (docker image prune)
     echo "docker rm -f '${container_name}'" >> ./ci-cleanup.sh
+
+    # Vendor tests may need to know if it is a first run or a rerun
+    touch "${work_dir}/first_run"
     for retry in $(seq "${retries}"); do
         local tapfile="results-run-${retry}.tap"
         local failfile="failed-run-${retry}.txt"
@@ -164,6 +167,7 @@ function test_run() {
                 \"${tapfile}\" \
                 $@"
         set -e
+        rm -f "${work_dir}/first_run"
 
         docker run --pull always --rm --name="${container_name}" --privileged --net host -v /dev:/dev \
           -w /work -v "$PWD":/work "${mantle_ref}" \
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor_test.sh b/ci-automation/vendor_test.sh
index 0aac38a641..9e8d25a5ea 100644
--- a/ci-automation/vendor_test.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor_test.sh
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@
 #   Path to the Torcx manifest. Usually passed to kola through the
 #   --torcx-manifest parameter.
 #
+# CIA_FIRST_RUN:
+#   1 if this is a first run, 0 if it is a rerun of failed tests.
+#
 #
 # After this script is sourced, the parameters in ${@} specify test
 # cases / test case patterns to run.
@@ -90,6 +93,11 @@ fi
 ciavts_tapfile="${PWD}/${ciavts_work_dir}/${ciavts_tapfile}"
 ciavts_torcx_manifest="${PWD}/${ciavts_main_work_dir}/torcx_manifest.json"
 
+ciavts_first_run=0
+if [[ -f "${ciavts_main_work_dir}/first_run" ]]; then
+    ciavts_first_run=1
+fi
+
 echo "++++ Running ${ciavts_testscript} inside ${ciavts_work_dir} ++++"
 
 cd "${ciavts_work_dir}"
@@ -102,6 +110,7 @@ CIA_TESTSCRIPT="${ciavts_testscript}"
 CIA_GIT_VERSION="${ciavts_git_version}"
 CIA_BUILD_TYPE="${ciavts_type}"
 CIA_TORCX_MANIFEST="${ciavts_torcx_manifest}"
+CIA_FIRST_RUN="${ciavts_first_run}"
 
 # Unset all variables with ciavts_ prefix now.
 unset -v "${!ciavts_@}"