diff --git a/.github/workflows/bootstrap.yml b/.github/workflows/bootstrap.yml
index 7a29ce9..00c5a25 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bootstrap.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bootstrap.yml
@@ -214,7 +214,11 @@ jobs:
           set -euo pipefail
           BLAISE="${{ steps.pre.outputs.bin }}"
           pasbuild test-compile -m blaise-compiler --compiler "$BLAISE"
-          compiler/target/TestRunner
+          # Point the CLI-contract and internal-assembler suites at the
+          # bootstrapped -pre binary.  Without this they fall back to the
+          # /tmp/fp_blaise* fixpoint binaries (which only exist after a local
+          # fixpoint.sh run) and silently Ignore ~24 tests in CI.
+          BLAISE_QBE_COMPILER="$BLAISE" compiler/target/TestRunner
 
       # --------------------------------------------------------------------
       # 9. Save the carry-forward cache for the next run: the -pre binary, its
diff --git a/compiler/src/test/pascal/cp.test.assembler.pas b/compiler/src/test/pascal/cp.test.assembler.pas
index 96e0563..930a93e 100644
--- a/compiler/src/test/pascal/cp.test.assembler.pas
+++ b/compiler/src/test/pascal/cp.test.assembler.pas
@@ -98,6 +98,12 @@ type
 
 implementation
 
+{ Print the "tests skipped" note at most once per suite run, so a CI
+  environment that lacks the QBE compiler binary surfaces the skip loudly
+  instead of silently reporting green with ~12 ignored tests. }
+var
+  GInternalAsmSkipNoted: Boolean = False;
+
 { ---- TAsmEncodingTests ---- }
 
 function TAsmEncodingTests.ContainsBytes(const ABuf, APat: string): Boolean;
@@ -553,6 +559,13 @@ end;
 function TInternalAsmE2ETests.CompilerAvailable: Boolean;
 begin
   Result := FileExists(FCompiler) and FileExists(FRTL);
+  if (not Result) and (not GInternalAsmSkipNoted) then
+  begin
+    GInternalAsmSkipNoted := True;
+    WriteLn(StdErr, 'note: TInternalAsmE2ETests skipped — compiler binary "',
+            FCompiler, '" or RTL "', FRTL, '" not found ',
+            '(set BLAISE_QBE_COMPILER to a QBE-backend blaise binary to run them)');
+  end;
 end;
 
 function TInternalAsmE2ETests.RunProc(const AExe: string;
diff --git a/compiler/src/test/pascal/cp.test.cli.pas b/compiler/src/test/pascal/cp.test.cli.pas
index 206d3c0..3166474 100644
--- a/compiler/src/test/pascal/cp.test.cli.pas
+++ b/compiler/src/test/pascal/cp.test.cli.pas
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ type
 
 implementation
 
+{ Print the "tests skipped" note at most once per suite run, so a CI
+  environment that lacks the QBE compiler binary surfaces the skip loudly
+  instead of silently reporting green with ~12 ignored tests. }
+var
+  GCLISkipNoted: Boolean = False;
+
 { ---- helpers ---- }
 
 function TCLIContractTests.ProjectRoot: string;
@@ -125,6 +131,13 @@ end;
 function TCLIContractTests.CompilerAvailable: Boolean;
 begin
   Result := FileExists(FCompiler) and FileExists(FRTL);
+  if (not Result) and (not GCLISkipNoted) then
+  begin
+    GCLISkipNoted := True;
+    WriteLn(StdErr, 'note: TCLIContractTests skipped — compiler binary "',
+            FCompiler, '" or RTL "', FRTL, '" not found ',
+            '(set BLAISE_QBE_COMPILER to a QBE-backend blaise binary to run them)');
+  end;
 end;
 
 function TCLIContractTests.RunCompiler(const AArgs: array of string;