diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/ctf-constvars.exp b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/ctf-constvars.exp
index 7b3c0f69da8..67f2b5c4a36 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/ctf-constvars.exp
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/ctf-constvars.exp
@@ -31,15 +31,18 @@ standard_testfile .c
 # Using `-gctf` generates full-fledged CTF debug information.
 set opts {}
 lappend opts additional_flags=-gctf
-lappend opts ldflags=-Wl,--strip-debug
 lappend opts ldflags=-Wl,--ctf-variables
 lappend opts nowarnings
 
-if { [prepare_for_testing "failed to prepare" ${testfile} \
+if { [build_executable "failed to prepare" ${testfile} \
 	  [list $srcfile] $opts] } {
     return 0
 }
 
+clean_restart
+gdb_test_no_output "set always-read-ctf on"
+gdb_load $binfile
+
 #
 # set it up at a breakpoint so we can play with the variable values
 #
diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/ctf-ptype.exp b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/ctf-ptype.exp
index 4a81993628e..587caee0cf1 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/ctf-ptype.exp
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/ctf-ptype.exp
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ standard_testfile .c
 # Using `-gctf` generates full-fledged CTF debug information.
 set opts {}
 lappend opts additional_flags=-gctf
-lappend opts ldflags=-Wl,--strip-debug
 lappend opts ldflags=-Wl,--ctf-variables
 lappend opts nowarnings
 
@@ -34,6 +33,10 @@ if { [prepare_for_testing "failed to prepare" ${testfile} \
     return 0
 }
 
+clean_restart
+gdb_test_no_output "set always-read-ctf on"
+gdb_load $binfile
+
 # Test ptype of unnamed enumeration members before any action causes
 # the partial symbol table to be expanded to full symbols.  This fails
 # with stabs compilers which fail to use a nameless stab (such as
diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/cvexpr.exp b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/cvexpr.exp
index bbaa7d4983b..0163787402f 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/cvexpr.exp
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/cvexpr.exp
@@ -26,11 +26,15 @@ proc do_test {dir options} {
     global srcfile testfile
 
     set binfile [standard_output_file ${dir}/${testfile}]
-    if { [prepare_for_testing "failed to prepare" ${binfile} \
+    if { [build_executable "failed to prepare" ${binfile} \
 	      [list $srcfile] $options] } {
 	return 0
     }
 
+    clean_restart
+    gdb_test_no_output "set always-read-ctf on"
+    gdb_load $binfile
+
     gdb_test_no_output "set print sevenbit-strings"
     gdb_test_no_output "set print address off"
     gdb_test_no_output "set width 0"
@@ -493,7 +497,6 @@ proc do_test {dir options} {
 
 set ctf_opts {}
 lappend ctf_opts additional_flags=-gctf
-lappend ctf_opts ldflags=-Wl,--strip-debug
 
 # Build up the set of debug formats for which we will run this test.
 set specs { {dwarf {debug}} }
diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/whatis.exp b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/whatis.exp
index 3736e78bbdc..75484207780 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/whatis.exp
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/whatis.exp
@@ -49,11 +49,15 @@ proc do_test {dir options} {
     global srcfile testfile gcc_compiled
 
     set binfile [standard_output_file ${dir}/${testfile}]
-    if { [prepare_for_testing "failed to prepare" ${binfile} \
+    if { [build_executable "failed to prepare" ${binfile} \
 	      [list $srcfile] $options] } {
 	return 0
     }
 
+    clean_restart
+    gdb_test_no_output "set always-read-ctf on"
+    gdb_load $binfile
+
     #
     # Test whatis command with basic C types
     #
@@ -587,7 +591,6 @@ proc do_test {dir options} {
 
 set ctf_opts {}
 lappend ctf_opts additional_flags=-gctf
-lappend ctf_opts ldflags=-Wl,--strip-debug
 lappend ctf_opts ldflags=-Wl,--ctf-variables
 
 # Build up the set of debug formats for which we will run this test.
diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/cross-tu-cyclic.exp b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/cross-tu-cyclic.exp
index 0292e394646..68b5beec157 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/cross-tu-cyclic.exp
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/cross-tu-cyclic.exp
@@ -24,15 +24,18 @@ standard_testfile cross-tu-cyclic-1.c  cross-tu-cyclic-2.c \
 set opts {}
 lappend opts additional_flags=-gctf
 lappend opts ldflags=-Wl,--export-dynamic
-lappend opts ldflags=-Wl,--strip-debug
 lappend opts nowarning
 
-if { [prepare_for_testing "failed to prepare" ${testfile} \
+if { [build_executable "failed to prepare" ${testfile} \
 	  [list $srcfile $srcfile2 $srcfile3 $srcfile4] \
 	  $opts] } {
     return 0
 }
 
+clean_restart
+gdb_test_no_output "set always-read-ctf on"
+gdb_load $binfile
+
 # Same thing with struct and union.
 gdb_test "ptype struct A" "type = struct A \{\[\r\n\]+\[ \t\]+struct B \\*foo;\[\r\n\]+\}.*" "ptype structure A"
 gdb_test "ptype struct B" "type = struct B \{\[\r\n\]+\[ \t\]+struct B \\*next;\[\r\n\]+\}.*" "ptype structure B"
diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/funcreturn.exp b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/funcreturn.exp
index 64ed031f693..ef1fe90e527 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/funcreturn.exp
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/funcreturn.exp
@@ -30,14 +30,17 @@ standard_testfile whatis.c
 set opts {}
 lappend opts additional_flags=-gctf
 lappend opts ldflags=-Wl,--export-dynamic
-lappend opts ldflags=-Wl,--strip-debug
 lappend opts nowarning
 
-if { [prepare_for_testing "failed to prepare" ${testfile} \
+if { [build_executable "failed to prepare" ${testfile} \
 	  [list $srcfile] $opts] } {
     return 0
 }
 
+clean_restart
+gdb_test_no_output "set always-read-ctf on"
+gdb_load $binfile
+
 # test print command with functions return type
 set void "(void|)"
 gdb_test "print v_char_func" \
diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/multi.exp b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/multi.exp
index c82d1b952e3..0bb66cd2432 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/multi.exp
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.ctf/multi.exp
@@ -23,15 +23,18 @@ standard_testfile ctf-a.c ctf-b.c ctf-c.c
 set opts {}
 lappend opts additional_flags=-gctf
 lappend opts ldflags=-Wl,--export-dynamic
-lappend opts ldflags=-Wl,--strip-debug
 lappend opts nowarning
 
-if { [prepare_for_testing "failed to prepare" ${testfile} \
+if { [build_executable "failed to prepare" ${testfile} \
 	  [list $srcfile $srcfile2 $srcfile3] \
 	  $opts] } {
     return 0
 }
 
+clean_restart
+gdb_test_no_output "set always-read-ctf on"
+gdb_load $binfile
+
 # Same thing with struct and union.
 gdb_test "ptype struct A" "type = struct A \{\[\r\n\]+\[ \t\]+struct B \\*b;\[\r\n\]+\[ \t\]+struct A \\*next;\[\r\n\]+\}.*" "ptype structure A"
 gdb_test "ptype struct B" "type = struct B \{\[\r\n\]+\[ \t\]+struct C \\*c;\[\r\n\]+\[ \t\]+int \\wombat;\[\r\n\]+\}.*" "ptype structure B"