diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-on-iotlab.yml b/.github/workflows/test-on-iotlab.yml
index fc5f90cc936b..f45d159001c3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-on-iotlab.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-on-iotlab.yml
@@ -70,10 +70,6 @@ jobs:
     env:
       IOTLAB_NODE: auto
       BUILD_IN_DOCKER: 1
-      # Force .bin files generation because these files are used to flash on IoT-LAB and
-      # because compile_and_test_for_board forces RIOT_CI_BUILD which skip .bin
-      # files generation
-      DOCKER_ENVIRONMENT_CMDLINE: -e BUILD_FILES=\$$\(BINFILE\)
       COMPILE_AND_TEST_FOR_BOARD: ./dist/tools/compile_and_test_for_board/compile_and_test_for_board.py
       COMPILE_AND_TEST_ARGS: --with-test-only --jobs=2 --report-xml
       # Exclude applications that are expected to fail or cannot run on iotlab
diff --git a/Makefile.include b/Makefile.include
index a91c125eccde..97810cece760 100644
--- a/Makefile.include
+++ b/Makefile.include
@@ -386,6 +386,17 @@ ifneq (,$(IOTLAB_NODE))
   PROGRAMMER ?= iotlab
   # iotlab uses ELFFILE by default for flashing boards.
   FLASHFILE ?= $(ELFFILE)
+  # RIOT_CI_BUILD disables the build of BINFILE which is required for flashing
+  # on IoT-LAB
+  ifeq (1,$(RIOT_CI_BUILD))
+    BUILD_FILES += $(BINFILE)
+  endif
+  # Disable IOTLAB_NODE if inside Docker to avoid including the
+  # iotlab.single.inc.mk file which is useless there: it's only useful for
+  # flashing and this is done outside of Docker.
+  ifeq (1,$(INSIDE_DOCKER))
+    IOTLAB_NODE :=
+  endif
 endif
 
 # Add standard include directories
diff --git a/makefiles/docker.inc.mk b/makefiles/docker.inc.mk
index cfa6cc7c4e5f..c32a24499355 100644
--- a/makefiles/docker.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/docker.inc.mk
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ export DOCKER_ENV_VARS += \
   ELFFILE \
   HEXFILE \
   FLASHFILE \
+  IOTLAB_NODE \
   LINK \
   LINKFLAGPREFIX \
   LINKFLAGS \