diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 93a4855..220971e 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ cache: &general_cache_config
     - target/
     - $CARGO_HOME
 
+.report-rust: &report-rust
+  - cargo --version
+  - rustc --version
+
 reuse:
   stage: lint
   image:
@@ -34,8 +38,10 @@ reuse:
 cargo-fmt:
   stage: lint
   image: rust:latest
-  script:
+  before_script:
     - rustup component add rustfmt
+    - *report-rust
+  script:
     - cargo fmt -- --check
   cache: [ ]
 
@@ -44,6 +50,7 @@ cargo-deny:
   image: rust:latest
   before_script:
     - cargo install --locked cargo-deny
+    - *report-rust
   script:
     - cargo deny check
   cache: [ ]
@@ -56,9 +63,9 @@ cargo-clippy:
     - apt update -y -qq
     - apt install -y -qq --no-install-recommends git clang make pkg-config nettle-dev libssl-dev capnproto ca-certificates libpcsclite-dev
     - apt clean
+    - *report-rust
   script:
     - rustup component add clippy
-    - rm tools/tests/opgpcard.rs # otherwise build fails
     - cargo clippy --verbose --tests -- -D warnings
   cache:
     # inherit all general cache settings
@@ -77,22 +84,21 @@ udeps:
     - curl --location --output /tmp/cargo-udeps.tar.gz https://github.com/est31/cargo-udeps/releases/download/v0.1.26/cargo-udeps-v0.1.26-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz
     - tar --extract --verbose --gzip --file /tmp/cargo-udeps.tar.gz --directory /usr/local/bin/ --strip-components=2 ./cargo-udeps-v0.1.26-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/cargo-udeps
   script:
-    - rm tools/tests/opgpcard.rs # otherwise build fails
     - cargo udeps --workspace --all-features --all-targets
   cache: [ ]
 
 cargo-test:
   stage: test
-  image: registry.gitlab.com/openpgp-card/virtual-cards/smartpgp-builddeps
+  image: rust:latest
   before_script:
     - mkdir -p /run/user/$UID
     - apt update -y -qq
     - apt install -y -qq --no-install-recommends git clang make pkg-config nettle-dev libssl-dev capnproto ca-certificates libpcsclite-dev
     - apt clean
-    - /etc/init.d/pcscd start
-    - su - -c "sh /home/jcardsim/run-card.sh >/dev/null" jcardsim
+    - *report-rust
   script:
-    - touch tools/virtual-card-available
+    # there is no virtual card in this image, so subplot does not generate tests
+    # that would require one.
     - cargo test
   cache:
     # inherit all general cache settings
@@ -102,16 +108,16 @@ cargo-test:
 
 cargo-test-debian-bookworm:
   stage: test
-  image: registry.gitlab.com/openpgp-card/virtual-cards/smartpgp-builddeps
+  image: debian:bookworm-slim
   before_script:
     - mkdir -p /run/user/$UID
     - apt update -y -qq
     - apt install -y -qq --no-install-recommends git rustc cargo clang make pkg-config nettle-dev libssl-dev capnproto ca-certificates libpcsclite-dev
     - apt clean
-    - /etc/init.d/pcscd start
-    - su - -c "sh /home/jcardsim/run-card.sh >/dev/null" jcardsim
+    - *report-rust
   script:
-    - touch tools/virtual-card-available
+    # there is no virtual card in this image, so subplot does not generate tests
+    # that would require one.
     - cargo test
   cache:
     # inherit all general cache settings
@@ -119,9 +125,33 @@ cargo-test-debian-bookworm:
     # override the key
     key: "bookworm"
 
+subplot:
+  stage: virtual-test
+  image: registry.gitlab.com/openpgp-card/virtual-cards/smartpgp-builddeps
+  before_script:
+    - mkdir -p /run/user/$UID
+    - apt update -y -qq
+    - apt install -y -qq --no-install-recommends git clang make pkg-config nettle-dev libssl-dev capnproto ca-certificates libpcsclite-dev
+    - apt clean
+    - /etc/init.d/pcscd start
+    - su - -c "sh /home/jcardsim/run-card.sh >/dev/null" jcardsim
+    - *report-rust
+  script:
+    # make sure a virtual card is available, so that the subplot tests are
+    # generated
+    - touch tools/virtual-card-available
+    - cargo test
+  cache:
+    # inherit all general cache settings
+    <<: *general_cache_config
+    # override the key
+    key: "rust-latest"
+
 run_cardtest_smartpgp:
   stage: virtual-test
   image: registry.gitlab.com/openpgp-card/virtual-cards/smartpgp-builddeps
+  before_script:
+    - *report-rust
   script:
     - sh /start.sh
     - RUST_BACKTRACE=1 cargo run -p openpgp-card-tools --bin opgpcard -- status
@@ -140,6 +170,8 @@ run_cardtest_smartpgp:
 run_cardtest_opcard_rs:
   stage: virtual-test
   image: registry.gitlab.com/openpgp-card/virtual-cards/opcard-rs-builddeps
+  before_script:
+    - *report-rust
   script:
     - sh /start.sh
     - RUST_BACKTRACE=1 cargo run -p openpgp-card-tools --bin opgpcard -- status
@@ -158,6 +190,8 @@ run_cardtest_opcard_rs:
 run_cardtest_ykneo:
   stage: virtual-test
   image: registry.gitlab.com/openpgp-card/virtual-cards/ykneo-builddeps
+  before_script:
+    - *report-rust
   script:
     - sh /start.sh
     - RUST_BACKTRACE=1 cargo run -p openpgp-card-tools --bin opgpcard -- status
@@ -176,6 +210,8 @@ run_cardtest_ykneo:
 run_cardtest_fluffypgp:
   stage: virtual-test
   image: registry.gitlab.com/openpgp-card/virtual-cards/fluffypgp-builddeps
+  before_script:
+    - *report-rust
   script:
     - sh /start.sh
     - RUST_BACKTRACE=1 cargo run -p openpgp-card-tools --bin opgpcard -- status
@@ -233,6 +269,8 @@ hardware-builddeps:
           - "card-functionality/ci/nitro-pro1.toml"
           - "card-functionality/ci/nitro-pro2.toml"
           - "card-functionality/ci/nitro-start.toml"
+  before_script:
+    - *report-rust
   script:
     - RUST_BACKTRACE=1 RUST_LOG=debug cargo run --bin $ARG -- $CONFIG
   cache: