diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
index 394faf71e2f..e1891770930 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-core.yml
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ jobs:
           slack-message: "golangci-lint failed: ${{ job.html_url }}\n${{ format('https://github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink/actions/runs/{0}', github.run_id) }}"
 
   core:
+    env:
+      # We explicitly have this env var not be "CL_DATABASE_URL" to avoid having it be used by core related tests
+      # when they should not be using it, while still allowing us to DRY up the setup
+      DB_URL: postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/chainlink_test?sslmode=disable
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -92,8 +96,6 @@ jobs:
     if: github.actor != 'dependabot[bot]'
     needs: [filter]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest-64cores-256GB
-    env:
-      CL_DATABASE_URL: postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/chainlink_test?sslmode=disable
     steps:
       - name: Checkout the repo
         uses: actions/checkout@9bb56186c3b09b4f86b1c65136769dd318469633 # v4.1.2
@@ -136,6 +138,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup DB
         if: ${{ needs.filter.outputs.changes == 'true' }}
         run: ./chainlink.test local db preparetest
+        env:
+          CL_DATABASE_URL: ${{ env.DB_URL }}
       - name: Install LOOP Plugins
         if: ${{ needs.filter.outputs.changes == 'true' }}
         run: |
@@ -165,6 +169,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           OUTPUT_FILE: ./output.txt
           USE_TEE: false
+          CL_DATABASE_URL: ${{ env.DB_URL }}  
         run: ./tools/bin/${{ matrix.type.cmd }} ./...
       - name: Print Filtered Test Results
         if: ${{ failure() && matrix.type.cmd == 'go_core_tests' && needs.filter.outputs.changes == 'true' }}
diff --git a/core/chains/evm/config/config_test.go b/core/chains/evm/config/config_test.go
index e1c7a9f48cc..9553f59ad61 100644
--- a/core/chains/evm/config/config_test.go
+++ b/core/chains/evm/config/config_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink/v2/core/internal/testutils/configtest"
 	"github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink/v2/core/internal/testutils/evmtest"
 	"github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink/v2/core/services/chainlink"
+	"github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink/v2/core/store/models"
 )
 
 func TestChainScopedConfig(t *testing.T) {
@@ -380,6 +381,7 @@ func TestChainScopedConfig_HeadTracker(t *testing.T) {
 func Test_chainScopedConfig_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 	configWithChains := func(t *testing.T, id int64, chains ...*toml.Chain) config.AppConfig {
 		return configtest.NewGeneralConfig(t, func(c *chainlink.Config, s *chainlink.Secrets) {
+			s.Database.URL = models.MustSecretURL("postgresql://doesnotexist:justtopassvalidationtests@localhost:5432/chainlink_na_test")
 			chainID := ubig.NewI(id)
 			c.EVM[0] = &toml.EVMConfig{ChainID: chainID, Enabled: ptr(true), Chain: toml.Defaults(chainID, chains...),
 				Nodes: toml.EVMNodes{{
diff --git a/core/services/chainlink/config_database_test.go b/core/services/chainlink/config_database_test.go
index 9cde07c9a63..b52d17452aa 100644
--- a/core/services/chainlink/config_database_test.go
+++ b/core/services/chainlink/config_database_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 func TestDatabaseConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	opts := GeneralConfigOpts{
 		ConfigStrings: []string{fullTOML},
+		SecretsStrings: []string{`[Database]
+URL = "postgresql://doesnotexist:justtopassvalidationtests@localhost:5432/chainlink_na_test"`},
 	}
 	cfg, err := opts.New()
 	require.NoError(t, err)