diff --git a/ci/builders/mac_unopt.json b/ci/builders/mac_unopt.json
index dfae57a324ea1..d1f446ff65ecb 100644
--- a/ci/builders/mac_unopt.json
+++ b/ci/builders/mac_unopt.json
@@ -125,17 +125,20 @@
                 "use_rbe": true
             },
             "gn": [
-               "--runtime-mode",
-               "debug",
-               "--unoptimized",
-               "--no-lto",
-               "--prebuilt-dart-sdk",
-               "--force-mac-arm64",
-               "--mac-cpu",
-               "arm64",
-               "--rbe",
-               "--no-goma",
-               "--xcode-symlinks"
+                "--runtime-mode",
+                "debug",
+                "--unoptimized",
+                "--no-lto",
+                "--prebuilt-dart-sdk",
+                "--force-mac-arm64",
+                "--enable-impeller-vulkan",
+                "--enable-impeller-opengles",
+                "--use-glfw-swiftshader",
+                "--mac-cpu",
+                "arm64",
+                "--rbe",
+                "--no-goma",
+                "--xcode-symlinks"
             ],
             "name": "host_debug_unopt_arm64",
             "ninja": {
@@ -157,7 +160,7 @@
                         "--variant",
                         "host_debug_unopt_arm64",
                         "--type",
-                        "dart,dart-host,engine",
+                        "dart,dart-host,engine,impeller-golden",
                         "--engine-capture-core-dump"
                     ]
                 }
diff --git a/testing/run_tests.py b/testing/run_tests.py
index 3617937f9f33a..41e20540ed1d7 100755
--- a/testing/run_tests.py
+++ b/testing/run_tests.py
@@ -172,6 +172,30 @@ def find_executable_path(path):
   raise Exception('Executable %s does not exist!' % path)
 
 
+def metal_validation_env(build_dir):
+  extra_env = {
+      # pylint: disable=line-too-long
+      # See https://developer.apple.com/documentation/metal/diagnosing_metal_programming_issues_early?language=objc
+      'MTL_SHADER_VALIDATION': '1',  # Enables all shader validation tests.
+      'MTL_SHADER_VALIDATION_GLOBAL_MEMORY':
+          '1',  # Validates accesses to device and constant memory.
+      'MTL_SHADER_VALIDATION_THREADGROUP_MEMORY': '1',  # Validates accesses to threadgroup memory.
+      'MTL_SHADER_VALIDATION_TEXTURE_USAGE': '1',  # Validates that texture references are not nil.
+      # Note: built from //third_party/swiftshader
+      'VK_ICD_FILENAMES': os.path.join(build_dir, 'vk_swiftshader_icd.json'),
+      # Note: built from //third_party/vulkan_validation_layers:vulkan_gen_json_files
+      # and //third_party/vulkan_validation_layers.
+      'VK_LAYER_PATH': os.path.join(build_dir, 'vulkan-data'),
+      'VK_INSTANCE_LAYERS': 'VK_LAYER_KHRONOS_validation',
+  }
+  if is_aarm64():
+    extra_env.update({
+        'METAL_DEBUG_ERROR_MODE': '0',  # Enables metal validation.
+        'METAL_DEVICE_WRAPPER_TYPE': '1',  # Enables metal validation.
+    })
+  return extra_env
+
+
 def build_engine_executable_command(
     build_dir, executable_name, flags=None, coverage=False, gtest=False
 ):
@@ -474,28 +498,7 @@ def make_test(name, flags=None, extra_env=None):
           shuffle_flags,
           coverage=coverage
       )
-    extra_env = {
-        # pylint: disable=line-too-long
-        # See https://developer.apple.com/documentation/metal/diagnosing_metal_programming_issues_early?language=objc
-        'MTL_SHADER_VALIDATION': '1',  # Enables all shader validation tests.
-        'MTL_SHADER_VALIDATION_GLOBAL_MEMORY':
-            '1',  # Validates accesses to device and constant memory.
-        'MTL_SHADER_VALIDATION_THREADGROUP_MEMORY':
-            '1',  # Validates accesses to threadgroup memory.
-        'MTL_SHADER_VALIDATION_TEXTURE_USAGE':
-            '1',  # Validates that texture references are not nil.
-        # Note: built from //third_party/swiftshader
-        'VK_ICD_FILENAMES': os.path.join(build_dir, 'vk_swiftshader_icd.json'),
-        # Note: built from //third_party/vulkan_validation_layers:vulkan_gen_json_files
-        # and //third_party/vulkan_validation_layers.
-        'VK_LAYER_PATH': os.path.join(build_dir, 'vulkan-data'),
-        'VK_INSTANCE_LAYERS': 'VK_LAYER_KHRONOS_validation',
-    }
-    if is_aarm64():
-      extra_env.update({
-          'METAL_DEBUG_ERROR_MODE': '0',  # Enables metal validation.
-          'METAL_DEVICE_WRAPPER_TYPE': '1',  # Enables metal validation.
-      })
+    extra_env = metal_validation_env(build_dir)
     mac_impeller_unittests_flags = shuffle_flags + [
         '--enable_vulkan_validation',
         '--gtest_filter=-*OpenGLES'  # These are covered in the golden tests.
@@ -1036,7 +1039,8 @@ def run_impeller_golden_tests(build_dir: str):
   harvester_path: Path = Path(SCRIPT_DIR).parent.joinpath('tools'
                                                          ).joinpath('golden_tests_harvester')
   with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix='impeller_golden') as temp_dir:
-    run_cmd([tests_path, f'--working_dir={temp_dir}'], cwd=build_dir)
+    extra_env = extra_env = metal_validation_env(build_dir)
+    run_cmd([tests_path, f'--working_dir={temp_dir}'], cwd=build_dir, env=extra_env)
     dart_bin = os.path.join(build_dir, 'dart-sdk', 'bin', 'dart')
     golden_path = os.path.join('testing', 'impeller_golden_tests_output.txt')
     script_path = os.path.join('tools', 'dir_contents_diff', 'bin', 'dir_contents_diff.dart')