diff --git a/core/deployment/pom.xml b/core/deployment/pom.xml
index 7588aa22db05a..fce7859f7272e 100644
--- a/core/deployment/pom.xml
+++ b/core/deployment/pom.xml
@@ -133,6 +133,15 @@
 
     <build>
         <plugins>
+            <plugin>
+                <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+                <configuration>
+                    <systemPropertyVariables>
+                        <!-- Give tests a hint to not use containers, by default -->
+                        <avoid-containers>true</avoid-containers>
+                    </systemPropertyVariables>
+                </configuration>
+            </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
                 <executions>
@@ -179,4 +188,28 @@
             </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
+
+    <profiles>
+        <profile>
+            <id>test-native-container-build</id>
+            <activation>
+                <property>
+                    <name>start-containers</name>
+                </property>
+            </activation>
+            <build>
+                <plugins>
+                    <plugin>
+                        <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+                        <configuration>
+                            <systemPropertyVariables>
+                                <!-- Enable the container-based tests -->
+                                <avoid-containers>false</avoid-containers>
+                            </systemPropertyVariables>
+                        </configuration>
+                    </plugin>
+                </plugins>
+            </build>
+        </profile>
+    </profiles>
 </project>
diff --git a/core/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildContainerRunnerTest.java b/core/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildContainerRunnerTest.java
index 200352653c202..f5136dfee0757 100644
--- a/core/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildContainerRunnerTest.java
+++ b/core/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildContainerRunnerTest.java
@@ -7,11 +7,14 @@
 import java.util.Optional;
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.condition.DisabledIfSystemProperty;
 
 import io.quarkus.deployment.pkg.NativeConfig;
 
 class NativeImageBuildContainerRunnerTest {
 
+    // This will default to false in the maven build and true in the IDE, so this will still run if invoked explicitly
+    @DisabledIfSystemProperty(named = "avoid-containers", matches = "true")
     @Test
     void testBuilderImageBeingPickedUp() {
         NativeConfig nativeConfig = new NativeConfig();