diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 5d9805f7..8114a816 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ codespell:
 pytest:
   stage: test
   script:
-    - "apk -q add git android-tools"
+    - "apk -q add git android-tools multipath-tools losetup"
     - "su build -c 'git config --global user.email ci@ci'"
     - "su build -c 'git config --global user.name CI'"
     - "echo 'build ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL' >> /etc/sudoers"
diff --git a/pmb/config/init.py b/pmb/config/init.py
index 4596a9ac..6cb09c25 100644
--- a/pmb/config/init.py
+++ b/pmb/config/init.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import pmb.chroot.zap
 import pmb.parse.deviceinfo
 from pmb.parse.deviceinfo import Deviceinfo
 import pmb.parse._apkbuild
+import subprocess
 
 
 def require_programs() -> None:
@@ -50,11 +51,16 @@ def require_programs() -> None:
     if "losetup" not in missing:
         # Check if losetup supports the --json argument. Use the absolute path
         # here, so it works in Debian too without using sudo.
+        # FIXME: we use subprocess directly here since pmb.helpers.run.user() requires
+        # global context to be initialized but we want this to run early in pytest.
         try:
-            pmb.helpers.run.user(
-                [pmb.config.required_programs["losetup"], "--json"], check=True, output="null"
+            subprocess.run(
+                [pmb.config.required_programs["losetup"], "--json"],
+                stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                check=True,
             )
-        except RuntimeError:
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
             losetup_missing_json = True
 
     error_message = ""
diff --git a/pmb/conftest.py b/pmb/conftest.py
index ba2506cc..bc0694cb 100644
--- a/pmb/conftest.py
+++ b/pmb/conftest.py
@@ -52,6 +52,13 @@ def device_package(config_file):
     return pkgdir
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def find_required_programs():
+    """Fixture to find required programs for pmbootstrap."""
+
+    pmb.config.require_programs()
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def mock_devices_find_path(device_package, monkeypatch):
     """Fixture to mock pmb.helpers.devices.find_path()"""