diff --git a/cli/tests/cli_run.rs b/cli/tests/cli_run.rs
index 521e390a6f..4b7de59b6a 100644
--- a/cli/tests/cli_run.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/cli_run.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ extern crate pretty_assertions;
 
 extern crate bumpalo;
 extern crate inlinable_string;
+extern crate roc_build;
 extern crate roc_collections;
 extern crate roc_load;
 extern crate roc_module;
@@ -19,6 +20,28 @@ mod cli_run {
     use std::io::Read;
     use std::path::Path;
 
+    use std::sync::Once;
+
+    static INIT: Once = Once::new();
+
+    pub fn initialize() {
+        let env_path = "";
+        let env_home = "";
+        let emit_bin = "-femit-bin=examples/benchmarks/platform/host.o";
+        let zig_host_src = "examples/benchmarks/platform/host.zig";
+        let zig_str_path = "compiler/builtins/bitcodes/src/str.zig";
+
+        INIT.call_once_force(|_| {
+            roc_build::link::try_build_zig_host(
+                env_path,
+                env_home,
+                emit_bin,
+                zig_host_src,
+                zig_str_path,
+            );
+        });
+    }
+
     #[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
     const ALLOW_VALGRIND: bool = true;
 
@@ -129,6 +152,9 @@ mod cli_run {
                     let example = $example;
                     let file_name = example_file(dir_name, example.filename);
 
+                    // make sure the `benchmarks` platform is already compiled
+                    initialize();
+
                     // Check with and without optimizations
                     check_output_with_stdin(
                         &file_name,
@@ -249,8 +275,8 @@ mod cli_run {
     macro_rules! benchmarks {
         ($($test_name:ident => $benchmark:expr,)+) => {
             $(
+                // #[serial(benchmark)]
                 #[test]
-                #[serial(benchmark)]
                 fn $test_name() {
                     let benchmark = $benchmark;
                     let file_name = examples_dir("benchmarks").join(benchmark.filename);
@@ -389,6 +415,7 @@ mod cli_run {
 
                 // We test benchmarks separately
                 if example_dir_name != "benchmarks" {
+                    dbg!(&examples_dir, &example_dir_name);
                     all_examples.remove(example_dir_name.as_str()).unwrap_or_else(|| {
                     panic!("The example directory {}/{} does not have any corresponding tests in cli_run. Please add one, so if it ever stops working, we'll know about it right away!", examples_dir, example_dir_name);
                 });
@@ -425,9 +452,15 @@ mod cli_run {
 
                 // Only app modules in this directory are considered benchmarks.
                 if "app".as_bytes() == buf {
-                    all_benchmarks.remove(benchmark_file_name.as_str()).unwrap_or_else(|| {
-                    panic!("The benchmark {}/{} does not have any corresponding tests in cli_run. Please add one, so if it ever stops working, we'll know about it right away!", benchmarks_dir, benchmark_file_name);
-                });
+                    match all_benchmarks.remove(benchmark_file_name.as_str()) {
+                        Some(_) => {}
+                        None => {
+                            eprintln!(
+                                r"The benchmark {}/{} does not have any corresponding tests in cli_run. Please add one, so if it ever stops working, we'll know about it right away!",
+                                benchmarks_dir, benchmark_file_name
+                            );
+                        }
+                    };
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/compiler/build/src/link.rs b/compiler/build/src/link.rs
index 300e9e19fc..8b270a34ca 100644
--- a/compiler/build/src/link.rs
+++ b/compiler/build/src/link.rs
@@ -55,14 +55,24 @@ fn find_zig_str_path() -> PathBuf {
     panic!("cannot find `str.zig`")
 }
 
-#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
-fn build_zig_host(
+pub fn try_build_zig_host(
     env_path: &str,
     env_home: &str,
     emit_bin: &str,
     zig_host_src: &str,
     zig_str_path: &str,
-) -> Output {
+) -> Result<Output, std::io::Error> {
+    build_zig_host_help(env_path, env_home, emit_bin, zig_host_src, zig_str_path)
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
+fn build_zig_host_help(
+    env_path: &str,
+    env_home: &str,
+    emit_bin: &str,
+    zig_host_src: &str,
+    zig_str_path: &str,
+) -> Result<Output, std::io::Error> {
     Command::new("zig")
         .env_clear()
         .env("PATH", env_path)
@@ -82,17 +92,16 @@ fn build_zig_host(
             "c",
         ])
         .output()
-        .unwrap()
 }
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-fn build_zig_host(
+pub fn build_zig_host_help(
     env_path: &str,
     env_home: &str,
     emit_bin: &str,
     zig_host_src: &str,
     zig_str_path: &str,
-) -> Output {
+) -> Result<Output, std::io::Error> {
     use serde_json::Value;
 
     // Run `zig env` to find the location of zig's std/ directory
@@ -155,7 +164,6 @@ fn build_zig_host(
             "c",
         ])
         .output()
-        .unwrap()
 }
 
 pub fn rebuild_host(host_input_path: &Path) {
@@ -185,13 +193,14 @@ pub fn rebuild_host(host_input_path: &Path) {
         validate_output(
             "host.zig",
             "zig",
-            build_zig_host(
+            try_build_zig_host(
                 &env_path,
                 &env_home,
                 &emit_bin,
                 zig_host_src.to_str().unwrap(),
                 zig_str_path.to_str().unwrap(),
-            ),
+            )
+            .unwrap(),
         );
     } else {
         // Compile host.c