diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index d20a0d28baf..d79f74c94c9 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -147,6 +147,18 @@ include:
 
       echo "Setting up build environment for ${machine^}..."
       echo "Using build directory ${GW_HOMEgfs}"
+
+      # TEMPORARY: Use custom Rocoto build with dryrun feature for testing
+      # TODO: Remove this when upstream Rocoto PR is merged
+      # Load platform-specific configuration first
+      source "${HOMEgfs}/dev/ci/platforms/config.${MACHINE_ID}"
+      if [[ -n "${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH:-}" && -d "${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH}" ]]; then
+        export PATH="${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH}:$PATH"
+        echo "Using custom Rocoto build at: $(which rocotorun 2>/dev/null || echo 'NOT FOUND')"
+      else
+        echo "ROCOTO_TEST_PATH not set or directory not found, using system Rocoto"
+      fi
+
       git submodule status
       # When GFS_CI_RUN_TYPE is set to "nightly", we use the develop branch
       # It should be set when configuring the scheculed nightly pipeline
diff --git a/dev/ci/gitlab-ci-cases.yml b/dev/ci/gitlab-ci-cases.yml
index d4018eb59f9..49c32dafbc6 100644
--- a/dev/ci/gitlab-ci-cases.yml
+++ b/dev/ci/gitlab-ci-cases.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,18 @@
   script:
     - |
       echo "Using build directory ${GW_HOMEgfs} (dated ${DATE})"
+
+      # TEMPORARY: Use custom Rocoto build with dryrun feature for testing
+      # TODO: Remove this when upstream Rocoto PR is merged
+      # Load platform-specific configuration first
+      source "${GW_HOMEgfs}/dev/ci/platforms/config.${machine}"
+      if [[ -n "${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH:-}" && -d "${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH}" ]]; then
+        export PATH="${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH}:$PATH"
+        echo "Using custom Rocoto build at: $(which rocotorun 2>/dev/null || echo 'NOT FOUND')"
+      else
+        echo "ROCOTO_TEST_PATH not set or directory not found, using system Rocoto"
+      fi
+
       pslot=$("${GW_HOMEgfs}/dev/ci/scripts/utils/ci_utils.sh" get_pslot "${RUNTESTS_DIR}" "${caseName}")
       "${GW_HOMEgfs}/dev/ci/scripts/run_check_gitlab_ci.sh" "${GW_RUN_PATH}" "${pslot}" global-workflow
       exit $? 
diff --git a/dev/ci/gitlab-ci-ctests.yml b/dev/ci/gitlab-ci-ctests.yml
index 6f08629fa19..622432987c7 100644
--- a/dev/ci/gitlab-ci-ctests.yml
+++ b/dev/ci/gitlab-ci-ctests.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,18 @@
   stage: setup_tests
   script: |
     echo "Setting up for ctests pipeline building in ${GW_HOMEgfs} on ${machine}"
+    
+    # TEMPORARY: Use custom Rocoto build with dryrun feature for testing
+    # TODO: Remove this when upstream Rocoto PR is merged
+    # Load platform-specific configuration first
+    source "${GW_HOMEgfs}/dev/ci/platforms/config.${machine}"
+    if [[ -n "${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH:-}" && -d "${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH}" ]]; then
+      export PATH="${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH}:$PATH"
+      echo "Using custom Rocoto build at: $(which rocotorun 2>/dev/null || echo 'NOT FOUND')"
+    else
+      echo "ROCOTO_TEST_PATH not set or directory not found, using system Rocoto"
+    fi
+    
     source "${GW_HOMEgfs}/dev/ush/gw_setup.sh"
     source "${GW_HOMEgfs}/dev/ci/platforms/config.${machine}"
     cd "${GW_HOMEgfs}/dev/ctests" || exit 1
@@ -52,7 +64,17 @@
   stage: run_tests
   script: |
     echo "Using build directory ${GW_HOMEgfs} for running CTests"
+    
     source "${GW_HOMEgfs}/dev/ush/gw_setup.sh"
+    # Platform config loaded by gw_setup.sh, now check for custom Rocoto
+    # TEMPORARY: Use custom Rocoto build with dryrun feature for testing
+    # TODO: Remove this when upstream Rocoto PR is merged
+    if [[ -n "${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH:-}" && -d "${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH}" ]]; then
+      export PATH="${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH}:$PATH"
+      echo "Using custom Rocoto build at: $(which rocotorun 2>/dev/null || echo 'NOT FOUND')"
+    else
+      echo "ROCOTO_TEST_PATH not set or directory not found, using system Rocoto"
+    fi
     cd "${GW_HOMEgfs}/dev/ctests/build" || exit 1
     echo "Running CTests with label: ${CTEST_NAME} in ${PWD}"
     num=$(ctest -N | grep "Total Tests" | awk "{print \$3}")
diff --git a/dev/ci/platforms/config.gaeac6 b/dev/ci/platforms/config.gaeac6
index 5bd18751e59..d21974e79ec 100644
--- a/dev/ci/platforms/config.gaeac6
+++ b/dev/ci/platforms/config.gaeac6
@@ -61,3 +61,16 @@ export max_concurrent_pr=4    # number of concurrent pull requests
 
 # HPC account information - For job submission
 export HPC_ACCOUNT=${HPC_ACCOUNT:-drsa-precip3}
+
+#########################################################################
+# System-specific settings
+# Platform-specific paths and utilities for CI/CD operations
+#########################################################################
+
+# Utilities path for custom builds and role account tools
+export UTIL_PATH="${GFS_CI_ROOT}/utils"
+
+# Custom Rocoto build path for testing (temporary)
+# TODO: Remove when upstream Rocoto PR is merged
+# and Rocoto with dry_run support is available in Gaea C6 modules
+export ROCOTO_TEST_PATH="${UTIL_PATH}/rocoto_forked/bin"
diff --git a/dev/ci/platforms/config.hera b/dev/ci/platforms/config.hera
index b498b5c011f..52a40efaf7d 100644
--- a/dev/ci/platforms/config.hera
+++ b/dev/ci/platforms/config.hera
@@ -67,3 +67,16 @@ export max_concurrent_pr=4
 
 # HPC account which overides the default account
 export HPC_ACCOUNT=${HPC_ACCOUNT:-fv3-cpu}
+
+#########################################################################
+# System-specific settings
+# Platform-specific paths and utilities for CI/CD operations
+#########################################################################
+
+# Utilities path for custom builds and role account tools
+# TODO: Populate with actual role account path for this machine
+export UTIL_PATH="/path/to/role/account/utils"
+
+# Custom Rocoto build path for testing (temporary)
+# TODO: Remove when upstream Rocoto PR is merged
+export ROCOTO_TEST_PATH="${UTIL_PATH}/Rocoto/bin"
diff --git a/dev/ci/platforms/config.hercules b/dev/ci/platforms/config.hercules
index 59d5dbdabee..39e1e6e9b3c 100644
--- a/dev/ci/platforms/config.hercules
+++ b/dev/ci/platforms/config.hercules
@@ -49,4 +49,17 @@ export GITLAB_BUILDS_DIR=${GFS_CI_ROOT}/BUILDS/GITLAB
 export GITLAB_RUNNER_DIR="${GFS_CI_ROOT}/GitLab/Runner"
 
 # HPC account which overides the default account
-export HPC_ACCOUNT=${HPC_ACCOUNT:-fv3-cpu}
+export HPC_ACCOUNT=${HPC_ACCOUNT:-epic-ps}
+
+#########################################################################
+# System-specific settings
+# Platform-specific paths and utilities for CI/CD operations
+#########################################################################
+
+# Utilities path for custom builds and role account tools
+# TODO: Populate with actual role account path for this machine
+export UTIL_PATH="/path/to/role/account/utils"
+
+# Custom Rocoto build path for testing (temporary)
+# TODO: Remove when upstream Rocoto PR is merged
+export ROCOTO_TEST_PATH="${UTIL_PATH}/Rocoto/bin"
diff --git a/dev/ci/platforms/config.orion b/dev/ci/platforms/config.orion
index 2f7fc614831..c29f761eeac 100644
--- a/dev/ci/platforms/config.orion
+++ b/dev/ci/platforms/config.orion
@@ -50,3 +50,16 @@ export GITLAB_RUNNER_DIR="${GFS_CI_ROOT}/GitLab/Runner"
 
 # HPC account which overides the default account
 export HPC_ACCOUNT=${HPC_ACCOUNT:-fv3-cpu}
+
+#########################################################################
+# System-specific settings
+# Platform-specific paths and utilities for CI/CD operations
+#########################################################################
+
+# Utilities path for custom builds and role account tools
+# TODO: Populate with actual role account path for this machine
+export UTIL_PATH="/path/to/role/account/utils"
+
+# Custom Rocoto build path for testing (temporary)
+# TODO: Remove when upstream Rocoto PR is merged
+export ROCOTO_TEST_PATH="${UTIL_PATH}/Rocoto/bin"
diff --git a/dev/ci/platforms/config.ursa b/dev/ci/platforms/config.ursa
index 4d396c3a65c..f67c505e5f0 100644
--- a/dev/ci/platforms/config.ursa
+++ b/dev/ci/platforms/config.ursa
@@ -67,3 +67,14 @@ export max_concurrent_pr=4
 
 # HPC account which overides the default account
 export HPC_ACCOUNT=${HPC_ACCOUNT:-fv3-cpu}
+
+#########################################################################
+# System-specific settings
+# Platform-specific paths and utilities for CI/CD operations
+#########################################################################
+
+# Utilities path for custom builds and role account tools
+export UTIL_PATH="/scratch3/NCEPDEV/global/role.glopara/utils"
+
+# Custom Rocoto build path for testing (temporary)
+export ROCOTO_TEST_PATH="${UTIL_PATH}/src/rocoto-1.3.7-dryrun_update/bin"
diff --git a/dev/ci/platforms/config.wcoss2 b/dev/ci/platforms/config.wcoss2
index 43c804fb13c..5d91ae2db3a 100644
--- a/dev/ci/platforms/config.wcoss2
+++ b/dev/ci/platforms/config.wcoss2
@@ -2,6 +2,20 @@
 
 export GFS_CI_ROOT=/lfs/h2/emc/global/noscrub/globalworkflow.ci/GFS_CI_ROOT
 export ICSDIR_ROOT=/lfs/h2/emc/global/noscrub/emc.global/data/ICSDIR
+# HPC account which overides the default account
 export HPC_ACCOUNT=${HPC_ACCOUNT:-GFS-DEV}
+
+#########################################################################
+# System-specific settings
+# Platform-specific paths and utilities for CI/CD operations
+#########################################################################
+
+# Utilities path for custom builds and role account tools
+# TODO: Populate with actual role account path for this machine
+export UTIL_PATH="/path/to/role/account/utils"
+
+# Custom Rocoto build path for testing (temporary)
+# TODO: Remove when upstream Rocoto PR is merged
+export ROCOTO_TEST_PATH="${UTIL_PATH}/Rocoto/bin"
 export max_concurrent_cases=5
 export max_concurrent_pr=4
diff --git a/dev/ctests/scripts/execute.sh.in b/dev/ctests/scripts/execute.sh.in
index abb6d172889..e17ae0e00c4 100755
--- a/dev/ctests/scripts/execute.sh.in
+++ b/dev/ctests/scripts/execute.sh.in
@@ -8,13 +8,26 @@ TEST_NAME=$("${HOMEgfs}/dev/ci/scripts/utils/ci_utils.sh" get_pslot "@CMAKE_CURR
 JOB=${2:?"Job name is required"}
 idate=$3
 
-rocotoboot_dryrun=$(command -v rocotoboot_dryrun) || true
+# Use standard rocotoboot with --dryrun flag
 CASEDIR="@CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR@/RUNTESTS/EXPDIR/${TEST_NAME}"
 cd "${CASEDIR}"
 rm -f ./*.db
-rm -f ./jobcard                                                                             
+rm -f ./jobcard
 
-yes | "${rocotoboot_dryrun}" --dryrun -d "${TEST_NAME}.db" -w "${TEST_NAME}.xml" -v 10 -c "${idate}00" -t "${JOB}" 2> jobcard || true
+# TEMPORARY: Use custom Rocoto build with dryrun feature for testing
+# TODO: Remove this when upstream Rocoto PR is merged
+# Load platform-specific configuration first
+
+source "${HOMEgfs}/ush/detect_machine.sh"
+source "${HOMEgfs}/dev/ci/platforms/config.${MACHINE_ID}"
+if [[ -n "${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH:-}" && -d "${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH}" ]]; then
+  export PATH="${ROCOTO_TEST_PATH}:$PATH"
+  echo "Using custom Rocoto build at: $(which rocotorun 2>/dev/null || echo 'NOT FOUND')"
+else
+  echo "ROCOTO_TEST_PATH not set or directory not found, using system Rocoto"
+fi
+
+yes | rocotoboot --dryrun -d "${TEST_NAME}.db" -w "${TEST_NAME}.xml" -v 10 -c "${idate}00" -t "${JOB}" 2> jobcard || true
 # Rocoto outputs the job card inside of {{}}.  Strip all other output to get just the job card.
 sed -n '/^{{/,/^}}/p' < jobcard | sed '1d;$d'  > "${TEST_NAME}.sub" || true