diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 5f4bbe08..984bdb86 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,19 +1,32 @@
-# default build for all distros
-# only create artifacts of the build directory when something fails (for cmake logs)
-# cache the ccache/ directory for each job separately
-.build_template: &distro_build
+# all builds use the same ccache folder in the project root that is cached
+variables:
+  CCACHE_BASEDIR: '$CI_PROJECT_DIR'
+  CCACHE_DIR: '$CI_PROJECT_DIR/ccache'
+
+# default config for all distros:
+# - install dependencies via script
+# - create ccache dir & setup caching of it (for each job separately)
+.build_config: &default_config
   before_script:
     - ci/install_dependencies.sh
+    - mkdir -p ccache
+  cache:
+    key: "$CI_JOB_NAME"
+    paths:
+      - ccache/
+
+# default build job:
+# - run build script
+# - only create artifacts of the build directory when something fails
+#   (for cmake logs)
+.build_template: &distro_build
   script:
     - python3 ci/test_build.py
   artifacts:
     when: on_failure
     paths:
       - build/
-  cache:
-    key: "$CI_JOB_NAME"
-    paths:
-      - ccache/
+
 
 stages:
   - test
@@ -21,33 +34,38 @@ stages:
 
 Fedora:
   image: fedora:28
+  <<: *default_config
   <<: *distro_build
 
 Debian:
   image: debian:9
+  <<: *default_config
   <<: *distro_build
 
 Archlinux:
   image: base/archlinux
+  <<: *default_config
   <<: *distro_build
 
 Ubuntu:
   image: ubuntu:18.04
+  <<: *default_config
   <<: *distro_build
 
 CentOS:
   image: centos:7
+  <<: *default_config
   <<: *distro_build
 
 OpenSUSE:
   image: opensuse:tumbleweed
+  <<: *default_config
   <<: *distro_build
 
 Install:
   image: fedora:28
   stage: deploy
-  before_script:
-    - ci/install_dependencies.sh
+  <<: *default_config
   script:
     - mkdir build && cd build
     - cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DEXIV2_ENABLE_VIDEO=ON -DEXIV2_ENABLE_WEBREADY=ON -DEXIV2_BUILD_UNIT_TESTS=ON -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/ -DBUILD_WITH_CCACHE=ON ..
diff --git a/ci/test_build.py b/ci/test_build.py
index 62a25496..73bb5d2c 100644
--- a/ci/test_build.py
+++ b/ci/test_build.py
@@ -37,10 +37,8 @@ def call_wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
         sys.exit(return_code)
 
 
-# create build & ccache directory (ccache could already exist in the CI's cache)
+# create build directory
 os.mkdir("build")
-if not os.path.exists('ccache'):
-    os.mkdir("ccache")
 
 root_dir = os.path.abspath(os.getcwd())
 
@@ -64,8 +62,6 @@ for params in itertools.product(SHARED_LIBS, CCS, BUILD_TYPES):
     env_copy = os.environ.copy()
     env_copy["CC"] = cc
     env_copy["CXX"] = cxx
-    env_copy["CCACHE_BASEDIR"] = root_dir
-    env_copy["CCACHE_DIR"] = os.path.join(root_dir, "ccache")
 
     # location of the binaries for the new test suite:
     env_copy["EXIV2_BINDIR"] = os.path.join(cwd, "bin")