diff --git a/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/CheckSteps.py b/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/CheckSteps.py
index 22fd8d6643fa84fe834fd8da33747692bce1a594..cd37aa4b2a2e576eb68917308c66077c268a2b4d 100644
--- a/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/CheckSteps.py
+++ b/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/CheckSteps.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import six
 import glob
 
 from TrigValTools.TrigValSteering.Step import Step, get_step_from_list
-from TrigValTools.TrigValSteering.Common import art_input_eos, art_input_cvmfs
+from TrigValTools.TrigValSteering.Common import art_input_eos, art_input_cvmfs, running_in_CI
 
 class RefComparisonStep(Step):
     '''Base class for steps comparing a file to a reference'''
@@ -350,6 +350,9 @@ class RootCompStep(RefComparisonStep):
 
     def configure(self, test):
         RefComparisonStep.configure(self, test)
+        if running_in_CI():
+            # drawing the diff output may be slow and is not needed for CI
+            self.args += ' --noRoot --noPS'
         self.args += ' {} {}'.format(self.reference, self.input_file)
         Step.configure(self, test)
 
diff --git a/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/Common.py b/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/Common.py
index 88351701d8ad734a763a7d2d4f1c51cc826e9e25..22d0a003f8254318108fb44e64b20cbd853e3aae 100644
--- a/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/Common.py
+++ b/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/Common.py
@@ -68,3 +68,8 @@ def check_job_options(jo_path):
     # Try to find the file in JOBOPTSEARCHPATH
     found = FindFile(jo_path, os.environ['JOBOPTSEARCHPATH'].split(os.pathsep), os.R_OK)
     return found is not None
+
+
+@memoize
+def running_in_CI():
+    return os.environ.get('gitlabTargetBranch') is not None
diff --git a/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/Step.py b/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/Step.py
index 296519c370cc60ca15ccb7cb05271a5827a7befc..e606b339c97b2d836718b784114348be0eae3e69 100644
--- a/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/Step.py
+++ b/Trigger/TrigValidation/TrigValTools/python/TrigValSteering/Step.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import time
 import re
 from enum import Enum
 from threading import Timer
-from TrigValTools.TrigValSteering.Common import get_logger, art_result
+from TrigValTools.TrigValSteering.Common import get_logger, art_result, running_in_CI
 
 
 class Step(object):
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class Step(object):
         # Print full log to stdout for failed steps if running in CI
         if self.required \
                 and self.result != 0 \
-                and os.environ.get('gitlabTargetBranch') \
+                and running_in_CI() \
                 and self.output_stream==self.OutputStream.FILE_ONLY:
             self.log.error('Step failure while running in CI. Printing full log %s', self.get_log_file_name())
             with open(self.get_log_file_name()) as log_file: