diff --git a/boards/risc-v/qemu-rv/rv-virt/configs/citest/defconfig b/boards/risc-v/qemu-rv/rv-virt/configs/citest/defconfig
index c6aa9888eb4..a080275da01 100644
--- a/boards/risc-v/qemu-rv/rv-virt/configs/citest/defconfig
+++ b/boards/risc-v/qemu-rv/rv-virt/configs/citest/defconfig
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ CONFIG_ARCH_RISCV=y
 CONFIG_ARCH_STACKDUMP=y
 CONFIG_BOARD_LOOPSPERMSEC=6366
 CONFIG_BUILTIN=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_ASSERTIONS=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES=y
 CONFIG_DEBUG_FULLOPT=y
 CONFIG_DEBUG_SYMBOLS=y
 CONFIG_DEV_ZERO=y
diff --git a/boards/sim/sim/sim/configs/citest/defconfig b/boards/sim/sim/sim/configs/citest/defconfig
index 639991dd180..4da86910995 100644
--- a/boards/sim/sim/sim/configs/citest/defconfig
+++ b/boards/sim/sim/sim/configs/citest/defconfig
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ CONFIG_BOARDCTL_POWEROFF=y
 CONFIG_BOARD_LOOPSPERMSEC=0
 CONFIG_BOOT_RUNFROMEXTSRAM=y
 CONFIG_BUILTIN=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_ASSERTIONS=y
+CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES=y
 CONFIG_DEBUG_SYMBOLS=y
 CONFIG_DEV_GPIO=y
 CONFIG_DEV_LOOP=y