diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 33edc5fd7700770f7c4fb14f4b8735cd0b40e33b..16dcf96924e1a0786bf52b3a403ca200c683d1bc 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ variables:
   CARGO_TARGET_DIR:                "/ci-cache/${CI_PROJECT_NAME}/targets/${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}/${CI_JOB_NAME}"
   RUST_LIB_BACKTRACE:              "0"
 
+# Necessary for building binaryen-sys, which is part of the binaryen dependency.
+# Should be reverted once the `cargo-contract` ci image provides a clang version
+# for which building `binaryen-sys` works (paritytech/scripts/#237).
+  CXX:                             "/usr/bin/clang++-8"
+
 workflow:
   rules:
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG