diff --git a/tools/ci/configure_ci_environment.sh b/tools/ci/configure_ci_environment.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a92600e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/ci/configure_ci_environment.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# This file is sourced in to the CI environment
+# in .gitlab-ci.yml
+#
+
+# Sets the error behaviour options for shell throughout the CI environment
+#
+set -o errexit # Exit if command failed.
+set -o pipefail # Exit if pipe failed.
+
+# we can use the appropriate secret variable for debugging
+[ ! -z $DEBUG_SHELL ] && set -x
+
+[ -z $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME ] && echo "This internal script should only be run by a Gitlab CI runner." && exit 1
+
+# Sets IS_PUBLIC and IS_PRIVATE based on branch type
+#
+# Public branches are:
+# release branches - start with release/
+# release tags - look like vXX.YY or vXX.YY.ZZ with an optional dash followed by anything on the end
+# master branch
+#
+# These POSIX REs are equivalent to the REs in some "only:" sections of the gitlab-ci.yml file
+#
+REF=$CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME
+if [[ $REF = "master" || $REF =~ ^release/v || $REF =~ ^v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(\.[0-9]+)?(-|$) ]]; then
+    export IS_PRIVATE=
+    export IS_PUBLIC=1
+else
+    export IS_PRIVATE=1
+    export IS_PUBLIC=
+fi
+unset REF