diff --git a/tools/test_apps/system/startup/app_test.py b/tools/test_apps/system/startup/app_test.py
index 9ce0a214f0..d7d1ee94bd 100644
--- a/tools/test_apps/system/startup/app_test.py
+++ b/tools/test_apps/system/startup/app_test.py
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 
 import glob
 import os
+import re
 
 import ttfw_idf
 from tiny_test_fw import Utility
+from ttfw_idf.IDFDUT import ESP32DUT
 
 
 @ttfw_idf.idf_custom_test(env_tag='Example_GENERIC', group='test-apps')
@@ -15,7 +17,14 @@ def test_startup(env, extra_data):
         Utility.console_log("Checking config \"{}\"... ".format(name), end='')
         dut = env.get_dut('startup', 'tools/test_apps/system/startup', app_config_name=name)
         dut.start_app()
-        dut.expect('app_main running')
+
+        if (name == 'single_core_variant' and isinstance(dut, ESP32DUT)):
+            dut.allow_dut_exception = True
+            dut.expect('Running on single core variant of a chip, but app is built with multi-core support.')
+            dut.expect(re.compile(r'abort\(\) was called at PC [0-9xa-f]+ on core 0'))
+        else:
+            dut.expect('app_main running')
+
         env.close_dut(dut.name)
         Utility.console_log('done')
 
diff --git a/tools/test_apps/system/startup/main/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/test_apps/system/startup/main/CMakeLists.txt
index 53aa18c094..2ba0fd3b3f 100644
--- a/tools/test_apps/system/startup/main/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tools/test_apps/system/startup/main/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,7 @@
 idf_component_register(SRCS "test_startup_main.c"
                        INCLUDE_DIRS ".")
+
+if(CONFIG_SINGLE_CORE_VARIANT)
+    target_sources(${COMPONENT_LIB} PRIVATE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/chip_info_patch.c")
+    target_link_libraries(${COMPONENT_LIB} INTERFACE "-Wl,--wrap=esp_chip_info")
+endif()
diff --git a/tools/test_apps/system/startup/main/Kconfig b/tools/test_apps/system/startup/main/Kconfig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..220ac13799
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/test_apps/system/startup/main/Kconfig
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+menu "Test app config"
+    config SINGLE_CORE_VARIANT
+        bool "Patch esp_chip_info to return single core in a multicore chip"
+        default "n"
+        depends on IDF_TARGET_ESP32 || IDF_TARGET_ESP32S3
+endmenu
diff --git a/tools/test_apps/system/startup/main/chip_info_patch.c b/tools/test_apps/system/startup/main/chip_info_patch.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..21b6ac78bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/test_apps/system/startup/main/chip_info_patch.c
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// Copyright 2013-2016 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) PTE LTD
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+#include "esp_system.h"
+
+extern void __real_esp_chip_info(esp_chip_info_t* out_info);
+
+// Fake a single core chip for testing purposes only, see CONFIG_SINGLE_CORE_VARIANT
+void __wrap_esp_chip_info(esp_chip_info_t* out_info)
+{
+    __real_esp_chip_info(out_info);
+    out_info->cores = 1;
+}
diff --git a/tools/test_apps/system/startup/sdkconfig.ci.single_core_variant b/tools/test_apps/system/startup/sdkconfig.ci.single_core_variant
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..61216b07fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/test_apps/system/startup/sdkconfig.ci.single_core_variant
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+CONFIG_SINGLE_CORE_VARIANT=y