diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 13fc4a248a..121f711ce0 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -121,6 +121,20 @@ before_script:
     - export PYTHONPATH="$IDF_PATH/tools:$IDF_PATH/tools/ci/python_packages:$PYTHONPATH"
     - fetch_submodules
 
+# this is a workaround since CI on 4.3 is using python 3.4 and the real support version is 3.6
+# Can't find package versions that match both of them at the same time.
+# install the idf-component-manager here instead of in the dockerfile with a fixed version
+.before_script_build_cmake:
+  before_script:
+    - source tools/ci/utils.sh
+    - source tools/ci/setup_python.sh
+    - apply_bot_filter
+    - add_gitlab_ssh_keys
+    - source tools/ci/configure_ci_environment.sh
+    - *setup_tools_unless_target_test
+    - fetch_submodules
+    - pip install "idf-component-manager~=1.1"
+
 default:
   retry:
     max: 2
diff --git a/docs/en/api-guides/build-system.rst b/docs/en/api-guides/build-system.rst
index 3f3d53d9d4..b1c20b7ea2 100644
--- a/docs/en/api-guides/build-system.rst
+++ b/docs/en/api-guides/build-system.rst
@@ -1241,6 +1241,7 @@ These are properties that describe the build. Values of build properties can be
 - EXECUTABLE - project executable; set by call to ``idf_build_executable``
 - EXECUTABLE_NAME - name of project executable without extension; set by call to ``idf_build_executable``
 - EXECUTABLE_DIR - path containing the output executable
+- IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER - the component manager is enabled by default, but if this property is set to ``0`` it was disabled by the IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER environment variable
 - IDF_PATH - ESP-IDF path; set from IDF_PATH environment variable, if not, inferred from the location of ``idf.cmake``
 - IDF_TARGET - target chip for the build; set from the required target argument for ``idf_build_process``
 - IDF_VER - ESP-IDF version; set from either a version file or the Git revision of the IDF_PATH repository
diff --git a/docs/en/api-guides/tools/idf-component-manager.rst b/docs/en/api-guides/tools/idf-component-manager.rst
index 3700256194..fcd268c380 100644
--- a/docs/en/api-guides/tools/idf-component-manager.rst
+++ b/docs/en/api-guides/tools/idf-component-manager.rst
@@ -6,13 +6,6 @@ The IDF Component manager is a tool that downloads dependencies for any ESP-IDF
 
 A list of components can be found on `<https://components.espressif.com/>`_
 
-Activating the Component Manager
-================================
-
-If CMake is started using ``idf.py`` or `ESP-IDF VSCode Extension <https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=espressif.esp-idf-extension>`_ then the component manager will be activated by default.
-
-If CMake is used directly or with some CMake-based IDE like CLion, it's necessary to set the ``IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER`` environment variable to ``1`` to enable the component manager integration with the build system.
-
 Using with a project
 ====================
 
@@ -70,3 +63,8 @@ Defining dependencies in the manifest
       # # with relative or absolute path
       # some_local_component:
       #   path: ../../projects/component
+
+Disabling the Component Manager
+===============================
+
+The component manager can be explicitly disabled by setting ``IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER`` environment variable to ``0``.
diff --git a/tools/ci/config/build.yml b/tools/ci/config/build.yml
index 542b2fc33d..c43d00d9a9 100644
--- a/tools/ci/config/build.yml
+++ b/tools/ci/config/build.yml
@@ -191,7 +191,9 @@ build_examples_make:
 
 # same as above, but for CMake
 .build_examples_cmake:
-  extends: .build_examples_template
+  extends:
+    - .build_examples_template
+    - .before_script_build_cmake
   artifacts:
     paths:
       - build_${TEST_PREFIX}/list.json
diff --git a/tools/cmake/build.cmake b/tools/cmake/build.cmake
index 12875b46d8..2e53a6dd50 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/build.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/build.cmake
@@ -414,6 +414,35 @@ macro(idf_build_process target)
         idf_build_set_property(__COMPONENT_REQUIRES_COMMON "")
     endif()
 
+    idf_build_get_property(idf_component_manager IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER)
+    if(idf_component_manager EQUAL "1")
+        set(managed_components_list_file ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/managed_components_list.temp.cmake)
+
+        # Call for package manager to prepare remote dependencies
+        execute_process(COMMAND ${PYTHON}
+            "-m"
+            "idf_component_manager.prepare_components"
+            "--project_dir=${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}"
+            "prepare_dependencies"
+            "--managed_components_list_file=${managed_components_list_file}"
+            RESULT_VARIABLE result
+            ERROR_VARIABLE error)
+
+        if(NOT result EQUAL 0)
+            message(FATAL_ERROR "${error}")
+        endif()
+
+        # Include managed components
+        include(${managed_components_list_file})
+        file(REMOVE ${managed_components_list_file})
+    else()
+        message(VERBOSE "IDF Component manager was explicitly disabled by setting IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER=0")
+        if(EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/idf_project.yml")
+            message(WARNING "\"idf_project.yml\" file is found in project directory, "
+                    "but component manager is not enabled. Please set IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER environment variable.")
+        endif()
+    endif()
+
     # Perform early expansion of component CMakeLists.txt in CMake scripting mode.
     # It is here we retrieve the public and private requirements of each component.
     # It is also here we add the common component requirements to each component's
diff --git a/tools/cmake/component.cmake b/tools/cmake/component.cmake
index ae9dcec154..028238ce6e 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/component.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/component.cmake
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ function(__component_get_requirements)
     endif()
 
     idf_build_get_property(idf_component_manager IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER)
-    if(idf_component_manager AND idf_component_manager EQUAL "1")
+    if(idf_component_manager EQUAL 1)
         # Call for component manager once again to inject dependencies
         idf_build_get_property(python PYTHON)
         execute_process(COMMAND ${python}
diff --git a/tools/cmake/project.cmake b/tools/cmake/project.cmake
index 096d292482..a875f8efa9 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/project.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/project.cmake
@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@ endif()
 # value passed externally.
 __target_init()
 
+# Enable the component manager for regular projects if not explicitly disabled.
+if(NOT "$ENV{IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER}" EQUAL "0")
+    idf_build_set_property(IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER 1)
+endif()
+# Set component manager interface version
+idf_build_set_property(__COMPONENT_MANAGER_INTERFACE_VERSION 0)
+
 #
 # Get the project version from either a version file or the Git revision. This is passed
 # to the idf_build_process call. Dependencies are also set here for when the version file
@@ -172,8 +179,6 @@ function(__project_init components_var test_components_var)
         endif()
     endfunction()
 
-    idf_build_set_property(IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER "$ENV{IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER}")
-
     # Add component directories to the build, given the component filters, exclusions
     # extra directories, etc. passed from the root CMakeLists.txt.
     if(COMPONENT_DIRS)
@@ -188,39 +193,6 @@ function(__project_init components_var test_components_var)
         set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY CMAKE_CONFIGURE_DEPENDS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/idf_project.yml")
         set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY CMAKE_CONFIGURE_DEPENDS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/dependencies.lock")
 
-        idf_build_get_property(idf_component_manager IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER)
-        if(idf_component_manager)
-            if(idf_component_manager EQUAL "0")
-                message(VERBOSE "IDF Component manager was explicitly disabled by setting IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER=0")
-            elseif(idf_component_manager EQUAL "1")
-                set(managed_components_list_file ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/managed_components_list.temp.cmake)
-
-                # Call for package manager to prepare remote dependencies
-                execute_process(COMMAND ${PYTHON}
-                    "-m"
-                    "idf_component_manager.prepare_components"
-                    "--project_dir=${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}"
-                    "prepare_dependencies"
-                    "--managed_components_list_file=${managed_components_list_file}"
-                    RESULT_VARIABLE result
-                    ERROR_VARIABLE error)
-
-                if(NOT result EQUAL 0)
-                    message(FATAL_ERROR "${error}")
-                endif()
-
-                # Include managed components
-                include(${managed_components_list_file})
-                file(REMOVE ${managed_components_list_file})
-            else()
-                message(WARNING "IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER environment variable is set to unknown value "
-                        "\"${idf_component_manager}\". If you want to use component manager set it to 1.")
-            endif()
-        elseif(EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/idf_project.yml")
-            message(WARNING "\"idf_project.yml\" file is found in project directory, "
-                    "but component manager is not enabled. Please set IDF_COMPONENT_MANAGER environment variable.")
-        endif()
-
         spaces2list(EXTRA_COMPONENT_DIRS)
         foreach(component_dir ${EXTRA_COMPONENT_DIRS})
             __project_component_dir("${component_dir}")