diff --git a/tools/AutoTuner/test/smoke_test_algo_eval.py b/tools/AutoTuner/test/smoke_test_algo_eval.py
index 01fdc95403..ad3d53284f 100644
--- a/tools/AutoTuner/test/smoke_test_algo_eval.py
+++ b/tools/AutoTuner/test/smoke_test_algo_eval.py
@@ -44,12 +44,15 @@
 class BaseAlgoEvalSmokeTest(unittest.TestCase):
     platform = ""
     design = ""
+    flow_variant = "smoke-test-algo-eval"
 
     def setUp(self):
         design_path = f"../../../flow/designs/{self.platform}/{self.design}"
         self.config = os.path.join(cur_dir, f"{design_path}/autotuner.json")
-        self.experiment = f"smoke-test-algo-eval-{self.platform}"
-        self.reference = os.path.join(cur_dir, f"{design_path}/metadata-base-at.json")
+        self.experiment = f"{self.flow_variant}-{self.platform}"
+        self.reference = os.path.join(
+            cur_dir, f"{design_path}/metadata-{self.flow_variant}-at.json"
+        )
         # note for ppa-improv, you need to also add in reference file (--reference)
         _algo = ["hyperopt", "ax", "optuna", "pbt", "random"]
         _eval = ["default", "ppa-improv"]
@@ -68,12 +71,12 @@ def setUp(self):
         ]
 
     def make_base(self):
-        commands = [
-            f"make -C {orfs_dir} DESIGN_CONFIG=./designs/{self.platform}/{self.design}/config.mk clean_all",
-            f"make -C {orfs_dir} DESIGN_CONFIG=./designs/{self.platform}/{self.design}/config.mk EQUIVALENCE_CHECK=0",
-            f"make -C {orfs_dir} DESIGN_CONFIG=./designs/{self.platform}/{self.design}/config.mk update_metadata_autotuner",
+        base_commands = [
+            f"FLOW_VARIANT={self.flow_variant} make -C {orfs_dir} DESIGN_CONFIG=./designs/{self.platform}/{self.design}/config.mk clean_all",
+            f"FLOW_VARIANT={self.flow_variant} make -C {orfs_dir} DESIGN_CONFIG=./designs/{self.platform}/{self.design}/config.mk EQUIVALENCE_CHECK=0",
+            f"FLOW_VARIANT={self.flow_variant} make -C {orfs_dir} DESIGN_CONFIG=./designs/{self.platform}/{self.design}/config.mk update_metadata_autotuner",
         ]
-        for command in commands:
+        for command in base_commands:
             out = subprocess.run(command, shell=True)
             self.assertTrue(out.returncode in accepted_rc)