diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 7700560ac..049731493 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -71,9 +71,6 @@ commands:
   validate-genesis:
     description: "Runs genesis validation checks"
     steps:
-      - run:
-          name: Clone monorepo
-          command: mkdir ../optimism-temporary && git clone https://github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism.git ../optimism-temporary
       - run: just validate-genesis "*"
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/validation/.gitignore b/validation/.gitignore
index 8a5e1f691..0c444819b 100644
--- a/validation/.gitignore
+++ b/validation/.gitignore
@@ -4,3 +4,6 @@ generate-genesis/output-*
 
 # test output artifacts
 genesis/validation-inputs/*-test
+
+# optimism monorepo used for genesis validation
+genesis/optimism-temporary
diff --git a/validation/genesis/genesis-predeploy_test.go b/validation/genesis/genesis-predeploy_test.go
index 981599dec..44078343e 100644
--- a/validation/genesis/genesis-predeploy_test.go
+++ b/validation/genesis/genesis-predeploy_test.go
@@ -55,21 +55,21 @@ func testGenesisPredeploys(t *testing.T, chain *ChainConfig) {
 	thisDir := getDirOfThisFile()
 	chainIdString := strconv.Itoa(int(chainId))
 	validationInputsDir := path.Join(thisDir, "validation-inputs", chainIdString)
-	monorepoDir := path.Join(thisDir, "../../../optimism-temporary")
+	monorepoDir := path.Join(thisDir, "optimism-temporary")
 	contractsDir := path.Join(monorepoDir, "packages/contracts-bedrock")
 
 	// reset to appropriate commit, this is preferred to git checkout because it will
 	// blow away any leftover files from the previous run
-	mustExecuteCommandInDir(t, monorepoDir, exec.Command("git", "reset", "--hard", monorepoCommit))
-	mustExecuteCommandInDir(t, monorepoDir, exec.Command("rm", "-rf", "node_modules"))
-	mustExecuteCommandInDir(t, contractsDir, exec.Command("rm", "-rf", "node_modules"))
+	mustExecuteCommandInDir(monorepoDir, exec.Command("git", "reset", "--hard", monorepoCommit))
+	mustExecuteCommandInDir(monorepoDir, exec.Command("rm", "-rf", "node_modules"))
+	mustExecuteCommandInDir(contractsDir, exec.Command("rm", "-rf", "node_modules"))
 
 	// attempt to apply config.patch
-	mustExecuteCommandInDir(t, thisDir, exec.Command("cp", "config.patch", monorepoDir))
-	_ = executeCommandInDir(t, monorepoDir, exec.Command("git", "apply", "config.patch")) // continue on error
+	mustExecuteCommandInDir(thisDir, exec.Command("cp", "config.patch", monorepoDir))
+	_ = executeCommandInDir(monorepoDir, exec.Command("git", "apply", "config.patch")) // continue on error
 
 	// copy genesis input files to monorepo
-	mustExecuteCommandInDir(t, validationInputsDir,
+	mustExecuteCommandInDir(validationInputsDir,
 		exec.Command("cp", "deploy-config.json", path.Join(contractsDir, "deploy-config", chainIdString+".json")))
 	err := os.MkdirAll(path.Join(contractsDir, "deployments", chainIdString), os.ModePerm)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -86,13 +86,13 @@ func testGenesisPredeploys(t *testing.T, chain *ChainConfig) {
 	}
 
 	// regenerate genesis.json at this monorepo commit.
-	mustExecuteCommandInDir(t, thisDir, exec.Command("cp", "./monorepo-outputs.sh", monorepoDir))
+	mustExecuteCommandInDir(thisDir, exec.Command("cp", "./monorepo-outputs.sh", monorepoDir))
 	buildCommand := BuildCommand[vis.MonorepoBuildCommand]
 	if vis.NodeVersion == "" {
 		panic("must set node_version in meta.toml")
 	}
 	creationCommand := GenesisCreationCommand[vis.GenesisCreationCommand](chainId, Superchains[chain.Superchain].Config.L1.PublicRPC)
-	mustExecuteCommandInDir(t, monorepoDir, exec.Command("sh", "./monorepo-outputs.sh", vis.NodeVersion, buildCommand, creationCommand))
+	mustExecuteCommandInDir(monorepoDir, exec.Command("sh", "./monorepo-outputs.sh", vis.NodeVersion, buildCommand, creationCommand))
 
 	expectedData, err := os.ReadFile(path.Join(monorepoDir, "expected-genesis.json"))
 	require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/validation/genesis/genesis.go b/validation/genesis/genesis.go
index 04f8f859a..2591dd2b4 100644
--- a/validation/genesis/genesis.go
+++ b/validation/genesis/genesis.go
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@ package genesis
 import (
 	"embed"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
 	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -52,6 +56,17 @@ func init() {
 
 		ValidationInputs[uint64(chainID)] = *m
 
+		// Clone optimism into gitignored temporary directory (if that directory does not yet exist)
+		_, filename, _, ok := runtime.Caller(0)
+		if !ok {
+			panic("No caller information")
+		}
+		thisDir := filepath.Dir(filename)
+
+		if _, err := os.Stat(path.Join(thisDir, "optimism-temporary")); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			mustExecuteCommandInDir(filepath.Dir(filename),
+				exec.Command("git", "clone", "https://github.com/ethereum-optimism/optimism.git", path.Join(thisDir, "optimism-temporary")))
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/validation/genesis/utils.go b/validation/genesis/utils.go
index ebdce95a2..66aa41e04 100644
--- a/validation/genesis/utils.go
+++ b/validation/genesis/utils.go
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@ package genesis
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
-	"testing"
 )
 
-func executeCommandInDir(t *testing.T, dir string, cmd *exec.Cmd) error {
-	t.Logf("executing %s", cmd.String())
+func executeCommandInDir(dir string, cmd *exec.Cmd) error {
+	log.Printf("executing %s", cmd.String())
 	cmd.Dir = dir
 	var outErr bytes.Buffer
 	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ func executeCommandInDir(t *testing.T, dir string, cmd *exec.Cmd) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func mustExecuteCommandInDir(t *testing.T, dir string, cmd *exec.Cmd) {
-	err := executeCommandInDir(t, dir, cmd)
+func mustExecuteCommandInDir(dir string, cmd *exec.Cmd) {
+	err := executeCommandInDir(dir, cmd)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+		panic(err)
 	}
 }