diff --git a/.gitlab/ci/rules.yml b/.gitlab/ci/rules.yml
index 0900492745..a56beebdba 100644
--- a/.gitlab/ci/rules.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/ci/rules.yml
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
   - "tools/ci/python_packages/tiny_test_fw/**/*"
   - "tools/ci/python_packages/ttfw_idf/**/*"
   - "tools/ci/python_packages/common_test_methods.py"
+  - "tools/test_apps/configs/sdkconfig.debug_helpers"
 
   - "components/**/*"
 
diff --git a/components/ulp/test_apps/ulp_fsm/CMakeLists.txt b/components/ulp/test_apps/ulp_fsm/CMakeLists.txt
index c1a26417b3..3049168de6 100644
--- a/components/ulp/test_apps/ulp_fsm/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/ulp/test_apps/ulp_fsm/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # This is the project CMakeLists.txt file for the test subproject
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.16)
 
+set(SDKCONFIG_DEFAULTS "$ENV{IDF_PATH}/tools/test_apps/configs/sdkconfig.debug_helpers")
+list(APPEND SDKCONFIG_DEFAULTS "sdkconfig.defaults")
+
 include($ENV{IDF_PATH}/tools/cmake/project.cmake)
 project(ulp_fsm_test)
diff --git a/components/ulp/test_apps/ulp_riscv/CMakeLists.txt b/components/ulp/test_apps/ulp_riscv/CMakeLists.txt
index 7f420a59fb..dd825eab2b 100644
--- a/components/ulp/test_apps/ulp_riscv/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/ulp/test_apps/ulp_riscv/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # This is the project CMakeLists.txt file for the test subproject
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.16)
 
+set(SDKCONFIG_DEFAULTS "$ENV{IDF_PATH}/tools/test_apps/configs/sdkconfig.debug_helpers")
+list(APPEND SDKCONFIG_DEFAULTS "sdkconfig.defaults")
+
 include($ENV{IDF_PATH}/tools/cmake/project.cmake)
 project(ulp_riscv_test)
diff --git a/tools/test_apps/configs/README.md b/tools/test_apps/configs/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a2cbbd9e96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/test_apps/configs/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# Configs
+
+Certain combinations of configs, e.g. stack and heap debug configs, are useful to set in most test apps.
+
+To facilitiate re-use, this folder contains some of the most common ones.
+
+These can then be added to the list of default configs in test apps:
+
+```
+set(SDKCONFIG_DEFAULTS "$ENV{IDF_PATH}/tools/test_apps/configs/sdkconfig.debug_helpers")
+list(APPEND SDKCONFIG_DEFAULTS "sdkconfig.defaults")
+```
+
+Note that this must be set in the top-level project `CMakelist.txt`.
+
+These files should not be considered stable, and are thus not recommended for use outside of IDF.
diff --git a/tools/test_apps/configs/sdkconfig.debug_helpers b/tools/test_apps/configs/sdkconfig.debug_helpers
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4bd42af97d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/test_apps/configs/sdkconfig.debug_helpers
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Helper options that help with detecting/debugging issues in test apps
+CONFIG_HEAP_POISONING_COMPREHENSIVE=y
+CONFIG_COMPILER_WARN_WRITE_STRINGS=y
+CONFIG_FREERTOS_WATCHPOINT_END_OF_STACK=y
+CONFIG_COMPILER_STACK_CHECK_MODE_STRONG=y
+CONFIG_COMPILER_STACK_CHECK=y