diff --git a/cli/exec/dummy.go b/cli/exec/dummy.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..edb544598
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/exec/dummy.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// Copyright 2024 Woodpecker Authors
+//
+// 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.
+
+//go:build test
+// +build test
+
+package exec
+
+import "go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/dummy"
+
+func init() { //nolint:gochecknoinits
+	backends = append(backends, dummy.New())
+}
diff --git a/cli/exec/exec.go b/cli/exec/exec.go
index b299cb58b..76e4da538 100644
--- a/cli/exec/exec.go
+++ b/cli/exec/exec.go
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import (
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/docker"
-	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/dummy"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/kubernetes"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/local"
 	backend_types "go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/types"
@@ -54,6 +53,12 @@ var Command = &cli.Command{
 	Flags:     utils.MergeSlices(flags, docker.Flags, kubernetes.Flags, local.Flags),
 }
 
+var backends = []backend_types.Backend{
+	kubernetes.New(),
+	docker.New(),
+	local.New(),
+}
+
 func run(c *cli.Context) error {
 	return common.RunPipelineFunc(c, execFile, execDir)
 }
@@ -231,12 +236,6 @@ func execWithAxis(c *cli.Context, file, repoPath string, axis matrix.Axis) error
 	}
 
 	backendCtx := context.WithValue(c.Context, backend_types.CliContext, c)
-	backends := []backend_types.Backend{
-		kubernetes.New(),
-		docker.New(),
-		local.New(),
-		dummy.New(),
-	}
 	backendEngine, err := backend.FindBackend(backendCtx, backends, c.String("backend-engine"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/agent/dummy.go b/cmd/agent/dummy.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..398b50f10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/agent/dummy.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// Copyright 2024 Woodpecker Authors
+//
+// 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.
+
+//go:build test
+// +build test
+
+package main
+
+import "go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/dummy"
+
+func init() { //nolint:gochecknoinits
+	backends = append(backends, dummy.New())
+}
diff --git a/cmd/agent/main.go b/cmd/agent/main.go
index 8c4aa3f14..cb18939f4 100644
--- a/cmd/agent/main.go
+++ b/cmd/agent/main.go
@@ -17,17 +17,17 @@ package main
 import (
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/cmd/agent/core"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/docker"
-	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/dummy"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/kubernetes"
 	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/local"
 	backendTypes "go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/types"
 )
 
-func main() {
-	core.RunAgent([]backendTypes.Backend{
-		kubernetes.New(),
-		docker.New(),
-		local.New(),
-		dummy.New(),
-	})
+var backends = []backendTypes.Backend{
+	kubernetes.New(),
+	docker.New(),
+	local.New(),
+}
+
+func main() {
+	core.RunAgent(backends)
 }
diff --git a/pipeline/backend/dummy/dummy_noop.go b/pipeline/backend/dummy/dummy_noop.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 5a5a23cbb..000000000
--- a/pipeline/backend/dummy/dummy_noop.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,78 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2024 Woodpecker Authors
-//
-// 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.
-
-//go:build !test
-// +build !test
-
-package dummy
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"errors"
-	"io"
-
-	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
-
-	"go.woodpecker-ci.org/woodpecker/v2/pipeline/backend/types"
-)
-
-type noop struct{}
-
-var ErrOnCompileExcluded = errors.New("the dummy backend engine was excluded on compile time")
-
-// New returns a dummy backend.
-func New() types.Backend {
-	return &noop{}
-}
-
-func (e *noop) Name() string {
-	return "dummy"
-}
-
-func (e *noop) IsAvailable(context.Context) bool {
-	return false
-}
-
-func (e *noop) Flags() []cli.Flag {
-	return nil
-}
-
-// Load new client for Docker Backend using environment variables.
-func (e *noop) Load(context.Context) (*types.BackendInfo, error) {
-	return nil, ErrOnCompileExcluded
-}
-
-func (e *noop) SetupWorkflow(context.Context, *types.Config, string) error {
-	return ErrOnCompileExcluded
-}
-
-func (e *noop) StartStep(context.Context, *types.Step, string) error {
-	return ErrOnCompileExcluded
-}
-
-func (e *noop) WaitStep(context.Context, *types.Step, string) (*types.State, error) {
-	return nil, ErrOnCompileExcluded
-}
-
-func (e *noop) TailStep(context.Context, *types.Step, string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
-	return nil, ErrOnCompileExcluded
-}
-
-func (e *noop) DestroyStep(context.Context, *types.Step, string) error {
-	return ErrOnCompileExcluded
-}
-
-func (e *noop) DestroyWorkflow(context.Context, *types.Config, string) error {
-	return ErrOnCompileExcluded
-}
diff --git a/pipeline/backend/dummy/dummy_test.go b/pipeline/backend/dummy/dummy_test.go
index faa1abbc8..f0c3d8586 100644
--- a/pipeline/backend/dummy/dummy_test.go
+++ b/pipeline/backend/dummy/dummy_test.go
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-//go:build test
-// +build test
-
 package dummy_test
 
 import (