diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 89cd859aad..6a3fb3bea1 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ jobs:
       - *attach_workspace
       - *init_environment
         # Deploy angular.io to production (if necessary)
-      - run: setPublicVar CI_STABLE_BRANCH "$(npm info @angular/core dist-tags.latest | sed -r 's/^\s*([0-9]+\.[0-9]+)\.[0-9]+.*$/\1.x/')"
+      - run: setPublicVar_CI_STABLE_BRANCH
       - run: yarn --cwd aio deploy-production
 
   test_aio_local:
@@ -495,6 +495,12 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - *attach_workspace
       - *init_environment
+      - run: setPublicVar_CI_STABLE_BRANCH
+      - run:
+          name: Check out `aio/` from the stable branch
+          command: |
+            git fetch origin $CI_STABLE_BRANCH
+            git checkout --force origin/$CI_STABLE_BRANCH -- aio/
       - run:
           name: Run tests against https://angular.io/
           command: ./aio/scripts/test-production.sh https://angular.io/ $CI_AIO_MIN_PWA_SCORE
diff --git a/.circleci/env-helpers.inc.sh b/.circleci/env-helpers.inc.sh
index ff21eb9ea0..5fa1263e11 100644
--- a/.circleci/env-helpers.inc.sh
+++ b/.circleci/env-helpers.inc.sh
@@ -36,3 +36,38 @@ function setSecretVar() {
   # Restore original shell options.
   eval "$originalShellOptions";
 }
+
+
+# Create a function to set an environment variable, when called.
+#
+# Use this function for creating setter for public environment variables that require expensive or
+# time-consuming computaions and may not be needed. When needed, you can call this function to set
+# the environment variable (which will be available through `$BASH_ENV` from that point onwards).
+#
+# Arguments:
+# - `<name>`: The name of the environment variable. The generated setter function will be
+#   `setPublicVar_<name>`.
+# - `<code>`: The code to run to compute the value for the variable. Since this code should be
+#   executed lazily, it must be properly escaped. For example:
+#   ```sh
+#   # DO NOT do this:
+#   createPublicVarSetter MY_VAR "$(whoami)";  # `whoami` will be evaluated eagerly
+#
+#   # DO this isntead:
+#   createPublicVarSetter MY_VAR "\$(whoami)";  # `whoami` will NOT be evaluated eagerly
+#   ```
+#
+# Usage: `createPublicVarSetter <name> <code>`
+#
+# Example:
+# ```sh
+# createPublicVarSetter MY_VAR 'echo "FOO"';
+# echo $MY_VAR;  # Not defined
+#
+# setPublicVar_MY_VAR;
+# source $BASH_ENV;
+# echo $MY_VAR;  # FOO
+# ```
+function createPublicVarSetter() {
+  echo "setPublicVar_$1() { setPublicVar $1 \"$2\"; }" >> $BASH_ENV;
+}
diff --git a/.circleci/env.sh b/.circleci/env.sh
index 2e990a05c9..4ebc6cdc8e 100755
--- a/.circleci/env.sh
+++ b/.circleci/env.sh
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ setPublicVar CI_REPO_NAME "$CIRCLE_PROJECT_REPONAME";
 setPublicVar CI_REPO_OWNER "$CIRCLE_PROJECT_USERNAME";
 
 
+####################################################################################################
+# Define "lazy" PUBLIC environment variables for CircleCI.
+# (I.e. functions to set an environment variable when called.)
+####################################################################################################
+createPublicVarSetter CI_STABLE_BRANCH "\$(npm info @angular/core dist-tags.latest | sed -r 's/^\\s*([0-9]+\\.[0-9]+)\\.[0-9]+.*$/\\1.x/')";
+
+
 ####################################################################################################
 # Define SECRET environment variables for CircleCI.
 ####################################################################################################