diff --git a/bazel/BUILD b/bazel/BUILD
index 17319f4c35ef2..ab7a54d68e07c 100644
--- a/bazel/BUILD
+++ b/bazel/BUILD
@@ -430,6 +430,16 @@ config_setting(
     values = {"define": "wasm=disabled"},
 )
 
+# This config setting enables Universal Header Validator and disables
+# HTTP header compliance checks in codecs.
+# This setting is temporary to transition header validation into UHV without
+# impacting production builds of Envoy.
+# This setting is enabled for the bazel.compile_time_options CI target.
+config_setting(
+    name = "uhv_enabled",
+    values = {"define": "uhv=enabled"},
+)
+
 # Alias pointing to the selected version of BoringSSL:
 # - BoringSSL FIPS from @boringssl_fips//:ssl,
 # - non-FIPS BoringSSL from @boringssl//:ssl.
diff --git a/bazel/envoy_internal.bzl b/bazel/envoy_internal.bzl
index b942be424c1f4..e1767530cac50 100644
--- a/bazel/envoy_internal.bzl
+++ b/bazel/envoy_internal.bzl
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ def envoy_copts(repository, test = False):
                # APPLE_USE_RFC_3542 is needed to support IPV6_PKTINFO in MAC OS.
                repository + "//bazel:apple": ["-D__APPLE_USE_RFC_3542"],
                "//conditions:default": [],
+           }) + select({
+               repository + "//bazel:uhv_enabled": ["-DENVOY_ENABLE_UHV"],
+               "//conditions:default": [],
            }) + envoy_select_hot_restart(["-DENVOY_HOT_RESTART"], repository) + \
            envoy_select_enable_http3(["-DENVOY_ENABLE_QUIC"], repository) + \
            _envoy_select_perf_annotation(["-DENVOY_PERF_ANNOTATION"]) + \
diff --git a/ci/do_ci.sh b/ci/do_ci.sh
index ad6e49e9ca722..6d4066175a9bb 100755
--- a/ci/do_ci.sh
+++ b/ci/do_ci.sh
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ elif [[ "$CI_TARGET" == "bazel.compile_time_options" ]]; then
     "--define" "deprecated_features=disabled"
     "--define" "tcmalloc=gperftools"
     "--define" "zlib=ng"
+    "--define" "uhv=enabled"
     "--@envoy//bazel:http3=False"
     "--@envoy//source/extensions/filters/http/kill_request:enabled"
     "--test_env=ENVOY_HAS_EXTRA_EXTENSIONS=true")