diff --git a/.buildkite/pipeline.yml b/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
index 6d83a9345c..014fe0fe06 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
@@ -351,6 +351,15 @@ steps:
         artifact_paths: "aquaplanet_rhoe_equil_clearsky_tvinsol_0M_slabocean_ft64/output_active/*"
         agents:
           slurm_mem: 20GB
+      
+      - label: ":computer: aquaplanet for coupler"
+        command: >
+          julia --color=yes --project=.buildkite .buildkite/ci_driver.jl
+          --config_file $CONFIG_PATH/aquaplanet_for_coupler.yml
+          --job_id aquaplanet_for_coupler
+        artifact_paths: "aquaplanet_for_coupler/output_active/*"
+        agents:
+          slurm_mem: 20GB
 
       - label: ":computer: aquaplanet (ρe_tot) rcemipii with diagnostic edmf"
         command: >
diff --git a/config/model_configs/aquaplanet_for_coupler.yml b/config/model_configs/aquaplanet_for_coupler.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4152cc35e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/model_configs/aquaplanet_for_coupler.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+z_max: 60000.0
+z_elem: 31
+dz_bottom: 50.0
+dt: "400secs"
+t_end: "1days"
+topography: "Earth"
+rayleigh_sponge: true
+implicit_diffusion: true
+approximate_linear_solve_iters: 2
+moist: "equil"
+surface_setup: "DefaultMoninObukhov"
+vert_diff: "DecayWithHeightDiffusion"
+precip_model: "0M"
+cloud_model: "grid_scale"
+toml: [toml/sphere_aquaplanet.toml]