diff --git a/pkg/front_end/test/flutter_gallery_leak_tester.dart b/pkg/front_end/test/flutter_gallery_leak_tester.dart
index 922bb31..68d066a 100644
--- a/pkg/front_end/test/flutter_gallery_leak_tester.dart
+++ b/pkg/front_end/test/flutter_gallery_leak_tester.dart
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@
   ];
   if (alternativeInvalidation) {
     processArgs.add("--enable-experiment=alternative-invalidation-strategy");
+  } else {
+    processArgs.add("--enable-experiment=no-alternative-invalidation-strategy");
   }
 
   await heapHelper.start(processArgs,
diff --git a/tools/VERSION b/tools/VERSION
index ff4ad65..11bcee4 100644
--- a/tools/VERSION
+++ b/tools/VERSION
@@ -27,5 +27,5 @@
 MAJOR 2
 MINOR 18
 PATCH 0
-PRERELEASE 280
+PRERELEASE 281
 PRERELEASE_PATCH 0
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tools/bots/test_matrix.json b/tools/bots/test_matrix.json
index b94faf7..3241913 100644
--- a/tools/bots/test_matrix.json
+++ b/tools/bots/test_matrix.json
@@ -1492,7 +1492,6 @@
         "vm-kernel-precomp-linux-release-simarm64",
         "vm-kernel-precomp-linux-release-simriscv32",
         "vm-kernel-precomp-linux-release-simriscv64",
-        "vm-kernel-precomp-mac-product-x64",
         "vm-kernel-precomp-mac-release-simarm64",
         "vm-kernel-precomp-mac-release-simarm64c",
         "vm-kernel-precomp-win-product-x64",
@@ -1523,6 +1522,30 @@
     },
     {
       "builders": [
+        "vm-kernel-precomp-mac-product-x64"
+      ],
+      "meta": {
+        "description": "This configuration is used by the vm kernel precomp builders lacking shard support."
+      },
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "name": "build dart",
+          "script": "tools/build.py",
+          "arguments": [
+            "runtime",
+            "dart_precompiled_runtime"
+          ]
+        },
+        {
+          "name": "vm tests",
+          "arguments": [
+            "-ndartkp-${system}-${mode}-${arch}"
+          ]
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "builders": [
         "vm-kernel-precomp-linux-debug-x64",
         "vm-kernel-precomp-linux-debug-x64c",
         "vm-kernel-precomp-linux-debug-simarm",