diff --git a/test/app/dummy_test.sh b/test/app/dummy_test.sh
index adfcebb9..0449bc49 100644
--- a/test/app/dummy_test.sh
+++ b/test/app/dummy_test.sh
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ echo "... testing query with abci-cli"
 RESPONSE=`abci-cli query \"$KEY\"`
 
 set +e
-A=`echo $RESPONSE | grep 'log: exists'`
+A=`echo $RESPONSE | grep "$VALUE"`
 if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
-	echo "Failed to find 'log: exists' for $KEY. Response:"
+	echo "Failed to find $VALUE for $KEY. Response:"
 	echo "$RESPONSE"
 	exit 1
 fi
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ set -e
 # we should not be able to look up the value
 RESPONSE=`abci-cli query \"$VALUE\"`
 set +e
-A=`echo $RESPONSE | grep 'log: exists'`
+A=`echo $RESPONSE | grep $VALUE`
 if [[ $? == 0 ]]; then
-	echo "Found 'log: exists' for $VALUE when we should not have. Response:"
+	echo "Found '$VALUE' for $VALUE when we should not have. Response:"
 	echo "$RESPONSE"
 	exit 1
 fi
diff --git a/test/docker/Dockerfile b/test/docker/Dockerfile
index 389158e5..829f5e45 100644
--- a/test/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/test/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -10,10 +10,6 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
 ENV REPO $GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint
 WORKDIR $REPO
 
-# Install the apps
-ADD scripts/install_abci_apps.sh install_abci_apps.sh
-RUN bash install_abci_apps.sh
-
 # Install the vendored dependencies before copying code
 # docker caching prevents reinstall on code change!
 ADD glide.yaml glide.yaml
@@ -21,6 +17,10 @@ ADD glide.lock glide.lock
 ADD Makefile Makefile
 RUN make get_vendor_deps
 
+# Install the apps
+ADD scripts scripts
+RUN bash scripts/install_abci_apps.sh
+
 # Now copy in the code
 COPY . $REPO
 
diff --git a/test/run_test.sh b/test/run_test.sh
index fcc82d98..b505126e 100644
--- a/test/run_test.sh
+++ b/test/run_test.sh
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ pwd
 BRANCH=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
 echo "Current branch: $BRANCH"
 
+# run the go unit tests with coverage
 bash test/test_cover.sh
 
-# run the app tests
+# run the app tests using bash
 bash test/app/test.sh
 
-# run the persistence test
+# run the persistence tests using bash
 bash test/persist/test.sh
 
 if [[ "$BRANCH" == "master" || $(echo "$BRANCH" | grep "release-") != "" ]]; then
diff --git a/test/test.sh b/test/test.sh
index 1c1faca2..2e164fb3 100644
--- a/test/test.sh
+++ b/test/test.sh
@@ -12,18 +12,25 @@ echo "* [$(date +"%T")] cleaning up $LOGS_DIR"
 rm -rf "$LOGS_DIR"
 mkdir -p "$LOGS_DIR"
 
+set +e
+echo
+echo "* [$(date +"%T")] removing run_test container"
+docker rm -vf run_test
+set -e
+
 set +u
 if [[ "$CIRCLECI" == true ]]; then
-	set -u
 	echo
 	echo "* [$(date +"%T")] starting rsyslog container"
 	docker rm -f rsyslog || true
 	docker run -d -v "$LOGS_DIR:/var/log/" -p 127.0.0.1:5514:514/udp --name rsyslog voxxit/rsyslog
 fi
 
-echo
-echo "* [$(date +"%T")] building docker image"
-bash "$DIR/docker/build.sh"
+if [[ "$SKIP_BUILD" == "" ]]; then
+	echo
+	echo "* [$(date +"%T")] building docker image"
+	bash "$DIR/docker/build.sh"
+fi
 
 echo
 echo "* [$(date +"%T")] running go tests and app tests in docker container"