diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 72ae8027b2f..680052c7437 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,18 +1,33 @@
 language: node_js
+
 node_js:
   - "lts/*"
-install:
-  - "bin/installDeps.sh"
-  - "export GIT_HASH=$(git rev-parse --verify --short HEAD)"
-  - "npm install ep_test_line_attrib"
-script:
-  - "tests/frontend/travis/runner.sh"
+
+services:
+  - docker
+
 env:
   global:
     - secure: "WMGxFkOeTTlhWB+ChMucRtIqVmMbwzYdNHuHQjKCcj8HBEPdZLfCuK/kf4rG\nVLcLQiIsyllqzNhBGVHG1nyqWr0/LTm8JRqSCDDVIhpyzp9KpCJQQJG2Uwjk\n6/HIJJh/wbxsEdLNV2crYU/EiVO3A4Bq0YTHUlbhUqG3mSCr5Ec="
     - secure: "gejXUAHYscbR6Bodw35XexpToqWkv2ifeECsbeEmjaLkYzXmUUNWJGknKSu7\nEUsSfQV8w+hxApr1Z+jNqk9aX3K1I4btL3cwk2trnNI8XRAvu1c1Iv60eerI\nkE82Rsd5lwUaMEh+/HoL8ztFCZamVndoNgX7HWp5J/NRZZMmh4g="
-jdk:
-  - oraclejdk6
+
+jobs:
+  include:
+    - name: "Test the Frontend"
+      install:
+        - "bin/installDeps.sh"
+        - "export GIT_HASH=$(git rev-parse --verify --short HEAD)"
+        - "npm install ep_test_line_attrib"
+      script:
+        - "tests/frontend/travis/runner.sh"
+    - name: "Test the Dockerfile"
+      install:
+        - "cd src && npm install && cd -"
+      script:
+        - "docker build -t etherpad:test ."
+        - "docker run -d -p 9001:9001 etherpad:test && sleep 3"
+        - "cd src && npm run test-container"
+
 notifications:
   irc:
     channels:
diff --git a/src/package.json b/src/package.json
index 5c925007b2e..926de995eac 100644
--- a/src/package.json
+++ b/src/package.json
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@
     "url": "https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite.git"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "test": "nyc mocha --timeout 5000 ../tests/backend/specs/api"
+    "test": "nyc mocha --timeout 5000 ../tests/backend/specs/api",
+    "test-container": "nyc mocha --timeout 5000 ../tests/container/specs/api"
   },
   "version": "1.8.0",
   "license": "Apache-2.0"
diff --git a/tests/backend/loadSettings.js b/tests/backend/loadSettings.js
index f208fe3d04e..e1ab27d90da 100644
--- a/tests/backend/loadSettings.js
+++ b/tests/backend/loadSettings.js
@@ -1,13 +1,22 @@
+/*
+ * ACHTUNG: there is a copied & modified version of this file in
+ * <basedir>/tests/container/loadSettings.js
+ *
+ * TODO: unify those two files, and merge in a single one.
+ */
+
 var jsonminify = require(__dirname+"/../../src/node_modules/jsonminify");
+const fs = require('fs');
 
 function loadSettings(){
   var settingsStr = fs.readFileSync(__dirname+"/../../settings.json").toString();
   // try to parse the settings
-  var settings;
   try {
     if(settingsStr) {
       settingsStr = jsonminify(settingsStr).replace(",]","]").replace(",}","}");
-      return JSON.parse(settingsStr);
+      var settings = JSON.parse(settingsStr);
+
+      return settings;
     }
   }catch(e){
     console.error("whoops something is bad with settings");
diff --git a/tests/backend/specs/api/pad.js b/tests/backend/specs/api/pad.js
index 4a0c6b6a216..9eff0656213 100644
--- a/tests/backend/specs/api/pad.js
+++ b/tests/backend/specs/api/pad.js
@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
-var assert = require('assert')
- supertest = require(__dirname+'/../../../../src/node_modules/supertest'),
-        fs = require('fs'),
-  settings = require(__dirname+'/../../loadSettings').loadSettings(),
-       api = supertest('http://'+settings.ip+":"+settings.port),
-      path = require('path'),
-     async = require(__dirname+'/../../../../src/node_modules/async');
+/*
+ * ACHTUNG: there is a copied & modified version of this file in
+ * <basedir>/tests/container/spacs/api/pad.js
+ *
+ * TODO: unify those two files, and merge in a single one.
+ */
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const supertest = require(__dirname+'/../../../../src/node_modules/supertest');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const settings = require(__dirname+'/../../loadSettings').loadSettings();
+const api = supertest('http://'+settings.ip+":"+settings.port);
+const path = require('path');
+const async = require(__dirname+'/../../../../src/node_modules/async');
 
 var filePath = path.join(__dirname, '../../../../APIKEY.txt');
 
@@ -29,7 +36,7 @@ var ulHtml = '<!doctype html><html><body><ul class="bullet"><li>one</li><li>two<
 var expectedHtml = '<!doctype html><html><body><ul class="bullet"><li>one</li><li>two</li><li>0</li><li>1</li><li>2<ul class="bullet"><li>3</li><li>4</ul></li></ul><ol class="number"><li>item<ol class="number"><li>item1</li><li>item2</ol></li></ol></body></html>';
 
 describe('Connectivity', function(){
-  it('errors if can not connect', function(done) {
+  it('can connect', function(done) {
     api.get('/api/')
     .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
     .expect(200, done)
@@ -37,7 +44,7 @@ describe('Connectivity', function(){
 })
 
 describe('API Versioning', function(){
-  it('errors if can not connect', function(done) {
+  it('finds the version tag', function(done) {
     api.get('/api/')
     .expect(function(res){
       apiVersion = res.body.currentVersion;
@@ -49,7 +56,7 @@ describe('API Versioning', function(){
 })
 
 describe('Permission', function(){
-  it('errors if can connect without correct APIKey', function(done) {
+  it('errors with invalid APIKey', function(done) {
     // This is broken because Etherpad doesn't handle HTTP codes properly see #2343
     // If your APIKey is password you deserve to fail all tests anyway
     var permErrorURL = '/api/'+apiVersion+'/createPad?apikey=password&padID=test';
@@ -204,7 +211,7 @@ describe('getText', function(){
     api.get(endPoint('getText')+"&padID="+testPadId)
     .expect(function(res){
       if(res.body.data.text !== "testText\n") throw new Error("Pad Creation with text")
-    }) 
+    })
     .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
     .expect(200, done)
   });
@@ -573,7 +580,7 @@ describe('createPad', function(){
   it('errors if pad can be created', function(done) {
     var badUrlChars = ["/", "%23", "%3F", "%26"];
     async.map(
-      badUrlChars, 
+      badUrlChars,
       function (badUrlChar, cb) {
         api.get(endPoint('createPad')+"&padID="+badUrlChar)
         .expect(function(res){
diff --git a/tests/container/loadSettings.js b/tests/container/loadSettings.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4ac445fe91d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/container/loadSettings.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * ACHTUNG: this file was copied & modified from the analogous
+ * <basedir>/tests/backend/loadSettings.js
+ *
+ * TODO: unify those two files, and merge in a single one.
+ */
+
+var jsonminify = require(__dirname+"/../../src/node_modules/jsonminify");
+const fs = require('fs');
+
+function loadSettings(){
+  var settingsStr = fs.readFileSync(__dirname+"/../../settings.json.docker").toString();
+  // try to parse the settings
+  try {
+    if(settingsStr) {
+      settingsStr = jsonminify(settingsStr).replace(",]","]").replace(",}","}");
+      var settings = JSON.parse(settingsStr);
+
+      // custom settings for running in a container
+      settings.ip = 'localhost';
+      settings.port = '9001';
+
+      return settings;
+    }
+  }catch(e){
+    console.error("whoops something is bad with settings");
+  }
+}
+
+exports.loadSettings = loadSettings;
diff --git a/tests/container/specs/api/pad.js b/tests/container/specs/api/pad.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f50b7986468
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/container/specs/api/pad.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/*
+ * ACHTUNG: this file was copied & modified from the analogous
+ * <basedir>/tests/backend/specs/api/pad.js
+ *
+ * TODO: unify those two files, and merge in a single one.
+ */
+
+const supertest = require(__dirname+'/../../../../src/node_modules/supertest');
+const settings = require(__dirname+'/../../loadSettings').loadSettings();
+const api = supertest('http://'+settings.ip+":"+settings.port);
+
+var apiVersion = 1;
+
+describe('Connectivity', function(){
+  it('can connect', function(done) {
+    api.get('/api/')
+    .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+    .expect(200, done)
+  });
+})
+
+describe('API Versioning', function(){
+  it('finds the version tag', function(done) {
+    api.get('/api/')
+    .expect(function(res){
+      if (!res.body.currentVersion) throw new Error("No version set in API");
+      return;
+    })
+    .expect(200, done)
+  });
+})
+
+describe('Permission', function(){
+  it('errors with invalid APIKey', function(done) {
+    api.get('/api/'+apiVersion+'/createPad?apikey=wrong_password&padID=test')
+    .expect(401, done)
+  });
+})
diff --git a/tests/frontend/travis/sauce_tunnel.sh b/tests/frontend/travis/sauce_tunnel.sh
index b19268d0583..d98a4083beb 100755
--- a/tests/frontend/travis/sauce_tunnel.sh
+++ b/tests/frontend/travis/sauce_tunnel.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # download and unzip the sauce connector
+#
+# ACHTUNG: as of 2019-12-21, downloading sc-latest-linux.tar.gz does not work.
+#          It is necessary to explicitly download a specific version, for
+#          example https://saucelabs.com/downloads/sc-4.5.4-linux.tar.gz
+#          Supported versions are currently listed at:
+#          https://wiki.saucelabs.com/display/DOCS/Downloading+Sauce+Connect+Proxy
 curl https://saucelabs.com/downloads/sc-latest-linux.tar.gz > /tmp/sauce.tar.gz
 tar zxf /tmp/sauce.tar.gz --directory /tmp
 mv /tmp/sc-*-linux /tmp/sauce_connect