diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/tests-ci.yml
index 031ef851b..2b68ff1f2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests-ci.yml
@@ -49,9 +49,17 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run linter for all packages
         run: npm run lint --ws
+      
+      - name: start services tests need
+        run: cd testfiles && docker-compose up -d
+
+      - name: wait for services to be ready
+        run: until curl -sf http://localhost:3000/health; do echo -n .; sleep .1; done
 
       - name: Run tests for all packages
         run: npm run test:node --ws
+        env:
+          DWN_URL: http://localhost:3000
 
       - name: Upload test coverage to Codecov
         uses: codecov/codecov-action@eaaf4bedf32dbdc6b720b63067d99c4d77d6047d # v3.1.4
@@ -83,5 +91,16 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build all workspace packages
         run: npm run build
 
+      - name: install docker
+        run: brew install docker && brew install docker-compose && colima start
+
+      - name: start local dwn server
+        run: cd testfiles && docker-compose up -d
+
+      - name: wait for services to be ready
+        run: until curl -sf http://localhost:3000/health; do echo -n .; sleep .1; done
+
       - name: Run tests for all packages
         run: npm run test:browser --ws
+        env:
+          DWN_URL: http://localhost:3000
diff --git a/packages/common/karma.conf.cjs b/packages/common/karma.conf.cjs
index aa89cbca8..908344871 100644
--- a/packages/common/karma.conf.cjs
+++ b/packages/common/karma.conf.cjs
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ module.exports = function (config) {
     client: {
       mocha: {
         timeout: 10000 // 10 seconds
-      }
+      },
+      dwn_url: process.env.DWN_URL,
     },
 
 
diff --git a/packages/credentials/karma.conf.cjs b/packages/credentials/karma.conf.cjs
index aa89cbca8..908344871 100644
--- a/packages/credentials/karma.conf.cjs
+++ b/packages/credentials/karma.conf.cjs
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ module.exports = function (config) {
     client: {
       mocha: {
         timeout: 10000 // 10 seconds
-      }
+      },
+      dwn_url: process.env.DWN_URL,
     },
 
 
diff --git a/packages/crypto/karma.conf.cjs b/packages/crypto/karma.conf.cjs
index 083f0c963..af5313117 100644
--- a/packages/crypto/karma.conf.cjs
+++ b/packages/crypto/karma.conf.cjs
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ module.exports = function (config) {
     client: {
       mocha: {
         timeout: 10000 // 10 seconds
-      }
+      },
+      dwn_url: process.env.DWN_URL,
     },
 
     // list of files / patterns to load in the browser
diff --git a/packages/dids/karma.conf.cjs b/packages/dids/karma.conf.cjs
index 083f0c963..af5313117 100644
--- a/packages/dids/karma.conf.cjs
+++ b/packages/dids/karma.conf.cjs
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ module.exports = function (config) {
     client: {
       mocha: {
         timeout: 10000 // 10 seconds
-      }
+      },
+      dwn_url: process.env.DWN_URL,
     },
 
     // list of files / patterns to load in the browser
diff --git a/packages/web5-user-agent/karma.conf.cjs b/packages/web5-user-agent/karma.conf.cjs
index ba578d742..932d5c7f4 100644
--- a/packages/web5-user-agent/karma.conf.cjs
+++ b/packages/web5-user-agent/karma.conf.cjs
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ module.exports = function (config) {
     client: {
       mocha: {
         timeout: 10000 // 10 seconds
-      }
+      },
+      dwn_url: process.env.DWN_URL,
     },
 
     // list of files / patterns to load in the browser
diff --git a/packages/web5-user-agent/tests/common/web5-user-agent.spec.ts b/packages/web5-user-agent/tests/common/web5-user-agent.spec.ts
index e3916610e..07d57a555 100644
--- a/packages/web5-user-agent/tests/common/web5-user-agent.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/web5-user-agent/tests/common/web5-user-agent.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { expect } from 'chai';
 import { Encoder, RecordsWriteMessage, RecordsRead } from '@tbd54566975/dwn-sdk-js';
 import { TestAgent } from './utils/test-user-agent.js';
+import { dwnNodes } from '../dwn-nodes.js';
 
 // NOTE: @noble/secp256k1 requires globalThis.crypto polyfill for node.js <=18: https://github.com/paulmillr/noble-secp256k1/blob/main/README.md#usage
 // Remove when we move off of node.js v18 to v20, earliest possible time would be Oct 2023: https://github.com/nodejs/release#release-schedule
@@ -11,8 +12,6 @@ import { webcrypto } from 'node:crypto';
 if (!globalThis.crypto) globalThis.crypto = webcrypto;
 
 let did: string;
-let dwnNodes: string[] = ['https://dwn.tbddev.org/dwn0'];
-// let dwnNodes: string[] = ['http://localhost:3000'];
 let testAgent: TestAgent;
 
 describe('Web5UserAgent', () => {
diff --git a/packages/web5-user-agent/tests/dwn-nodes.ts b/packages/web5-user-agent/tests/dwn-nodes.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8dab9b64a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/web5-user-agent/tests/dwn-nodes.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+function getDWNnodes() {
+  // @ts-ignore
+  if(typeof __karma__ == 'object' && __karma__.config && __karma__.config.dwn_url) { return [__karma__.config.dwn_url]; }
+  if(process && process.env && process.env.DWN_URL) { return [process.env.DWN_URL]; }
+  return ['https://dwn.tbddev.org/dwn0'];
+}
+
+export const dwnNodes = getDWNnodes();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/web5-user-agent/tests/fixtures/test-profiles.ts b/packages/web5-user-agent/tests/fixtures/test-profiles.ts
index b407a00fe..eadb1499c 100644
--- a/packages/web5-user-agent/tests/fixtures/test-profiles.ts
+++ b/packages/web5-user-agent/tests/fixtures/test-profiles.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ import type { TestProfileOptions } from '../common/utils/test-user-agent.js';
 
 import { generateKeyPair } from '@decentralized-identity/ion-tools';
 
-export const dwnNodes = ['https://dwn.tbddev.org/dwn0'];
-// const dwnNodes = ['http://localhost:3000'];
+import { dwnNodes } from '../../../web5/tests/dwn-nodes.js';
 
 export const keyIds = {
   did: {
diff --git a/packages/web5/karma.conf.cjs b/packages/web5/karma.conf.cjs
index e114c588c..afde937c3 100644
--- a/packages/web5/karma.conf.cjs
+++ b/packages/web5/karma.conf.cjs
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ module.exports = function (config) {
     client: {
       mocha: {
         timeout: 10000 // 10 seconds
-      }
+      },
+      dwn_url: process.env.DWN_URL,
     },
 
     // list of files / patterns to load in the browser
diff --git a/packages/web5/tests/dwn-nodes.ts b/packages/web5/tests/dwn-nodes.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8dab9b64a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/web5/tests/dwn-nodes.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+function getDWNnodes() {
+  // @ts-ignore
+  if(typeof __karma__ == 'object' && __karma__.config && __karma__.config.dwn_url) { return [__karma__.config.dwn_url]; }
+  if(process && process.env && process.env.DWN_URL) { return [process.env.DWN_URL]; }
+  return ['https://dwn.tbddev.org/dwn0'];
+}
+
+export const dwnNodes = getDWNnodes();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/web5/tests/fixtures/test-profiles.ts b/packages/web5/tests/fixtures/test-profiles.ts
index f9520fe00..73c43dab3 100644
--- a/packages/web5/tests/fixtures/test-profiles.ts
+++ b/packages/web5/tests/fixtures/test-profiles.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ import type { TestProfileOptions } from '../test-utils/test-user-agent.js';
 
 import { generateKeyPair } from '@decentralized-identity/ion-tools';
 
-const dwnNodes = ['https://dwn.tbddev.org/dwn0'];
-// const dwnNodes = ['http://localhost:3000'];
+import { dwnNodes } from '../dwn-nodes.js';
 
 export const keyIds = {
   did: {
diff --git a/packages/web5/tests/tech-preview.spec.ts b/packages/web5/tests/tech-preview.spec.ts
index ef9ef9ad8..93146f970 100644
--- a/packages/web5/tests/tech-preview.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/web5/tests/tech-preview.spec.ts
@@ -92,15 +92,17 @@ describe('Tech Preview', () => {
       });
     });
 
-    it('returns 2 DWN endpoints if at least 2 are healthy', async function() {
-      const promises = Array(50).fill(0).map(() => Web5.getTechPreviewDwnEndpoints());
+    if(!process.env.DWN_URL) {
+      it('returns 2 DWN endpoints if at least 2 are healthy', async function() {
+        const promises = Array(50).fill(0).map(() => Web5.getTechPreviewDwnEndpoints());
 
-      const results = await Promise.all(promises);
+        const results = await Promise.all(promises);
 
-      results.forEach(result => {
-        expect(result).to.be.an('array').that.has.lengthOf(2);
+        results.forEach(result => {
+          expect(result).to.be.an('array').that.has.lengthOf(2);
+        });
       });
-    });
+    }
 
     it('returns 1 DWN endpoints if only 1 is healthy', async function() {
       mockDwnEndpoints = [
diff --git a/testfiles/docker-compose.yaml b/testfiles/docker-compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a19a1b015
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testfiles/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+version: "3.98"
+
+services:
+  dwn-node:
+    container_name: dwn-node
+    image: ghcr.io/tbd54566975/dwn-server:dwn-sdk-0.0.35
+    ports:
+      - "3000:3000"