diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 87f8b389..4df825cc 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -74,15 +74,6 @@ run:
 		-e SSL_TYPE=letsencrypt \
 		-h mail.my-domain.com -t $(NAME)
 	sleep 15
-	docker run --rm -d --name mail_smtponly \
-		-v "`pwd`/test/config":/tmp/docker-mailserver \
-		-v "`pwd`/test/test-files":/tmp/docker-mailserver-test:ro \
-		-e SMTP_ONLY=1 \
-		-e PERMIT_DOCKER=network \
-		-e DMS_DEBUG=0 \
-		-e OVERRIDE_HOSTNAME=mail.my-domain.com \
-		-t $(NAME)
-	sleep 15
 	docker run --rm -d --name mail_smtponly_without_config \
 		-e SMTP_ONLY=1 \
 		-e ENABLE_LDAP=1 \
diff --git a/test/mail_smtponly.bats b/test/mail_smtponly.bats
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fbbca9ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/mail_smtponly.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+load 'test_helper/common'
+
+function setup() {
+    run_setup_file_if_necessary
+}
+
+function teardown() {
+    run_teardown_file_if_necessary
+}
+
+function setup_file() {
+    docker run --rm -d --name mail_smtponly \
+		-v "`pwd`/test/config":/tmp/docker-mailserver \
+		-v "`pwd`/test/test-files":/tmp/docker-mailserver-test:ro \
+		-e SMTP_ONLY=1 \
+		-e PERMIT_DOCKER=network \
+		-e DMS_DEBUG=0 \
+		-e OVERRIDE_HOSTNAME=mail.my-domain.com \
+		-t ${NAME}
+
+    wait_for_finished_setup_in_container mail_smtponly
+}
+
+function teardown_file() {
+    docker rm -f mail_smtponly
+}
+
+@test "first" {
+  skip 'this test must come first to reliably identify when to run setup_file'
+}
+
+#
+# configuration checks
+#
+
+@test "checking configuration: hostname/domainname override" {
+  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/bash -c "cat /etc/mailname | grep my-domain.com"
+  assert_success
+}
+
+#
+# imap
+#
+
+@test "checking process: dovecot imaplogin (disabled using SMTP_ONLY)" {
+  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/bash -c "ps aux --forest | grep -v grep | grep '/usr/sbin/dovecot'"
+  assert_failure
+}
+
+#
+# smtp
+#
+
+@test "checking smtp_only: mail send should work" {
+  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c "postconf -e smtp_host_lookup=no"
+  assert_success
+  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c "/etc/init.d/postfix reload"
+  assert_success
+  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c "nc 0.0.0.0 25 < /tmp/docker-mailserver-test/email-templates/smtp-only.txt"
+  assert_success
+  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c 'grep -cE "to=<user2\@external.tld>.*status\=sent" /var/log/mail/mail.log'
+  [ "$status" -ge 0 ]
+}
+
+#
+# PERMIT_DOCKER=network
+#
+
+@test "checking PERMIT_DOCKER=network: opendmarc/opendkim config" {
+  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c "cat /etc/opendmarc/ignore.hosts | grep '172.16.0.0/12'"
+  assert_success
+  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c "cat /etc/opendkim/TrustedHosts | grep '172.16.0.0/12'"
+  assert_success
+}
+
+@test "last" {
+  skip 'this test is only there to reliably mark the end for the teardown_file'
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/tests.bats b/test/tests.bats
index 9750d281..76a04cb5 100644
--- a/test/tests.bats
+++ b/test/tests.bats
@@ -32,11 +32,6 @@ function count_processed_changes() {
   assert_success
 }
 
-@test "checking configuration: hostname/domainname override" {
-  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/bash -c "cat /etc/mailname | grep my-domain.com"
-  assert_success
-}
-
 @test "checking configuration: hostname/domainname override: check container hostname is applied correctly" {
   run docker exec mail_override_hostname /bin/bash -c "hostname | grep unknown.domain.tld"
   assert_success
@@ -128,11 +123,6 @@ function count_processed_changes() {
   assert_success
 }
 
-@test "checking process: dovecot imaplogin (disabled using SMTP_ONLY)" {
-  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/bash -c "ps aux --forest | grep -v grep | grep '/usr/sbin/dovecot'"
-  assert_failure
-}
-
 @test "checking imap: server is ready with STARTTLS" {
   run docker exec mail /bin/bash -c "nc -w 2 0.0.0.0 143 | grep '* OK' | grep 'STARTTLS' | grep 'ready'"
   assert_success
@@ -303,17 +293,6 @@ function count_processed_changes() {
   assert_output 1
 }
 
-@test "checking smtp_only: mail send should work" {
-  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c "postconf -e smtp_host_lookup=no"
-  assert_success
-  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c "/etc/init.d/postfix reload"
-  assert_success
-  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c "nc 0.0.0.0 25 < /tmp/docker-mailserver-test/email-templates/smtp-only.txt"
-  assert_success
-  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c 'grep -cE "to=<user2\@external.tld>.*status\=sent" /var/log/mail/mail.log'
-  [ "$status" -ge 0 ]
-}
-
 @test "checking smtp: not advertising smtputf8" {
   # Dovecot does not support SMTPUTF8, so while we can send we cannot receive
   # Better disable SMTPUTF8 support entirely if we can't handle it correctly
@@ -967,13 +946,6 @@ function count_processed_changes() {
   assert_success
 }
 
-@test "checking PERMIT_DOCKER: opendmarc/opendkim config" {
-  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c "cat /etc/opendmarc/ignore.hosts | grep '172.16.0.0/12'"
-  assert_success
-  run docker exec mail_smtponly /bin/sh -c "cat /etc/opendkim/TrustedHosts | grep '172.16.0.0/12'"
-  assert_success
-}
-
 @test "checking PERMIT_DOCKER: my network value" {
   run docker exec mail /bin/sh -c "postconf | grep '^mynetworks =' | egrep '[[:digit:]]{1,3}\.[[:digit:]]{1,3}\.0\.0/16'"
   assert_success