diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index f784dd342..680052c74 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -21,8 +21,12 @@ jobs:
       script:
         - "tests/frontend/travis/runner.sh"
     - name: "Test the Dockerfile"
+      install:
+        - "cd src && npm install && cd -"
       script:
-        - "docker build ."
+        - "docker build -t etherpad:test ."
+        - "docker run -d -p 9001:9001 etherpad:test && sleep 3"
+        - "cd src && npm run test-container"
 
 notifications:
   irc:
diff --git a/src/package.json b/src/package.json
index 5c925007b..926de995e 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 e1c9ddf31..e1ab27d90 100644
--- a/tests/backend/loadSettings.js
+++ b/tests/backend/loadSettings.js
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+/*
+ * 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');
 
diff --git a/tests/backend/specs/api/pad.js b/tests/backend/specs/api/pad.js
index 269501a01..9eff06562 100644
--- a/tests/backend/specs/api/pad.js
+++ b/tests/backend/specs/api/pad.js
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+/*
+ * 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');
@@ -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 000000000..4ac445fe9
--- /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 000000000..f50b79864
--- /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)
+  });
+})