diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 8037f7db6aa3c201247f4268a35df4c16985d521..5c222a48dcd223050f203a69d7b4f4b4d99ccdb7 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -529,6 +529,7 @@ unit_test:
       - tangostationcontrol/.coverage
 integration_test_docker:
   stage: integration-tests
+  allow_failure: true
   image: docker:latest
   tags:
     - privileged
@@ -551,6 +552,7 @@ integration_test_docker:
         tag="$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG"
         echo "Running on branch '$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH': tag = $tag"
       fi
+    - apk update
     - apk add --update make bash docker-compose
     - apk add --update bind-tools
     - apk add --update postgresql14-client gzip
diff --git a/docker-compose/Makefile b/docker-compose/Makefile
index b3b736fc57a644ce05f4a8c11973be7042a7079f..7606e94abd344a9c255463664bf2f55d8e556b93 100644
--- a/docker-compose/Makefile
+++ b/docker-compose/Makefile
@@ -150,7 +150,8 @@ DOCKER_COMPOSE_ARGS := DISPLAY=$(DISPLAY) \
     CONTAINER_NAME_PREFIX=$(CONTAINER_NAME_PREFIX) \
     COMPOSE_IGNORE_ORPHANS=true \
     CONTAINER_EXECUTION_UID=$(shell id -u) \
-    DOCKER_GID=$(DOCKER_GID)
+    DOCKER_GID=$(DOCKER_GID) \
+    TEST_MODULE=$(INTEGRATION_MODULE)
 
 
 .PHONY: up down minimal context run integration start stop restart build build-nocache status clean pull help
@@ -174,7 +175,7 @@ run: minimal  ## run a service using arguments and delete it afterwards
 	$(DOCKER_COMPOSE_ARGS) docker-compose $(COMPOSE_FILE_ARGS) run --no-deps --rm $(SERVICE) $(SERVICE_ARGS)
 
 integration: minimal  ## run a service using arguments and delete it afterwards
-	TEST_MODULE=$(INTEGRATION_MODULE) $(DOCKER_COMPOSE_ARGS) docker-compose $(COMPOSE_FILE_ARGS) run --no-deps --rm integration-test $(INTEGRATION_ARGS)
+	$(DOCKER_COMPOSE_ARGS) docker-compose $(COMPOSE_FILE_ARGS) run --no-deps --rm integration-test $(INTEGRATION_ARGS)
 
 down:  ## stop all services and tear down the system
 	$(DOCKER_COMPOSE_ARGS) docker-compose $(COMPOSE_FILE_ARGS) down
diff --git a/sbin/run_integration_test.sh b/sbin/run_integration_test.sh
index 30df5c7cf02be8a26b86c506299d64e0acfa45ef..65beb8bc65ef32c79d29794281e5f3da2023456a 100755
--- a/sbin/run_integration_test.sh
+++ b/sbin/run_integration_test.sh
@@ -24,12 +24,16 @@ function integration_test {
   IFS=" " read -r -a restarts <<< "${2}"
   IFS=" " read -r -a configs <<< "${3}"
   for config in "${configs[@]}"; do
+    echo "Updating config ${config} ..."
     bash "${LOFAR20_DIR}"/sbin/update_ConfigDb.sh "${config}"
   done
   if [ ! -z "${2+x}" ]; then
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2145
+    echo "make restart ${restarts[@]} ..."
     make restart "${restarts[@]}"
   fi
   sleep 5
+  echo "make integration ${1} ..."
   make integration "${1}"
 }
 
diff --git a/tangostationcontrol/tox.ini b/tangostationcontrol/tox.ini
index c87e4605816e3ea7ee22dfd9731d73c7912f85d8..9bd8b804bcfabb04d4caf630c926fdcbe30ef1f9 100644
--- a/tangostationcontrol/tox.ini
+++ b/tangostationcontrol/tox.ini
@@ -29,12 +29,14 @@ commands = {envpython} -m stestr run {posargs}
 [testenv:integration]
 ; Warning running integration tests will make changes to your docker system!
 ; These tests should only be run by the integration-test docker container.
+allowlist_externals = echo
 passenv = TANGO_HOST
 setenv =
     VIRTUAL_ENV={envdir}
     TESTS_DIR=./tangostationcontrol/integration_test/{env:TEST_MODULE:default}
     PYTHON={envpython} -m coverage run --source tangostationcontrol --parallel-mode
 commands =
+    echo "Integration test directory configured for{env:TESTS_DIR} ({env:TEST_MODULE})"
     {envpython} -m stestr run --serial {posargs}
     {envpython} -m coverage combine
     {envpython} -m coverage html --omit='*test*' -d cover