diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index f827e437c8..3c86f92713 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -383,12 +383,6 @@ configure(subprojects.findAll {it.name != 'errorprone-checks'}) {
   }
 }
 
-
-if (!file("ethereum/referencetests/src/test/resources/README.md").exists()) {
-  throw new GradleException("ethereum/referencetests/src/test/resources/README.md missing: please clone submodules (git submodule update --init --recursive)")
-}
-
-
 apply plugin: 'net.researchgate.release'
 
 task releaseIntegrationTest(type: Test){
@@ -401,7 +395,11 @@ task releaseIntegrationTest(type: Test){
   }
 }
 
-task releaseReferenceTest(type: Test, dependsOn : ':ethereum:core:referenceTests'){
+task releaseReferenceTest(type: Test, dependsOn : [
+  ':ethereum:core:referenceTests',
+  ':ethereum:rlp:referenceTests',
+  ':ethereum:trie:referenceTests'
+]){
 }
 
 task releaseAcceptanceTest(type: Test, dependsOn : ':acceptance-tests:acceptanceTest') {}
diff --git a/ethereum/core/build.gradle b/ethereum/core/build.gradle
index 165547b6b6..1996d47491 100644
--- a/ethereum/core/build.gradle
+++ b/ethereum/core/build.gradle
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ test {
   exclude 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/vm/**ReferenceTest.class'
   exclude 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/vm/blockchain/**.class'
   exclude 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/vm/generalstate/**.class'
+  exclude 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/core/TransactionTest.class'
 }
 
 def generateTestFiles(FileTree jsonPath, File resourcesPath, File templateFile, String pathstrip, String destination, String namePrefix) {
@@ -115,8 +116,6 @@ task blockchainReferenceTestsSetup {
     )
 }
 
-compileTestJava.dependsOn(blockchainReferenceTestsSetup)
-
 task generalstateReferenceTestsSetup {
   generateTestFiles(
     fileTree("../referencetests/src/test/resources/GeneralStateTests"),
@@ -128,8 +127,6 @@ task generalstateReferenceTestsSetup {
     )
 }
 
-compileTestJava.dependsOn(generalstateReferenceTestsSetup)
-
 task generalstateRegressionReferenceTestsSetup {
   generateTestFiles(
     fileTree("./src/test/resources/regressions/generalstate"),
@@ -141,8 +138,6 @@ task generalstateRegressionReferenceTestsSetup {
     )
 }
 
-compileTestJava.dependsOn(generalstateRegressionReferenceTestsSetup)
-
 task cleanupReferenceTests(type: Delete) {
   delete fileTree("./src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/vm/generalstate/") {
     include("**/GeneralStateReferenceTest*.java")
@@ -153,12 +148,26 @@ task cleanupReferenceTests(type: Delete) {
 
 clean.dependsOn(cleanupReferenceTests)
 
-task referenceTests(type: Test, dependsOn: ["compileTestJava"]) {
+task referenceTests(type: Test, dependsOn: [
+  "blockchainReferenceTestsSetup",
+  "generalstateReferenceTestsSetup",
+  "generalstateRegressionReferenceTestsSetup",
+  "compileTestJava"
+]) {
+  compileTestJava.mustRunAfter blockchainReferenceTestsSetup
+  compileTestJava.mustRunAfter generalstateReferenceTestsSetup
+  compileTestJava.mustRunAfter generalstateRegressionReferenceTestsSetup
+  doFirst {
+    if (!file("../referencetests/src/test/resources/README.md").exists()) {
+      throw new GradleException("ethereum/referencetests/src/test/resources/README.md missing: please clone submodules (git submodule update --init --recursive)")
+    }
+  }
   scanForTestClasses = false
   enableAssertions = true
   include 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/vm/**ReferenceTest.class'
   include 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/vm/blockchain/**.class'
   include 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/vm/generalstate/**.class'
+  include 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/core/TransactionTest.class'
 }
 
 artifacts {
diff --git a/ethereum/rlp/build.gradle b/ethereum/rlp/build.gradle
index 7562a0acd6..82ebe9c7c9 100644
--- a/ethereum/rlp/build.gradle
+++ b/ethereum/rlp/build.gradle
@@ -37,3 +37,18 @@ dependencies {
   testImplementation 'com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind'
   testImplementation 'junit:junit'
 }
+
+test {
+  exclude 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/rlp/InvalidRLPRefTest.class'
+  exclude 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/rlp/RLPRefTest.class'
+}
+
+task referenceTests(type: Test, dependsOn: ['compileTestJava']) {
+  doFirst {
+    if (!file("../referencetests/src/test/resources/README.md").exists()) {
+      throw new GradleException("ethereum/referencetests/src/test/resources/README.md missing: please clone submodules (git submodule update --init --recursive)")
+    }
+  }
+  include 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/rlp/InvalidRLPRefTest.class'
+  include 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/rlp/RLPRefTest.class'
+}
diff --git a/ethereum/trie/build.gradle b/ethereum/trie/build.gradle
index 497a10e91c..9459b1d851 100644
--- a/ethereum/trie/build.gradle
+++ b/ethereum/trie/build.gradle
@@ -37,3 +37,14 @@ dependencies {
   testImplementation 'org.mockito:mockito-core'
   testImplementation 'org.assertj:assertj-core'
 }
+
+test { exclude 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/trie/TrieRefTest.class' }
+
+task referenceTests(type: Test, dependsOn: ['compileTestJava']) {
+  doFirst {
+    if (!file("../referencetests/src/test/resources/README.md").exists()) {
+      throw new GradleException("ethereum/referencetests/src/test/resources/README.md missing: please clone submodules (git submodule update --init --recursive)")
+    }
+  }
+  include 'tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/trie/TrieRefTest.class'
+}