diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 2c9173c5f6..5ae1dff51f 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -1,23 +1,21 @@
 ---
 version: 2.1
 executors:
-  besu_executor_med:
+  besu_executor_med: # 2cpu, 4G ram
     docker:
       - image: circleci/openjdk:11.0.4-jdk-stretch
     resource_class: medium
     working_directory: ~/project
     environment:
-      JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS: -Xmx2048m
-      GRADLE_OPTS: -Dorg.gradle.daemon=false -Dorg.gradle.parallel=true -Dorg.gradle.workers.max=2 -Xmx2048m
+      GRADLE_OPTS: -Xmx2048m -Dorg.gradle.daemon=false -Dorg.gradle.parallel=true -Dorg.gradle.workers.max=2
 
-  besu_executor_xl:
+  besu_executor_xl: # 8cpu, 16G ram
     docker:
       - image: circleci/openjdk:11.0.4-jdk-stretch
     resource_class: xlarge
     working_directory: ~/project
     environment:
-      JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS: -Xmx2048m
-      GRADLE_OPTS: -Dorg.gradle.daemon=false -Dorg.gradle.parallel=true -Dorg.gradle.workers.max=6 -Xmx2048m
+      GRADLE_OPTS: -Xmx4096m -Dorg.gradle.daemon=false -Dorg.gradle.parallel=true -Dorg.gradle.workers.max=4
 
 commands:
   prepare:
@@ -153,6 +151,11 @@ jobs:
           name: build image
           command: |
             ./gradlew --no-daemon distDocker
+      - run:
+          name: test image
+          command: |
+            mkdir -p docker/reports
+            ./gradlew --no-daemon testDocker
 
   publish:
     executor: besu_executor_med
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 1e8eb425ac..4a107f1001 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ allprojects {
    */
   test {
     jvmArgs = [
-      '-Xmx2g',
+      '-Xmx4g',
       '-XX:-UseGCOverheadLimit',
       // Mockito and jackson-databind do some strange reflection during tests.
       // This suppresses an illegal access warning.
@@ -551,9 +551,22 @@ task distDocker(type: Exec) {
   args "-c", "docker build --build-arg BUILD_DATE=${buildTime()} --build-arg VERSION=${dockerBuildVersion} --build-arg VCS_REF=${getCheckedOutGitCommitHash()} -t ${image} ."
 }
 
+task testDocker(type: Exec) {
+  dependsOn distDocker
+  def dockerReportsDir = "docker/reports/"
+  def image = project.hasProperty('release.releaseVersion') ? "hyperledger/besu:" + project.property('release.releaseVersion') : "hyperledger/besu:${project.version}"
+  workingDir "docker"
+
+  doFirst {
+    new File(dockerReportsDir).mkdir()
+  }
+
+  executable "sh"
+  args "-c", "bash test.sh ${image}"
+}
+
 task dockerUpload(type: Exec) {
   dependsOn distDocker
-  def dockerBuildVersion = project.hasProperty('release.releaseVersion') ? project.property('release.releaseVersion') : "${rootProject.version}"
   def imageName = "hyperledger/besu"
   def image = project.hasProperty('release.releaseVersion') ? "${imageName}:" + project.property('release.releaseVersion') : "${imageName}:${project.version}"
   def cmd = "docker push '${image}'"