diff --git a/.buildkite/pipeline.yaml b/.buildkite/pipeline.yaml
index a8ce1273fb..de61d4e5b9 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipeline.yaml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipeline.yaml
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ steps:
       - docker#v3.0.1:
           image: "matrixdotorg/riotweb-ci-e2etests-env:latest"
           propagate-environment: true
+          workdir: "/workdir/matrix-react-sdk"
 
   - label: "🔧 Riot Tests"
     agents:
@@ -83,27 +84,16 @@ steps:
       # webpack loves to gorge itself on resources.
       queue: "medium"
     command:
-      # Install chrome
-      - "echo '--- Installing Chrome'"
-      - "wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | apt-key add -"
-      - "sh -c 'echo \"deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main\" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google.list'"
-      - "apt-get update"
-      - "apt-get install -y google-chrome-stable"
       # TODO: Remove hacky chmod for BuildKite
       - "chmod +x ./scripts/ci/*.sh"
       - "chmod +x ./scripts/*"
-      - "echo '--- Installing Dependencies'"
-      - "./scripts/ci/install-deps.sh"
-      - "echo '--- Running initial build steps'"
-      - "yarn build"
       - "echo '+++ Running Tests'"
       - "./scripts/ci/riot-unit-tests.sh"
-    env:
-      CHROME_BIN: "/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable"
     plugins:
       - docker#v3.0.1:
           image: "node:10"
           propagate-environment: true
+          workdir: "/workdir/matrix-react-sdk"
 
   - label: "🌐 i18n"
     command:
diff --git a/scripts/ci/build.sh b/scripts/ci/build.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 0b1fa23093..0000000000
--- a/scripts/ci/build.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-#
-# script which is run by the CI build (after `yarn test`).
-#
-# clones riot-web develop and runs the tests against our version of react-sdk.
-
-set -ev
-
-RIOT_WEB_DIR=riot-web
-REACT_SDK_DIR=`pwd`
-
-yarn link
-
-scripts/fetchdep.sh vector-im riot-web
-
-pushd "$RIOT_WEB_DIR"
-
-yarn link matrix-js-sdk
-yarn link matrix-react-sdk
-
-yarn install
-
-yarn build
-
-popd
diff --git a/scripts/ci/end-to-end-tests.sh b/scripts/ci/end-to-end-tests.sh
index a592888292..9bdb512940 100755
--- a/scripts/ci/end-to-end-tests.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci/end-to-end-tests.sh
@@ -21,15 +21,16 @@ handle_error() {
 
 trap 'handle_error' ERR
 
-RIOT_WEB_DIR=riot-web
-REACT_SDK_DIR=`pwd`
-
 
 echo "--- Building Riot"
-scripts/ci/build.sh
+scripts/ci/layered-riot-web.sh
+cd ../riot-web
+riot_web_dir=`pwd`
+CI_PACKAGE=true yarn build
+cd ../matrix-react-sdk
 # run end to end tests
 pushd test/end-to-end-tests
-ln -s $REACT_SDK_DIR/$RIOT_WEB_DIR riot/riot-web
+ln -s $riot_web_dir riot/riot-web
 # PUPPETEER_SKIP_CHROMIUM_DOWNLOAD=true ./install.sh
 # CHROME_PATH=$(which google-chrome-stable) ./run.sh
 echo "--- Install synapse & other dependencies"
diff --git a/scripts/ci/layered-riot-web.sh b/scripts/ci/layered-riot-web.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f58794b451
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ci/layered-riot-web.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Creates an environment similar to one that riot-web would expect for
+# development. This means going one directory up (and assuming we're in
+# a directory like /workdir/matrix-react-sdk) and putting riot-web and
+# the js-sdk there.
+
+cd ../  # Assume we're at something like /workdir/matrix-react-sdk
+
+# Set up the js-sdk first
+matrix-react-sdk/scripts/fetchdep.sh matrix-org matrix-js-sdk
+pushd matrix-js-sdk
+yarn link
+yarn install
+popd
+
+# Now set up the react-sdk
+pushd matrix-react-sdk
+yarn link matrix-js-sdk
+yarn link
+yarn install
+popd
+
+# Finally, set up riot-web
+matrix-react-sdk/scripts/fetchdep.sh vector-im riot-web
+pushd riot-web
+yarn link matrix-js-sdk
+yarn link matrix-react-sdk
+yarn install
+yarn build:res
+popd
diff --git a/scripts/ci/riot-unit-tests.sh b/scripts/ci/riot-unit-tests.sh
index 215af13030..337c0fe6c3 100755
--- a/scripts/ci/riot-unit-tests.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci/riot-unit-tests.sh
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@
 
 set -ev
 
-RIOT_WEB_DIR=riot-web
-
-scripts/ci/build.sh
-pushd "$RIOT_WEB_DIR"
+scripts/ci/layered-riot-web.sh
+cd ../riot-web
+yarn build:genfiles # so the tests can run. Faster version of `build`
 yarn test
-popd
diff --git a/scripts/fetchdep.sh b/scripts/fetchdep.sh
index f82752bfc5..0142305797 100755
--- a/scripts/fetchdep.sh
+++ b/scripts/fetchdep.sh
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ clone() {
     if [ -n "$branch" ]
     then
         echo "Trying to use $org/$repo#$branch"
-        git clone git://github.com/$org/$repo.git $repo --branch "$branch" && exit 0
+        git clone git://github.com/$org/$repo.git $repo --branch "$branch" --depth 1 && exit 0
     fi
 }