diff --git a/.buildkite/pipeline.yaml b/.buildkite/pipeline.yaml
index 85aff94069..100d14e967 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipeline.yaml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipeline.yaml
@@ -86,16 +86,13 @@ steps:
       # 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"
     plugins:
       - docker#v3.0.1:
           image: "node:10"
           propagate-environment: true
+          workdir: "/workdir/matrix-react-sdk"
 
   - label: "🌐 i18n"
     command:
diff --git a/scripts/ci/layered-riot-web.sh b/scripts/ci/layered-riot-web.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b908be68f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ci/layered-riot-web.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/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
+#yarn build
+popd
+
+# Now set up the react-sdk
+pushd matrix-react-sdk
+yarn link matrix-js-sdk
+yarn link
+yarn install
+#yarn build
+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..7a9ed77793 100755
--- a/scripts/ci/riot-unit-tests.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci/riot-unit-tests.sh
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@
 
 set -ev
 
-RIOT_WEB_DIR=riot-web
-
-scripts/ci/build.sh
-pushd "$RIOT_WEB_DIR"
+scripts/ci/layered-riot-web.sh
+cd ../riot-web
 yarn test
-popd
diff --git a/scripts/fetchdep.sh b/scripts/fetchdep.sh
index f82752bfc5..f477fd08b8 100755
--- a/scripts/fetchdep.sh
+++ b/scripts/fetchdep.sh
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ clone() {
     if [ -n "$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
 }