diff --git a/Dockerfile.it b/Dockerfile.it
index b87092f7cc..fdcb353979 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.it
+++ b/Dockerfile.it
@@ -14,14 +14,21 @@ RUN echo 'tzdata tzdata/Areas select Etc' | debconf-set-selections; \
 RUN curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | bash
 
 RUN apt-get update && \
-    apt-get install -y nodejs && \
-    apt-get clean && \
-    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+    apt-get install -y nodejs
 
 # specify location of to be installed browsers
 # so that our IT can find them at runtime
 ENV PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=/ms-playwright
 
-RUN mkdir ${PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH} && chmod -R 777 /ms-playwright
+RUN mkdir ${PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH}
+
+# need to install browser and deps for playwright
+# using this hack because of npm junk: https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/issues/9858#issuecomment-954311179
+RUN mkdir /tmp/pwt && cd /tmp/pwt && \
+    npx playwright install chromium --with-deps && \
+    chmod -R 777 /ms-playwright
+
+RUN apt-get clean && \
+    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 EXPOSE 8079
diff --git a/test/ui.sh b/test/ui.sh
index 28f46ba781..e5a86cc6cd 100755
--- a/test/ui.sh
+++ b/test/ui.sh
@@ -29,9 +29,7 @@ run()
 
     ./test/helpers/wait-for-it/wait-for-it.sh "$flipt_host" -t 30
 
-    cd "ui"
-    npx playwright install chromium --with-deps
-    npm test
+    cd "ui" &&  npm test
 }
 
 run