diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 591c4a5..3a95f84 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -60,23 +60,21 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: build systemd image
           command: |
-              docker build -t tljh-systemd .
+              python3 .circleci/integration-test.py build-image
 
       - run:
           name: start systemd image
           command: |
-            docker run \
-              --privileged \
-              --detach \
-              --name=tljh-systemd-ci \
-              tljh-systemd
+              python3 .circleci/integration-test.py start-container
+
       - run:
           name: run tljh installer
           command: |
-            docker cp . tljh-systemd-ci:/srv/src
-            docker exec -it tljh-systemd-ci python3 /srv/src/bootstrap/bootstrap.py
+              python3 .circleci/integration-test.py cp . /srv/src
+              python3 .circleci/integration-test.py run 'python3 /srv/src/bootstrap/bootstrap.py'
 
       - run:
           name: check jupyterhub is up
           command: |
-            docker exec -it tljh-systemd-ci curl -L --fail http://localhost
+              python3 .circleci/integration-test.py run 'journalctl -u jupyterhub'
+              python3 .circleci/integration-test.py run 'curl -L --fail http://localhost'
diff --git a/.circleci/integration-test.py b/.circleci/integration-test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6fab030
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.circleci/integration-test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+import argparse
+import subprocess
+import os
+
+
+def build_systemd_image(image_name, source_path):
+    """
+    Build docker image with systemd at source_path.
+
+    Built image is tagged with image_name
+    """
+    subprocess.check_call([
+        'docker', 'build', '-t', image_name, source_path
+    ])
+
+
+def run_systemd_image(image_name, container_name, external_port, source_path):
+    """
+    Run docker image with systemd
+
+    Image named image_name should be built with build_systemd_image.
+
+    source_path is mounted to /srv/src in the container, so all changes to the
+    source are reflected in the host.
+
+    Port 80 inside the container is made available to the host at external_port.
+
+    Container named container_name will be started.
+    """
+    subprocess.check_call([
+        'docker', 'run',
+        '--privileged',
+        '--detach',
+        '--name', container_name,
+        '--publish', f'{external_port}:80',
+        '--mount', f'type=bind,source={source_path},target=/srv/src',
+        image_name
+    ])
+
+
+def remove_systemd_container(container_name):
+    """
+    Stop & remove docker container if it exists.
+    """
+    try:
+        subprocess.check_output([
+            'docker', 'inspect', container_name
+        ])
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+        # No such container exists, nothing to do
+        return
+    subprocess.check_call([
+        'docker', 'rm', '-f', container_name
+    ])
+
+
+def run_container_command(container_name, cmd):
+    """
+    Run cmd in a running container with a bash shell
+    """
+    subprocess.check_call([
+        'docker', 'exec',
+        '-it', container_name,
+        '/bin/bash', '-c', cmd
+    ])
+
+
+def copy_to_container(container_name, src_path, dest_path):
+    """
+    Copy files from src_path to dest_path inside container_name
+    """
+    subprocess.check_call([
+        'docker', 'cp',
+        src_path, f'{container_name}:{dest_path}''
+    ])
+
+
+def main():
+    argparser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    subparsers = argparser.add_subparsers(dest='action')
+
+    subparsers.add_parser('build-image')
+    subparsers.add_parser('start-container')
+    subparsers.add_parser('stop-container')
+    subparsers.add_parser('run').add_argument(
+        'command',
+    )
+    copy_parser = subparsers.add_parser('copy')
+    copy_parser.add_argument('src')
+    copy_parser.add_argument('dest')
+
+    args = argparser.parse_args()
+
+    image_name = 'tljh-systemd'
+    container_name = 'tljh-ci-run'
+
+    source_path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..'))
+
+    if args.action == 'build-image':
+        build_systemd_image(image_name, source_path)
+    elif args.action == 'start-container':
+        run_systemd_image(image_name, container_name, 12000, source_path)
+    elif args.action == 'stop-container':
+        remove_systemd_container(container_name)
+    elif args.action == 'run':
+        run_container_command(container_name, args.command)
+    elif args.action == 'copy':
+        copy_to_container(container_name, args.src, args.dest)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()