diff --git a/circle.yml b/circle.yml
index 34ce1b34c9a..3ab50cccf93 100644
--- a/circle.yml
+++ b/circle.yml
@@ -5,19 +5,9 @@ dependencies:
   cache_directories:
     - "~/docker"
   override:
-    # need to add the dokku user to the docker group
-    - sudo -E CI=true make -e sshcommand
-    - sudo usermod -G docker dokku
-    - sudo -E CI=true DOCKER_VERSION=1.5.0 make -e install: { timeout: 300 }
-    - make -e ci-dependencies
-    #### circle does some weird *expletive* with regards to root and gh auth (needed for gitsubmodules test)
-    - sudo rsync -a ~ubuntu/.ssh/ ~root/.ssh/
-    - sudo chown -R root:root ~root/.ssh/
-    - sudo sed -e 's:/home/ubuntu:/root:g' ~root/.ssh/config
-    ####
-    - sudo -E make -e setup-deploy-tests
+    - ./tests/ci/parallel_runner.sh setup: { timeout: 300 }
   post:
     - sudo -E make -e lint
 test:
   override:
-    - ./tests/ci/parallel_runner.sh: { parallel: true, timeout: 1800 }
+    - ./tests/ci/parallel_runner.sh testing: { parallel: true, timeout: 1800 }
diff --git a/tests.mk b/tests.mk
index 5c1931e5452..c4d126bbb8c 100644
--- a/tests.mk
+++ b/tests.mk
@@ -61,7 +61,11 @@ lint:
 
 unit-tests:
 	@echo running unit tests...
+ifndef UNIT_TEST_BATCH
 	@$(QUIET) bats tests/unit
+else
+	@$(QUIET) ./tests/ci/unit_test_runner.sh $$UNIT_TEST_BATCH
+endif
 
 deploy-test-clojure:
 	@echo deploying config app...
@@ -125,7 +129,6 @@ deploy-test-static:
 
 deploy-tests:
 	@echo running deploy tests...
-	# @$(QUIET) bats tests/deploy
 	@$(QUIET) $(MAKE) deploy-test-config
 	@$(QUIET) $(MAKE) deploy-test-clojure
 	@$(QUIET) $(MAKE) deploy-test-dockerfile
diff --git a/tests/ci/parallel_runner.sh b/tests/ci/parallel_runner.sh
index 68e1038fff9..8a664b8b871 100755
--- a/tests/ci/parallel_runner.sh
+++ b/tests/ci/parallel_runner.sh
@@ -1,20 +1,46 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
+MODE="$1"; MODE=${MODE:="testing"}
+
+setup_circle() {
+  MAKE_ENV="CI=true DOCKER_VERSION=1.5.0"
+  [[ "$1" == "buildstack" ]] && MAKE_ENV+=" BUILD_STACK=true "
+  echo "setting up with MAKE_ENV: $MAKE_ENV"
+  sudo -E CI=true make -e sshcommand
+  # need to add the dokku user to the docker group
+  sudo usermod -G docker dokku
+  #### circle does some weird *expletive* with regards to root and gh auth (needed for gitsubmodules test)
+  sudo rsync -a ~ubuntu/.ssh/ ~root/.ssh/
+  sudo chown -R root:root ~root/.ssh/
+  sudo sed --in-place 's:/home/ubuntu:/root:g' ~root/.ssh/config
+  ####
+  sudo -E $MAKE_ENV make -e install
+  sudo -E make -e setup-deploy-tests
+  make -e ci-dependencies
+}
+
 case "$CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX" in
   0)
-    echo "=====> make unit-tests"
-    sudo -E make -e unit-tests
+    echo "=====> make unit-tests (1/2) on CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX: $CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX"
+    [[ "$MODE" == "setup" ]] && setup_circle && exit 0
+    sudo -E UNIT_TEST_BATCH=1 make -e unit-tests
     ;;
 
   1)
-    echo "=====> make deploy-tests (buildstep release)"
-    sudo -E make -e deploy-tests
+    echo "=====> make unit-tests (2/2) on CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX: $CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX"
+    [[ "$MODE" == "setup" ]] && setup_circle && exit 0
+    sudo -E UNIT_TEST_BATCH=2 make -e unit-tests
     ;;
 
   2)
-    echo "=====> make deploy-tests (buildstep master)"
-    docker rmi -f progrium/buildstep && \
-    sudo -E BUILD_STACK=true make -e stack && \
+    echo "=====> make deploy-tests (buildstep release) on CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX: $CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX"
+    [[ "$MODE" == "setup" ]] && setup_circle && exit 0
+    sudo -E make -e deploy-tests
+    ;;
+
+  3)
+    echo "=====> make deploy-tests (buildstep master) on CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX: $CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX"
+    [[ "$MODE" == "setup" ]] && setup_circle buildstack && exit 0
     sudo -E make -e deploy-tests
     ;;
 esac
diff --git a/tests/ci/unit_test_runner.sh b/tests/ci/unit_test_runner.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..9f5e2ce392c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ci/unit_test_runner.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+is_number() {
+  local NUMBER=$1; local NUM_RE='^[0-9]+$'
+  if [[ $NUMBER =~ $NUM_RE ]];then
+    return 0
+  else
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
+usage() {
+  echo "usage: $0 1|2"
+  exit 0
+}
+
+BATCH_NUM="$1"
+is_number $BATCH_NUM || usage
+
+TESTS=($(find "$(dirname $0)"/../unit -maxdepth 1 -name "*.bats"))
+HALF_TESTS=$(( ${#TESTS[@]} / 2 ))
+FIRST_HALF=("${TESTS[@]:0:${HALF_TESTS}}")
+LAST_HALF=("${TESTS[@]:${HALF_TESTS}:${#TESTS[@]}}")
+
+case "$BATCH_NUM" in
+  1)
+    bats "${FIRST_HALF[@]}"
+  ;;
+
+  2)
+    bats "${LAST_HALF[@]}"
+  ;;
+
+  *)
+    usage
+  ;;
+esac
diff --git a/tests/deploy/config.bats b/tests/deploy/config.bats
deleted file mode 100644
index f8177e53ef3..00000000000
--- a/tests/deploy/config.bats
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bats
-
-load ../unit/test_helper
-
-@test "deploy config app" {
-  run bash -c "cd tests && ./test_deploy ./apps/config dokku.me"
-  echo "output: "$output
-  echo "status: "$status
-  assert_success
-}
diff --git a/tests/deploy/gitsubmodules.bats b/tests/deploy/gitsubmodules.bats
deleted file mode 100644
index b5b66fdcfb2..00000000000
--- a/tests/deploy/gitsubmodules.bats
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bats
-
-load ../unit/test_helper
-
-@test "deploy gitsubmodules app" {
-  run bash -c "cd tests && ./test_deploy ./apps/gitsubmodules dokku.me"
-  echo "output: "$output
-  echo "status: "$status
-  assert_success
-}
diff --git a/tests/deploy/go.bats b/tests/deploy/go.bats
deleted file mode 100644
index cdd75c2c2be..00000000000
--- a/tests/deploy/go.bats
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bats
-
-load ../unit/test_helper
-
-@test "deploy go app" {
-  run bash -c "cd tests && ./test_deploy ./apps/go dokku.me"
-  echo "output: "$output
-  echo "status: "$status
-  assert_success
-}
diff --git a/tests/deploy/java.bats b/tests/deploy/java.bats
deleted file mode 100644
index 560ad28e31c..00000000000
--- a/tests/deploy/java.bats
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bats
-
-load ../unit/test_helper
-
-@test "deploy java app" {
-  run bash -c "cd tests && ./test_deploy ./apps/java dokku.me"
-  echo "output: "$output
-  echo "status: "$status
-  assert_success
-}
diff --git a/tests/deploy/multi.bats b/tests/deploy/multi.bats
deleted file mode 100644
index e938e21fcf6..00000000000
--- a/tests/deploy/multi.bats
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bats
-
-load ../unit/test_helper
-
-@test "deploy multi app" {
-  run bash -c "cd tests && ./test_deploy ./apps/multi dokku.me"
-  echo "output: "$output
-  echo "status: "$status
-  assert_success
-}
diff --git a/tests/deploy/nodejs-express.bats b/tests/deploy/nodejs-express.bats
deleted file mode 100644
index 2fcc82dc850..00000000000
--- a/tests/deploy/nodejs-express.bats
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bats
-
-load ../unit/test_helper
-
-@test "deploy nodejs-express app" {
-  run bash -c "cd tests && ./test_deploy ./apps/nodejs-express dokku.me"
-  echo "output: "$output
-  echo "status: "$status
-  assert_success
-}
diff --git a/tests/deploy/php.bats b/tests/deploy/php.bats
deleted file mode 100644
index 06bfa081b12..00000000000
--- a/tests/deploy/php.bats
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bats
-
-load ../unit/test_helper
-
-@test "deploy php app" {
-  skip "fails. ref: https://github.com/progrium/buildstep/issues/126"
-  run bash -c "cd tests && ./test_deploy ./apps/php dokku.me"
-  echo "output: "$output
-  echo "status: "$status
-  assert_success
-}
diff --git a/tests/deploy/python-flask.bats b/tests/deploy/python-flask.bats
deleted file mode 100644
index 1834e8fc88b..00000000000
--- a/tests/deploy/python-flask.bats
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bats
-
-load ../unit/test_helper
-
-@test "deploy python-flask app" {
-  run bash -c "cd tests && ./test_deploy ./apps/python-flask dokku.me"
-  echo "output: "$output
-  echo "status: "$status
-  assert_success
-}
diff --git a/tests/deploy/static.bats b/tests/deploy/static.bats
deleted file mode 100644
index bef621f2986..00000000000
--- a/tests/deploy/static.bats
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bats
-
-load ../unit/test_helper
-
-@test "deploy static app" {
-  skip "fails on apt-get update..."
-  run bash -c "cd tests && ./test_deploy ./apps/static dokku.me"
-  echo "output: "$output
-  echo "status: "$status
-  assert_success
-}