diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 15cffad9e49..80c9ac6d674 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -75,6 +75,18 @@ install: build
 	mkdir -p "$${PREFIX}/bin"
 	cp "$${VTROOT}/bin/"{mysqlctld,vtctld,vtctlclient,vtgate,vttablet,vtworker,vtbackup} "$${PREFIX}/bin/"
 
+# install copies the files needed to run test Vitess using vtcombo into the given directory tree.
+# Usage: make install PREFIX=/path/to/install/root
+install-testing: build
+	# binaries
+	mkdir -p "$${PREFIX}/bin"
+	cp "$${VTROOT}/bin/"{mysqlctld,mysqlctl,vtcombo,vttestserver} "$${PREFIX}/bin/"
+	# config files
+	cp -R config "$${PREFIX}/"
+	# vtctld web UI files
+	mkdir -p "$${PREFIX}/web/vtctld2"
+	cp -R web/vtctld2/app "$${PREFIX}/web/vtctld2"
+
 parser:
 	make -C go/vt/sqlparser
 
@@ -256,6 +268,10 @@ docker_lite_alpine:
 	chmod -R o=g *
 	docker build -f docker/lite/Dockerfile.alpine -t vitess/lite:alpine .
 
+docker_lite_testing:
+	chmod -R o=g *
+	docker build -f docker/lite/Dockerfile.testing -t vitess/lite:testing .
+
 # This rule loads the working copy of the code into a bootstrap image,
 # and then runs the tests inside Docker.
 # Example: $ make docker_test flavor=mariadb
diff --git a/docker/lite/Dockerfile.testing b/docker/lite/Dockerfile.testing
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5bcad5bcfbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/lite/Dockerfile.testing
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Copyright 2019 The Vitess Authors.
+# 
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+# 
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+# 
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+# NOTE: We have to build the Vitess binaries from scratch instead of sharing
+#       a base image because Docker Hub dropped the feature we relied upon to
+#       ensure images contain the right binaries.
+
+# Use a temporary layer for the build stage.
+FROM vitess/bootstrap:mysql57 AS builder
+
+# Allows some docker builds to disable CGO
+ARG CGO_ENABLED=0
+
+# Re-copy sources from working tree.
+COPY --chown=vitess:vitess . /vt/src/vitess.io/vitess
+
+# Build and install Vitess in a temporary output directory.
+USER vitess
+RUN make install-testing PREFIX=/vt/install
+
+# Start over and build the final image.
+FROM debian:stretch-slim
+
+# Install dependencies
+COPY docker/lite/install_dependencies.sh /vt/dist/install_dependencies.sh
+RUN /vt/dist/install_dependencies.sh mysql57
+
+# Set up Vitess user and directory tree.
+RUN groupadd -r vitess && useradd -r -g vitess vitess
+RUN mkdir -p /vt/vtdataroot && chown -R vitess:vitess /vt
+
+# Set up Vitess environment (just enough to run pre-built Go binaries)
+ENV VTROOT /vt
+ENV VTDATAROOT /vt/vtdataroot
+ENV PATH $VTROOT/bin:$PATH
+
+# Copy artifacts from builder layer.
+COPY --from=builder --chown=vitess:vitess /vt/install /vt
+
+# Create mount point for actual data (e.g. MySQL data dir)
+VOLUME /vt/vtdataroot
+USER vitess