diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 98664faadeb..7e10943950c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -190,4 +190,4 @@ docker_bootstrap:
 # and then runs the tests inside Docker.
 # Example: $ make docker_test flavor=mariadb
 docker_test:
-	docker/test/run.sh $(flavor)
+	docker/test/run.sh $(flavor) 'make test'
diff --git a/docker/bootstrap/Dockerfile.common b/docker/bootstrap/Dockerfile.common
index 91f06146bb7..60c5683dd02 100644
--- a/docker/bootstrap/Dockerfile.common
+++ b/docker/bootstrap/Dockerfile.common
@@ -32,9 +32,6 @@ RUN cd /tmp && \
     pip install -r src/python/requirements.txt && \
     pip install src/python/src
 
-# Create mount point for actual data (e.g. MySQL data dir)
-VOLUME /vt/vtdataroot
-
 # Set up Vitess environment (equivalent to '. dev.env')
 ENV VTTOP /vt/src/github.com/youtube/vitess
 ENV VTROOT /vt
@@ -57,7 +54,10 @@ COPY . /vt/src/github.com/youtube/vitess
 
 # Create vitess user
 RUN groupadd -r vitess && useradd -r -g vitess vitess && \
-    chown -R vitess:vitess /vt
+    mkdir -p /vt/vtdataroot && chown -R vitess:vitess /vt
+
+# Create mount point for actual data (e.g. MySQL data dir)
+VOLUME /vt/vtdataroot
 
 # If the user doesn't specify a command, load a shell.
 CMD ["/bin/bash"]
diff --git a/docker/test/run.sh b/docker/test/run.sh
index c69be8a13c5..e37ed05db60 100755
--- a/docker/test/run.sh
+++ b/docker/test/run.sh
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 flavor=$1
+cmd=$2
 
 if [[ -z "$flavor" ]]; then
   echo "Flavor must be specified as first argument."
   exit 1
 fi
 
+if [[ -z "$cmd" ]]; then
+  cmd=bash
+fi
+
 if [[ ! -f bootstrap.sh ]]; then
   echo "This script should be run from the root of the Vitess source tree - e.g. ~/src/github.com/youtube/vitess"
   exit 1
@@ -15,22 +20,26 @@ fi
 # To avoid AUFS permission issues, files must allow access by "other"
 chmod -R o=g *
 
-args="-ti --rm -v /dev/log:/dev/log"
+args="-ti --rm -e USER=vitess -v /dev/log:/dev/log"
 args="$args -v $PWD:/tmp/src"
 
 # Mount in host VTDATAROOT if one exists, since it might be a RAM disk or SSD.
 if [[ -n "$VTDATAROOT" ]]; then
-  hostdir=`mktemp -d --tmpdir=$VTDATAROOT test.XXX`
+  hostdir=`mktemp -d --tmpdir=$VTDATAROOT test-XXX`
   testid=`basename $hostdir`
 
+  chmod 777 $hostdir
+
   echo "Mounting host dir $hostdir as VTDATAROOT"
-  args="$args -v $hostdir:/vt/vtdataroot --name=$testid"
+  args="$args -v $hostdir:/vt/vtdataroot --name=$testid -h $testid"
+else
+  args="$args -h test"
 fi
 
 # Run tests
 echo "Running tests in vitess/bootstrap:$flavor image..."
 docker run $args vitess/bootstrap:$flavor \
-  bash -c 'rm -rf * && cp -R /tmp/src/* . && rm -rf Godeps/_workspace/pkg && make test'
+  bash -c "rm -rf * && cp -R /tmp/src/* . && rm -rf Godeps/_workspace/pkg && $cmd"
 
 # Clean up host dir mounted VTDATAROOT
 if [[ -n "$hostdir" ]]; then