diff --git a/lib/tasks/docker.rake b/lib/tasks/docker.rake
index f3431e303af..041a5ecf195 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/docker.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/docker.rake
@@ -9,14 +9,16 @@ desc 'Run all tests (JS and code in a standalone environment)'
 task 'docker:test' do
   begin
 
-    exit 1 unless run_or_fail("git remote update")
+    unless ENV['NO_UPDATE']
+      exit 1 unless run_or_fail("git remote update")
 
-    checkout = "master"
-    if hash = ENV['COMMIT_HASH']
-       checkout = hash
+      checkout = "master"
+      if hash = ENV['COMMIT_HASH']
+         checkout = hash
+      end
+      exit 1 unless run_or_fail("git checkout #{checkout}")
+      exit 1 unless run_or_fail("bundle")
     end
-    exit 1 unless run_or_fail("git checkout #{checkout}")
-    exit 1 unless run_or_fail("bundle")
 
     puts "Cleaning up old test tmp data in tmp/test_data"
     `rm -fr tmp/test_data && mkdir -p tmp/test_data/redis && mkdir tmp/test_data/pg`
@@ -27,6 +29,12 @@ task 'docker:test' do
     @postgres_bin = "/usr/lib/postgresql/9.3/bin/"
     `#{@postgres_bin}initdb -D tmp/test_data/pg`
 
+    # speed up db, never do this in production mmmmk
+    `echo fsync = off >> tmp/test_data/pg/postgresql.conf`
+    `echo full_page_writes = off >> tmp/test_data/pg/postgresql.conf`
+    `echo shared_buffers = 500MB >> tmp/test_data/pg/postgresql.conf`
+
+
     puts "Starting postgres"
     @pg_pid = Process.spawn("#{@postgres_bin}postmaster -D tmp/test_data/pg")