diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..033f5acb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+name: E2E Tests
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [ main ]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ main ]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  e2e-tests:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    
+    steps:
+    - name: Checkout code
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    
+    - name: Set up Node.js
+      uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+      with:
+        node-version: '18'
+        cache: 'npm'
+    
+    - name: Install dependencies
+      run: npm ci
+    
+    - name: Create required files
+      run: |
+        touch dbinit.sql
+        cp env.example env.local.test
+    
+    - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+      uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+    
+    - name: Build application
+      run: npm run build
+    
+    - name: Run e2e tests
+      run: make e2e-tests
+      timeout-minutes: 15
+    
+    - name: Cleanup Docker containers
+      if: always()
+      run: |
+        docker compose down -v || true
+        docker system prune -f || true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b477a464..cc30db7f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -79,17 +79,20 @@ endif
 .PHONY: e2e-tests
 e2e-tests: ## Start end2end tests
 	@make up &
-
-	@# wait until server is ready and the connection to the db is ready
-	@- while ! curl -s -f -LI http://localhost:8080/health >> /dev/null; do echo "waiting until server is ready for tests..." && sleep 3; done
-
-	@set -a && source env.local.test && set +a && npx jest ./tests/api_e2e --verbose true || true
-
-	@docker compose down
-
-	@echo "Done - Some important information for debugging:"
-	@echo "  - If the tests fail, consider to refresh the db by running 'make down-db' first"
-	@echo "  - To have data for spotify, apple, and anchor, use podcast_id 3 for the tests"
+	@UP_PID=$$!; \
+	echo "Starting services (PID: $$UP_PID)..."; \
+	trap 'docker compose down; kill $$UP_PID 2>/dev/null || true' EXIT; \
+	while ! curl -s -f -LI http://localhost:8080/health >> /dev/null; do \
+		echo "waiting until server is ready for tests..." && sleep 3; \
+	done; \
+	echo "Server is ready, running tests..."; \
+	set -a && source env.local.test && set +a && npx jest ./tests/api_e2e --verbose true; \
+	TEST_EXIT_CODE=$$?; \
+	docker compose down; \
+	echo "Done - Some important information for debugging:"; \
+	echo "  - If the tests fail, consider to refresh the db by running 'make down' first"; \
+	echo "  - To have data for spotify, apple, and anchor, use podcast_id 3 for the tests"; \
+	exit $$TEST_EXIT_CODE
 
 .PHONY: status
 status: ## Send status request
@@ -111,7 +114,15 @@ send-api-req-prod: ## Send request to production
 db-shell: ## Opens the mysql shell inside the db container
 	docker compose exec db bash -c 'mysql -uopenpodcast -popenpodcast openpodcast'
 
-.PHONY: test-one-e2e-%
-test-one-e2e-%: ## Run end2end tests for a specific test case
-	@echo "Running end2end test for: $*"
-	npx jest ./tests/api_e2e --verbose true --testNamePattern="$*"
+.PHONY: db-init-auth
+db-init-auth: ## Initialize the auth db after api is up
+	# creates the auth schema
+	docker cp ./db_schema/auth.sql $$(docker compose ps -q db):/tmp/auth.sql
+	docker compose exec db bash -c 'mysql -uopenpodcast -popenpodcast openpodcast_auth < /tmp/auth.sql'
+	
+	# creates some dummy auth data 
+	docker cp ./db_auth_data.sql $$(docker compose ps -q db):/tmp/auth_data.sql
+	docker compose exec db bash -c 'mysql -uopenpodcast -popenpodcast openpodcast_auth < /tmp/auth_data.sql'
+	docker cp ./db_auth_data.sql api-db-1:/tmp/auth_data.sql
+	docker compose exec db bash -c 'mysql -uopenpodcast -popenpodcast openpodcast_auth < /tmp/auth_data.sql'
+