diff --git a/dev_env/docker-compose.yml b/dev_env/docker-compose.yml
index a4ef242..e8136b1 100644
--- a/dev_env/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/dev_env/docker-compose.yml
@@ -156,14 +156,15 @@ services:
       # Slack failure simulation (for testing error handling)
       # Set SIMULATE_SLACK_FAILURE=true to test Slack webhook failure scenarios
       - SIMULATE_SLACK_FAILURE=${SIMULATE_SLACK_FAILURE:-false}
-      # Rate limiting is disabled by default in test mode (USE_MOCK_SERVICES=true)
-      # To run rate limiting tests, rebuild with TEST_RATE_LIMITING=true:
-      #   TEST_RATE_LIMITING=true docker compose ... up -d --build backend
+      # Rate limiting configuration
+      # Set TEST_RATE_LIMITING=true to enable rate limiting in test mode
+      # Use ci:env:full and ci:test:full npm scripts to run with rate limiting enabled
+      - TEST_RATE_LIMITING=${TEST_RATE_LIMITING:-false}
       # Rate limit config (only applies when TEST_RATE_LIMITING=true):
       - RATE_LIMIT_REGISTRATION_WINDOW_MS=2000
-      - RATE_LIMIT_REGISTRATION_MAX=3
+      - RATE_LIMIT_REGISTRATION_MAX=5
       - RATE_LIMIT_REQUEST_WINDOW_MS=2000
-      - RATE_LIMIT_REQUEST_MAX=3
+      - RATE_LIMIT_REQUEST_MAX=20
     ports:
       - '${CI_PORT:-8081}:8080'
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f80fb88..18b1fcf 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -19,11 +19,14 @@
     "db:start": "docker compose -f dev_env/docker-compose.yml --env-file .env --profile dev up -d; docker attach wxyc-db-init",
     "db:stop": "docker compose -f dev_env/docker-compose.yml --env-file .env --profile dev down db -v --remove-orphans",
     "ci:build": "npm run docker:build --workspace=apps/**",
-    "ci:env": "sh -c 'COMPOSE=\"docker compose -f dev_env/docker-compose.yml --env-file .env --profile ci\" && $COMPOSE up -d ci-db && $COMPOSE up ci-db-init && $COMPOSE up -d ${BUILD_ENABLED:+--build} auth backend'",
-    "ci:test": "DB_PORT=${CI_DB_PORT:-5433} PORT=${CI_PORT:-8081} BETTER_AUTH_URL=${CI_BETTER_AUTH_URL:-http://localhost:8083/auth} dotenvx run -f .env -- jest --config jest.config.json --runInBand --coverage",
+    "ci:env": "./scripts/ci-env.sh",
+    "ci:env:full": "./scripts/ci-env.sh --full",
+    "ci:test": "./scripts/ci-test.sh",
+    "ci:test:full": "./scripts/ci-test.sh --full",
     "ci:test:parallel": "DB_PORT=${CI_DB_PORT:-5433} PORT=${CI_PORT:-8081} BETTER_AUTH_URL=${CI_BETTER_AUTH_URL:-http://localhost:8083/auth} dotenvx run -f .env -- jest --config jest.parallel.config.json --coverage",
     "ci:clean": "docker compose -f dev_env/docker-compose.yml --env-file .env --profile ci down -v",
     "ci:testmock": "npm run ci:env && npm run ci:test && npm run ci:clean",
+    "ci:testmock:full": "npm run ci:env:full && npm run ci:test:full && npm run ci:clean",
     "e2e:env": "npm run docker:build --workspace=apps/** && docker compose -f dev_env/docker-compose.yml --env-file .env --profile e2e up -d e2e-db && docker compose -f dev_env/docker-compose.yml --env-file .env --profile e2e up e2e-db-init && docker compose -f dev_env/docker-compose.yml --env-file .env --profile e2e up -d e2e-auth e2e-backend",
     "e2e:setup-users": "E2E_DB_PORT=${E2E_DB_PORT:-5434} DB_PORT=${E2E_DB_PORT:-5434} npm run setup:e2e-users",
     "e2e:clean": "docker compose -f dev_env/docker-compose.yml --env-file .env --profile e2e down -v",
diff --git a/scripts/ci-env.sh b/scripts/ci-env.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d446dc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ci-env.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# CI Environment Setup Script
+# Usage: ./scripts/ci-env.sh [--full]
+#
+# Options:
+#   --full    Enable rate limiting and create default admin user for full test suite
+
+set -e
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_ROOT="$(dirname "$SCRIPT_DIR")"
+
+# Parse arguments
+FULL_MODE=false
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case $arg in
+    --full)
+      FULL_MODE=true
+      shift
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+# Build the Docker images
+npm run ci:build
+
+# Set up compose command with environment
+COMPOSE_CMD="docker compose -f $PROJECT_ROOT/dev_env/docker-compose.yml --env-file $PROJECT_ROOT/.env --profile ci"
+
+if [ "$FULL_MODE" = true ]; then
+  echo "Starting CI environment with full test configuration..."
+  echo "  - Rate limiting: ENABLED"
+
+  # Export rate limiting for Docker Compose
+  export TEST_RATE_LIMITING=true
+
+  # Only enable default admin user if credentials are configured
+  # (needed for admin ban tests)
+  if [ -n "$DEFAULT_USER_EMAIL" ] && [ -n "$DEFAULT_USER_USERNAME" ] && [ -n "$DEFAULT_USER_PASSWORD" ]; then
+    echo "  - Default admin user: ENABLED"
+    export CREATE_DEFAULT_USER=TRUE
+  else
+    echo "  - Default admin user: DISABLED (credentials not configured)"
+    echo "    To enable, set DEFAULT_USER_EMAIL, DEFAULT_USER_USERNAME, DEFAULT_USER_PASSWORD,"
+    echo "    DEFAULT_USER_DJ_NAME, DEFAULT_USER_REAL_NAME, DEFAULT_ORG_SLUG, DEFAULT_ORG_NAME in .env"
+  fi
+else
+  echo "Starting CI environment with standard configuration..."
+fi
+
+# Start database
+$COMPOSE_CMD up -d ci-db
+
+# Run database initialization
+$COMPOSE_CMD up ci-db-init
+
+# Start auth and backend services
+# Environment variables are already exported above, Docker Compose will inherit them
+$COMPOSE_CMD up -d auth backend
+
+echo "CI environment is starting. Use 'npm run ci:test' to run tests."
diff --git a/scripts/ci-test.sh b/scripts/ci-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3833151
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ci-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# CI Test Runner Script
+# Usage: ./scripts/ci-test.sh [--full]
+#
+# Options:
+#   --full    Run all tests including rate limiting and admin ban tests
+
+set -e
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_ROOT="$(dirname "$SCRIPT_DIR")"
+
+# Parse arguments
+FULL_MODE=false
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case $arg in
+    --full)
+      FULL_MODE=true
+      shift
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+# Base environment variables
+export DB_HOST=localhost
+export DB_PORT=${CI_DB_PORT:-5433}
+export PORT=${CI_PORT:-8081}
+export BETTER_AUTH_URL=${CI_BETTER_AUTH_URL:-http://localhost:8083/auth}
+
+if [ "$FULL_MODE" = true ]; then
+  echo "Running full test suite..."
+  echo "  - Rate limiting tests: ENABLED"
+  echo "  - Admin ban tests: DISABLED (requires AUTH_USERNAME/AUTH_PASSWORD - see GitHub issue)"
+  export TEST_RATE_LIMITING=true
+  # Pass rate limit config to test runner (must match docker-compose.yml values)
+  export RATE_LIMIT_REGISTRATION_WINDOW_MS=2000
+  export RATE_LIMIT_REGISTRATION_MAX=5
+  export RATE_LIMIT_REQUEST_WINDOW_MS=2000
+  export RATE_LIMIT_REQUEST_MAX=20
+  # TEST_ADMIN_BAN disabled until admin credentials are configured
+  # export TEST_ADMIN_BAN=true
+else
+  echo "Running standard test suite..."
+fi
+
+# Run tests with dotenvx to load .env file
+cd "$PROJECT_ROOT"
+dotenvx run -f .env -- jest --config jest.config.json --runInBand --coverage