diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 06b9d8823..207a3987d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ jobs:
     env:
       # override make command to install directly in active python
       CONDA_CMD: ""
+      DOCKER_TEST_EXEC_ARGS: "-T"
     services:
       # Label used to access the service container
       mongodb:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7f1b0994e..c780fd36b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -802,6 +802,7 @@ docker-push: docker-push-base docker-push-manager docker-push-worker  ## push al
 # if compose up fails, print the logs and force stop
 # if compose up succeeds, query weaver to get frontpage response
 DOCKER_TEST_COMPOSES := -f "$(APP_ROOT)/tests/smoke/docker-compose.smoke-test.yml"
+DOCKER_TEST_EXEC_ARGS ?=
 .PHONY: docker-test
 docker-test: docker-build stop	## execute smoke test of the built images (validate that they boots and reply)
 	@echo "Smoke test of built application docker images"
@@ -811,7 +812,7 @@ docker-test: docker-build stop	## execute smoke test of the built images (valida
 	@curl localhost:4001 | grep "Weaver Information" || \
 		( docker-compose $(DOCKER_TEST_COMPOSES) logs weaver worker || true && \
 		  docker-compose $(DOCKER_TEST_COMPOSES) stop; exit 1 )
-	docker exec -ti smoke_test_weaver bash /tests/run_tests.sh
+	docker-compose $(DOCKER_TEST_COMPOSES) exec $(DOCKER_TEST_EXEC_ARGS) weaver bash /tests/run_tests.sh
 	docker-compose $(DOCKER_TEST_COMPOSES) stop
 
 .PHONY: docker-stat