diff --git a/.github/workflows/run_test_cases.yaml b/.github/workflows/run_test_cases.yaml
index b4b797621..540383ed6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run_test_cases.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run_test_cases.yaml
@@ -121,27 +121,8 @@ jobs:
             PGSQL_TAG: 13
             REDIS_TAG: 6
           run: |
-            docker-compose \
-                -f .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-mongo-single-tcp.yaml \
-                -f .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-mongo-single-tls.yaml \
-                -f .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-mysql-tcp.yaml \
-                -f .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-mysql-tls.yaml \
-                -f .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-pgsql-tcp.yaml \
-                -f .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-pgsql-tls.yaml \
-                -f .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-redis-single-tcp.yaml \
-                -f .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-redis-single-tls.yaml \
-                -f .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-redis-sentinel-tcp.yaml \
-                -f .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-redis-sentinel-tls.yaml \
-                -f .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose.yaml \
-                up -d --build
-
-          # produces <app-name>.coverdata
-        - name: run common test
-          working-directory: source
-          run: |
-            docker exec -i ${{ matrix.otp_release }} bash -c "git config --global --add safe.directory \"$GITHUB_WORKSPACE\" && make ${{ matrix.app_name }}-ct"
+            ./scripts/ct/run.sh --app ${{ matrix.app_name }}
         - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v1
-          if: matrix.otp_release == 'erlang24'
           with:
             name: coverdata
             path: source/_build/test/cover
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 87404325e..ead7847f8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ static_checks:
 
 APPS=$(shell $(SCRIPTS)/find-apps.sh)
 
-## app/name-ct targets are intended for local tests hence cover is not enabled
 .PHONY: $(APPS:%=%-ct)
 define gen-app-ct-target
 $1-ct: $(REBAR)
diff --git a/apps/emqx_authn/docker-ct b/apps/emqx_authn/docker-ct
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b9a4c068
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/emqx_authn/docker-ct
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+mongo
+redis
+mysql
+pgsql
diff --git a/apps/emqx_authz/docker-ct b/apps/emqx_authz/docker-ct
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b9a4c068
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/emqx_authz/docker-ct
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+mongo
+redis
+mysql
+pgsql
diff --git a/apps/emqx_connector/docker-ct b/apps/emqx_connector/docker-ct
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7b9a4c068
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/emqx_connector/docker-ct
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+mongo
+redis
+mysql
+pgsql
diff --git a/scripts/apps-version-check.sh b/scripts/apps-version-check.sh
index 72ddd5dc3..f760c18b3 100755
--- a/scripts/apps-version-check.sh
+++ b/scripts/apps-version-check.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ parse_semver() {
     echo "$1" | tr '.|-' ' '
 }
 
-while read -r app; do
+APPS="$(./scripts/find-apps.sh)"
+for app in ${APPS}; do
     if [ "$app" != "emqx" ]; then
         app_path="$app"
     else
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ while read -r app; do
             bad_app_count=$(( bad_app_count + 1))
         fi
     fi
-done < <(./scripts/find-apps.sh)
+done
 
 if [ $bad_app_count -gt 0 ]; then
     exit 1
diff --git a/scripts/ct/run.sh b/scripts/ct/run.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..879efc434
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ct/run.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+## This script runs CT (and necessary dependencies) in docker container(s)
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# ensure dir
+cd -P -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.."
+
+help() {
+    echo
+    echo "-h|--help:              To display this usage info"
+    echo "--app lib_dir/app_name: Print apps in json"
+    echo "--console:              Start EMQX in console mode"
+}
+
+WHICH_APP='novalue'
+CONSOLE='no'
+while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do
+    case $1 in
+        -h|--help)
+            help
+            exit 0
+            ;;
+        --app)
+            WHICH_APP="$2"
+            shift 2
+            ;;
+        --console)
+            CONSOLE='yes'
+            shift 1
+            ;;
+        *)
+            echo "unknown option $1"
+            exit 1
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+if [ "${WHICH_APP}" = 'novalue' ]; then
+    echo "must provide --app arg"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+ERLANG_CONTAINER='erlang24'
+DOCKER_CT_ENVS_FILE="${WHICH_APP}/docker-ct"
+
+if [ -f "$DOCKER_CT_ENVS_FILE" ]; then
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2002
+    CT_DEPS="$(cat "$DOCKER_CT_ENVS_FILE" | xargs)"
+fi
+CT_DEPS="${ERLANG_CONTAINER} ${CT_DEPS}"
+
+FILES=( )
+
+for dep in ${CT_DEPS}; do
+    case "${dep}" in
+        erlang24)
+            FILES+=( '.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose.yaml' )
+            ;;
+        mongo)
+            FILES+=( '.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-mongo-single-tcp.yaml'
+                     '.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-mongo-single-tls.yaml' )
+            ;;
+        redis)
+            FILES+=( '.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-redis-single-tcp.yaml'
+                     '.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-redis-single-tls.yaml'
+                     '.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-redis-sentinel-tcp.yaml'
+                     '.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-redis-sentinel-tls.yaml' )
+            ;;
+        mysql)
+            FILES+=( '.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-mysql-tcp.yaml'
+                     '.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-mysql-tls.yaml' )
+            ;;
+        pgsql)
+            FILES+=( '.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-pgsql-tcp.yaml'
+                     '.ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose-pgsql-tls.yaml' )
+            ;;
+        *)
+            echo "unknown_ct_dependency $dep"
+            exit 1
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+F_OPTIONS=""
+
+for file in "${FILES[@]}"; do
+    F_OPTIONS="$F_OPTIONS -f $file"
+done
+
+# shellcheck disable=2086 # no quotes for F_OPTIONS
+docker-compose $F_OPTIONS up -d --build
+
+# /emqx is where the source dir is mounted to the Erlang container
+# in .ci/docker-compose-file/docker-compose.yaml
+TTY=''
+if [[ -t 1 ]]; then
+    TTY='-t'
+fi
+docker exec -i $TTY "$ERLANG_CONTAINER" bash -c 'git config --global --add safe.directory /emqx'
+
+if [ "$CONSOLE" = 'yes' ]; then
+    docker exec -i $TTY "$ERLANG_CONTAINER" bash -c "make run"
+else
+    set +e
+    docker exec -i $TTY "$ERLANG_CONTAINER" bash -c "make ${WHICH_APP}-ct"
+    RESULT=$?
+    # shellcheck disable=2086 # no quotes for F_OPTIONS
+    docker-compose $F_OPTIONS down
+    exit $RESULT
+fi
diff --git a/scripts/docker-ct-apps b/scripts/docker-ct-apps
deleted file mode 100644
index 882a68285..000000000
--- a/scripts/docker-ct-apps
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-# apps need docker-compose to run CT
-apps/emqx_authn
-apps/emqx_authz
-apps/emqx_connector
diff --git a/scripts/find-apps.sh b/scripts/find-apps.sh
index f888eaa22..8c41fecbf 100755
--- a/scripts/find-apps.sh
+++ b/scripts/find-apps.sh
@@ -50,24 +50,25 @@ find_app() {
 
 CE="$(find_app 'apps')"
 EE="$(find_app 'lib-ee')"
+APPS_ALL="$(echo -e "${CE}\n${EE}")"
 
 if [ "$CT" = 'novalue' ]; then
-    echo -e "${CE}\n${EE}"
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-APPS_ALL="$(echo -e "${CE}\n${EE}")"
-APPS_DOCKER_CT="$(grep -v -E '^#.*' scripts/docker-ct-apps)"
-
-# shellcheck disable=SC2068
-for app in ${APPS_DOCKER_CT[@]}; do
-    APPS_ALL=("${APPS_ALL[@]/$app}")
-done
-
-if [ "$CT" = 'docker' ]; then
-    RESULT="${APPS_DOCKER_CT}"
+    RESULT="${APPS_ALL}"
 else
-    RESULT="${APPS_ALL[*]}"
+    APPS_NORMAL_CT=( )
+    APPS_DOCKER_CT=( )
+    for app in ${APPS_ALL}; do
+        if [ -f "${app}/docker-ct" ]; then
+            APPS_DOCKER_CT+=("$app")
+        else
+            APPS_NORMAL_CT+=("$app")
+        fi
+    done
+    if [ "$CT" = 'docker' ]; then
+        RESULT="${APPS_DOCKER_CT[*]}"
+    else
+        RESULT="${APPS_NORMAL_CT[*]}"
+    fi
 fi
 
 if [ "$WANT_JSON" = 'yes' ]; then