diff --git a/test/140_weave_local_test.sh b/test/140_weave_local_test.sh
index bf6d88f4..f3c74de2 100755
--- a/test/140_weave_local_test.sh
+++ b/test/140_weave_local_test.sh
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ run_on $HOST1 sudo ./weave --local reset
 run_on $HOST1 sudo ./weave --local launch -iprange 10.2.5.0/24
 assert_raises "docker_on $HOST1 ps | grep weave"
 
-run_on $HOST1 sudo ./weave --local run 10.2.6.5/24 -ti --name=c1 gliderlabs/alpine /bin/sh
+run_on $HOST1 sudo ./weave --local run 10.2.6.5/24 -ti --name=c1 $SMALL_IMAGE /bin/sh
 assert_raises "exec_on $HOST1 c1 $CHECK_ETHWE_UP"
 
-run_on $HOST1 sudo ./weave --local run -ti --name=c2 gliderlabs/alpine /bin/sh
+run_on $HOST1 sudo ./weave --local run -ti --name=c2 $SMALL_IMAGE /bin/sh
 assert_raises "exec_on $HOST1 c2 $CHECK_ETHWE_UP"
 
 end_suite
diff --git a/test/620_proxy_entrypoint_inheritance_test.sh b/test/620_proxy_entrypoint_inheritance_test.sh
index 5fe0c648..0629d7c0 100755
--- a/test/620_proxy_entrypoint_inheritance_test.sh
+++ b/test/620_proxy_entrypoint_inheritance_test.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 start_suite "Proxy uses entrypoint from the image with weavewait"
 weave_on $HOST1 launch-proxy
 docker_on $HOST1 build -t inspect-ethwe - <<- EOF
-  FROM gliderlabs/alpine
+  FROM $SMALL_IMAGE
   ENTRYPOINT ["ip", "link", "show", "ethwe"]
 EOF
 
diff --git a/test/630_proxy_dns_test.sh b/test/630_proxy_dns_test.sh
index 221efbb5..fa6fba8f 100755
--- a/test/630_proxy_dns_test.sh
+++ b/test/630_proxy_dns_test.sh
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ start_suite "Proxy registers containers with dns"
 
 weave_on $HOST1 launch-dns 10.2.254.1/24
 weave_on $HOST1 launch-proxy --with-dns
-proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 -dt --name=c2 -h $NAME gliderlabs/alpine /bin/sh
-proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 -dt --name=c1 aanand/docker-dnsutils /bin/sh
+proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 -dt --name=c2 -h $NAME $SMALL_IMAGE /bin/sh
+proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 -dt --name=c1 $DNS_IMAGE /bin/sh
 
 assert_dns_record $HOST1 c1 $NAME $C2
 
diff --git a/test/640_proxy_restart_reattaches_test.sh b/test/640_proxy_restart_reattaches_test.sh
index a491c8ca..13a193e4 100755
--- a/test/640_proxy_restart_reattaches_test.sh
+++ b/test/640_proxy_restart_reattaches_test.sh
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ start_suite "Proxy restart reattaches networking to containers"
 
 weave_on $HOST1 launch-dns 10.2.254.1/24
 weave_on $HOST1 launch-proxy --with-dns
-proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 -dt --name=c2 -h $NAME gliderlabs/alpine /bin/sh
-proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 -dt --name=c1 aanand/docker-dnsutils /bin/sh
+proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 -dt --name=c2 -h $NAME $SMALL_IMAGE /bin/sh
+proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 -dt --name=c1 $DNS_IMAGE /bin/sh
 
 proxy docker_on $HOST1 restart c2
 assert_raises "proxy exec_on $HOST1 c2 $CHECK_ETHWE_UP"
diff --git a/test/650_proxy_entrypoint_override_test.sh b/test/650_proxy_entrypoint_override_test.sh
index 18f874a9..bd45bdcd 100755
--- a/test/650_proxy_entrypoint_override_test.sh
+++ b/test/650_proxy_entrypoint_override_test.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 start_suite "Proxy allows overridden entrypoint from the container with weavewait"
 weave_on $HOST1 launch-proxy
 docker_on $HOST1 build -t false - <<- EOF
-  FROM gliderlabs/alpine
+  FROM $SMALL_IMAGE
   ENTRYPOINT ["/bin/false"]
 EOF
 
diff --git a/test/config.sh b/test/config.sh
index 811527af..8e74c5ab 100644
--- a/test/config.sh
+++ b/test/config.sh
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ HOST2=$(echo $HOSTS | cut -f 2 -d ' ')
 
 SSH=${SSH:-ssh -l vagrant -i ./insecure_private_key -o UserKnownHostsFile=./.ssh_known_hosts -o CheckHostIP=no -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no}
 
+SMALL_IMAGE="gliderlabs/alpine"
+DNS_IMAGE="aanand/docker-dnsutils"
 PING="ping -nq -W 1 -c 1"
 CHECK_ETHWE_UP="grep ^1$ /sys/class/net/ethwe/carrier"
 
@@ -100,13 +102,13 @@ exec_on() {
 start_container() {
     host=$1
     shift 1
-    weave_on $host run "$@" -t gliderlabs/alpine /bin/sh
+    weave_on $host run "$@" -t $SMALL_IMAGE /bin/sh
 }
 
 start_container_with_dns() {
     host=$1
     shift 1
-    weave_on $host run --with-dns "$@" -t aanand/docker-dnsutils /bin/sh
+    weave_on $host run --with-dns "$@" -t $DNS_IMAGE /bin/sh
 }
 
 container_ip() {