diff --git a/.buildkite/release.yml b/.buildkite/release.yml
index bba33b79f8c..358175edbea 100644
--- a/.buildkite/release.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/release.yml
@@ -14,34 +14,65 @@ steps:
     agents:
       system: x86_64-linux
 
-  - label: 'Build package (linux)'
-    key: linux-package
-    depends_on: add-release-commits
-    command:
-      - ./scripts/buildkite/release/linux-package.sh
-    artifact_paths: [ "./result/linux/**" ]
-    agents:
-      system: x86_64-linux
+  - group: "Linux E2E"
+    key: "linux-e2e"
+    steps:
+      - block: 'Linux build and test'
+        depends_on: add-release-commits
+        key: linux-block
+        if: build.branch != "master"
 
-  - label: 'Build Docker Image'
-    key: build-docker
-    depends_on:
-      - add-release-commits
-    commands:
-      ./scripts/buildkite/release/docker-build.sh
-    agents:
-      system: x86_64-linux
+      - label: 'Build package (linux)'
+        key: linux-package
+        depends_on:
+          - add-release-commits
+          - linux-block
+        command:
+          - ./scripts/buildkite/release/linux-package.sh
+        artifact_paths: [ "./result/linux/**" ]
+        agents:
+          system: x86_64-linux
 
-  - label: 'Run linux e2e tests'
-    depends_on:
-      - add-release-commits
-      - linux-package
-    commands: |
-      ./scripts/buildkite/release/linux-e2e.sh
-    artifact_paths:
-      - "./result/linux/**"
-      - "./logs/**/*"
-    env:
-      NODE_STATE_DIR: "${STATE_DIR?}/node/preprod"
-    agents:
-      system: x86_64-linux
+      - label: 'Run linux e2e tests'
+        depends_on:
+          - linux-package
+        commands: |
+          ./scripts/buildkite/release/linux-e2e.sh
+        artifact_paths:
+          - "./result/linux/**"
+          - "./logs/**/*"
+        env:
+          NODE_STATE_DIR: "${STATE_DIR?}/node/preprod"
+        agents:
+          system: x86_64-linux
+
+  - group: "Docker E2E"
+    key: "docker-e2e"
+    steps:
+      - block: 'Docker build and test'
+        depends_on: add-release-commits
+        key: docker-block
+        if: build.branch != "master"
+
+      - label: 'Build Docker Image'
+        key: build-docker
+        depends_on:
+          - add-release-commits
+          - docker-block
+        commands:
+          ./scripts/buildkite/release/docker-build.sh
+        agents:
+          system: x86_64-linux
+
+      - label: 'Smoke test docker-compose'
+        depends_on:
+          - build-docker
+        timeout_in_minutes: 2
+        commands:
+          - ./scripts/buildkite/release/docker-smoke-test.sh
+        artifact_paths:
+          - "./logs/*"
+        env:
+          NODE_STATE_DIR: "${STATE_DIR?}/node/preprod"
+        agents:
+          system: x86_64-linux
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 48cb92f65b7..bab7d4c1cd9 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ services:
       - node-ipc:/ipc
       - ./configs/cardano:/configs
     restart: on-failure
+    user: ${USER_ID}
     logging:
       driver: "json-file"
       options:
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ services:
     environment:
       CMD: "cardano-wallet serve --node-socket /ipc/node.socket --database /wallet-db --listen-address 0.0.0.0"
       NETWORK:
+    user: ${USER_ID}
     restart: on-failure
     logging:
       driver: "json-file"
diff --git a/scripts/buildkite/release/docker-smoke-test.sh b/scripts/buildkite/release/docker-smoke-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..3f651a40afa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/buildkite/release/docker-smoke-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env -S nix shell 'nixpkgs#docker-compose' 'nixpkgs#rsync' 'nixpkgs#jq' --command bash
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+
+set -euox pipefail
+
+
+NETWORK=preprod
+export NETWORK
+
+TESTS_NODE_DB="$(pwd)/state/node_db"
+mkdir -p "$TESTS_NODE_DB"
+export TESTS_NODE_DB
+
+rsync -a --delete "$NODE_STATE_DIR/db/" "$TESTS_NODE_DB"
+
+WALLET_TAG=$(buildkite-agent meta-data get "release-cabal-version")
+export WALLET_TAG
+
+NODE_TAG="8.9.3"
+export NODE_TAG
+
+NODE_DB="$TESTS_NODE_DB"
+export NODE_DB
+
+WALLET_DB="$(pwd)/state/wallet_db"
+mkdir -p "$WALLET_DB"
+export WALLET_DB
+
+WALLET_PORT=$(shuf -i 2000-65000 -n 1)
+export WALLET_PORT
+
+USER_ID=$(id -u)
+export USER_ID
+
+docker-compose up -d
+
+n=0
+while :
+do
+    result=$(curl --connect-timeout 1 localhost:$WALLET_PORT/v2/network/information || echo wait)
+    echo $result
+    [[ $result != "wait" ]] && break || ((n++))
+    (( n >= 20 )) && break
+done
+
+echo $result | jq
+
+mkdir -p logs
+docker-compose logs > logs/docker-compose.log
+docker-compose down
diff --git a/scripts/buildkite/release/linux-e2e.sh b/scripts/buildkite/release/linux-e2e.sh
index d4fa8082ef5..6aab09382e8 100755
--- a/scripts/buildkite/release/linux-e2e.sh
+++ b/scripts/buildkite/release/linux-e2e.sh
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ TESTS_E2E_FIXTURES="$FIXTURE_DECRYPTION_KEY"
 
 export TESTS_E2E_FIXTURES
 
+pkill screen
+
 nix develop -c rake "run_on[preprod,sync,true]" # SPEC_OPTS="-e '<match>'"
 
 rm "$tmpfile"
diff --git a/scripts/buildkite/release/release-candidate.sh b/scripts/buildkite/release/release-candidate.sh
index df470dca522..16815cbc7ea 100755
--- a/scripts/buildkite/release/release-candidate.sh
+++ b/scripts/buildkite/release/release-candidate.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@ OLD_CABAL_VERSION=$(tag_cabal_ver "$OLD_GIT_TAG")
 
 CARDANO_NODE_TAG=$(cardano-node version | head -n1 | awk '{print $2}')
 
-RELEASE_CANDIDATE_BRANCH="release-candidate-new/$NEW_GIT_TAG"
+if [ "$BUILDKITE_BRANCH" == "master" ]; then
+    RELEASE_CANDIDATE_BRANCH="release-candidate-new/$NEW_GIT_TAG"
+else
+    RELEASE_CANDIDATE_BRANCH="release-candidate-new/$BUILDKITE_BRANCH"
+fi
 
 git config --global user.email "gha@cardanofoundation.org"
 git config --global user.name "Github Action"
@@ -61,3 +65,4 @@ git push -f origin "$RELEASE_CANDIDATE_BRANCH"
 buildkite-agent meta-data set "release-version" "$NEW_GIT_TAG"
 buildkite-agent meta-data set "release-commit" "$RELEASE_COMMIT"
 buildkite-agent meta-data set "release-candidate-branch" "$RELEASE_CANDIDATE_BRANCH"
+buildkite-agent meta-data set "release-cabal-version" "$NEW_CABAL_VERSION"