diff --git a/tests/test_file.py b/tests/test_file.py
index a8a376dd55cb44a3e2b1cd349703eb7dbdf54592..f0f616ca85887a7f8840e530bd8594b7dfdae0c0 100644
--- a/tests/test_file.py
+++ b/tests/test_file.py
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ def test_pickup_file():
 
 
 @with_setup(setup, teardown)
-@nottest
 def test_pickup_folder():
     try:
         # pickup_folder
@@ -335,6 +334,8 @@ def test_file7():
 @with_setup(setup, teardown)
 def test_consistency_file_was_modified():
     try:
+
+        # insert new test file
         upload_file = open("test.dat", "w")
         upload_file.write("hello world\n")
         upload_file.close()
@@ -347,30 +348,37 @@ def test_consistency_file_was_modified():
         assert_is_not_none(file_.id)
         assert_true(file_.is_valid())
 
+        # run consistency check (no consistency warning)
         c = runCheck(None, None)
         assert_is_not_none(c.messages["Info", 0])
         assert_equal(c.messages["Info", 0][0], "File system is consistent.")
 
+        # run consistency check with modified warning)
         c = runCheck(None, "-c FILE_WAS_MODIFIED")
         assert_is_not_none(c.messages["Error", 0])
         assert_equal(
             c.messages["Error", 0][0],
             'debug/test_file_storage_consistency: File was modified.')
 
+        # download file again and check if it is still the same (just to be
+        # sure that the server only simulated the consistency breach
         d = open(file_.download(target="test.dat.tmp"), "r")
 
         r = d.read()
         assert_equal(r, "hello world\n")
 
+        # run a passing check again
         c = runCheck(None, None)
         assert_is_not_none(c.messages["Info", 0])
         assert_equal(c.messages["Info", 0][0], "File system is consistent.")
 
     finally:
+        # clean up file record
         try:
             file_.delete()
         except BaseException:
             pass
+        # clean up local files
         try:
             d.close()
         except BaseException:
@@ -490,36 +498,37 @@ def test_insert_files_in_dir_error1():
     assert_true(c.messages["Error", 0][0].startswith("Dir is not allowed"))
 
 
-@nottest
 @with_setup(setup, teardown)
 def test_insert_files_in_dir_with_symlink():
-    path = get_config().get("EndToEndTests", "test_files.test_insert_files_in_dir.path")
+    path = get_config().get("IntegrationTests",
+                "test_files.test_insert_files_in_dir.local") + "testfolder/"
+    path_on_server = get_config().get("IntegrationTests",
+                "test_files.test_insert_files_in_dir.server") + "testfolder/"
     try:
-        # =======================================================================
-        # os.makedirs(path)
+
+        # create file in a server-readable directory
+        os.makedirs(path)
         path = os.path.realpath(path) + "/"
-        # os.makedirs(path + "subfolder/")
-        # upload_file = open(path + "subfolder/test.dat", "w")
-        # upload_file.write("hello world\n")
-        # upload_file.close()
-        #
-        # upload_file = open(path + "subfolder/test2.dat", "w")
-        # upload_file.write("hello world2\n")
-        # upload_file.close()
-        # =======================================================================
-
-        os.symlink(path + "subfolder/", path + "linked_subfolder")
+        os.makedirs(path + "subfolder/")
+
+        test_file = open(path + "subfolder/test2.dat", "w")
+        test_file.write("hello world2\n")
+        test_file.close()
 
+        # create a symlink to the directory where the test_file resides
+        os.symlink(path_on_server + "subfolder/", path + "linked_subfolder")
+
+        # call insertFilesInDir job
         c = models.Container()
         c.retrieve(
             unique=False,
             raise_exception_on_error=False,
             flags={
-                "InsertFilesInDir": path +
+                "InsertFilesInDir": path_on_server +
                 "linked_subfolder"})
         assert_is_not_none(c.messages["Warning", 6])
         assert_equal(c.messages["Warning", 6][0],
-                     "Directory or file is symbolic link: " + path +
+                     "Directory or file is symbolic link: " + path_on_server +
                      "linked_subfolder")
 
         c = models.Container()
@@ -528,7 +537,7 @@ def test_insert_files_in_dir_with_symlink():
             raise_exception_on_error=False,
             flags={
                 "InsertFilesInDir": "--force-allow-symlinks " +
-                path +
+                path_on_server +
                 "linked_subfolder"})
         assert_is_not_none(c.messages["Info", 0])
         assert_equal(c.messages["Info", 0][0],
@@ -542,7 +551,7 @@ def test_insert_files_in_dir_with_symlink():
             raise_exception_on_error=False,
             flags={
                 "InsertFilesInDir": "--force-allow-symlinks " +
-                path +
+                path_on_server +
                 "linked_subfolder"})
         assert_is_not_none(c.messages["Info", 0])
         assert_equal(d.messages["Info", 0][0],
@@ -566,27 +575,29 @@ def test_insert_files_in_dir_with_symlink():
             pass
 
 
-@nottest
 @with_setup(None, teardown)
 def test_insert_files_in_dir():
-    path = get_config().get("EndToEndTests", "test_files.test_insert_files_in_dir.path")
+    path = get_config().get("IntegrationTests",
+                "test_files.test_insert_files_in_dir.local") + "testfolder/"
+    path_on_server = get_config().get("IntegrationTests",
+                "test_files.test_insert_files_in_dir.server") + "testfolder/"
     try:
         os.makedirs(path)
         os.makedirs(path + "subfolder/")
-        upload_file = open(path + "subfolder/test.dat", "w")
-        upload_file.write("hello world\n")
-        upload_file.close()
+        test_file1 = open(path + "subfolder/test.dat", "w")
+        test_file1.write("hello world\n")
+        test_file1.close()
 
-        upload_file = open(path + "subfolder/test2.dat", "w")
-        upload_file.write("hello world2\n")
-        upload_file.close()
+        test_file2 = open(path + "subfolder/test2.dat", "w")
+        test_file2.write("hello world2\n")
+        test_file2.close()
 
         c = models.Container()
         c.retrieve(
             unique=False,
             raise_exception_on_error=False,
             flags={
-                "InsertFilesInDir": path})
+                "InsertFilesInDir": path_on_server})
         assert_is_not_none(c.messages["Info", 0])
         assert_equal(c.messages["Info", 0][0],
                      "Files count in testfolder/: 2")
@@ -600,7 +611,7 @@ def test_insert_files_in_dir():
             unique=False,
             raise_exception_on_error=False,
             flags={
-                "InsertFilesInDir": path})
+                "InsertFilesInDir": path_on_server})
         assert_is_not_none(c.messages["Info", 0])
         assert_equal(d.messages["Info", 0][0],
                      "Files count in testfolder/: 2")
@@ -611,16 +622,16 @@ def test_insert_files_in_dir():
         #assert_equal(d[1].path, "/testfolder/subfolder/test2.dat")
 
         # create a new file and call insertFilesInDir again
-        upload_file = open(path + "/test3.dat", "w")
-        upload_file.write("hello world3\n")
-        upload_file.close()
+        test_file3 = open(path + "/test3.dat", "w")
+        test_file3.write("hello world3\n")
+        test_file3.close()
 
         e = models.Container()
         e.retrieve(
             unique=False,
             raise_exception_on_error=False,
             flags={
-                "InsertFilesInDir": path})
+                "InsertFilesInDir": path_on_server})
         assert_is_not_none(e.messages["Info", 0])
         assert_equal(e.messages["Info", 0][0],
                      "Files count in testfolder/: 3")
@@ -636,7 +647,7 @@ def test_insert_files_in_dir():
             unique=False,
             raise_exception_on_error=False,
             flags={
-                "InsertFilesInDir": path})
+                "InsertFilesInDir": path_on_server})
         assert_is_not_none(f.messages["Info", 0])
         assert_equal(f.messages["Info", 0][0],
                      "Files count in testfolder/: 3")
diff --git a/tests/test_permissions.py b/tests/test_permissions.py
index fb744240e6bc83fadf6285d5ecf7abb511b41f10..7a9d3b879a8357bcde1d8bf357adba25084332f0 100644
--- a/tests/test_permissions.py
+++ b/tests/test_permissions.py
@@ -239,6 +239,8 @@ def test_query():
     deny_permission(dan, "RETRIEVE:*")
     switch_to_test_user()
 
+    # this fails if server is configured with
+    # QUERY_FILTER_ENTITIES_WITHOUT_RETRIEVE_PERMISSIONS = FALSE
     with assert_raises(db.TransactionError) as cm:
         db.execute_query(
             "FIND TestExperiment WHICH HAS A TestConductor WHICH has a TestFirstName=Daniel",
@@ -1250,7 +1252,10 @@ def test_check_entity_acl_roles():
 
     reset = db.administration.get_server_property(
         "CHECK_ENTITY_ACL_ROLES_MODE")
-    assert reset == "MUST"
+    if reset == "SHOULD":
+        db.administration.set_server_property(
+            "CHECK_ENTITY_ACL_ROLES_MODE", "MUST")
+
 
     p = db.Property(name="TestP", datatype=db.TEXT,
                     description="test_check_entity_acl_roles").insert()
diff --git a/tests/test_server_side_scripting.py b/tests/test_server_side_scripting.py
index 31ad437a56cf9a74fb64493df93244a0dadbefe5..c4ce22a8d0352aaff2b76f44584abb471c56a105 100644
--- a/tests/test_server_side_scripting.py
+++ b/tests/test_server_side_scripting.py
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ def test_call_err():
     assert xml.xpath("/Response/script/stderr")[0].text == "err"
 
 
+@mark.skip(reason="need to setup .pycaosdb.ini in home dirs of sss within docker")
 def test_simple_sss():
     form = dict()
     form["call"] = "simple_script.py"