diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/end-to-end.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/end-to-end.yml
index c1b9171..83ce388 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/end-to-end.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/end-to-end.yml
@@ -82,7 +82,18 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: https://code.forgejo.org/actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: ./.forgejo/prepare-end-to-end
-      - run: su forgejo -c "./end-to-end.sh test_federation"
+      - name: install zstd
+        run: |
+          export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+          apt-get -q install -y -qq zstd
+      - name: cache GitLab OCI image
+        uses: https://code.forgejo.org/actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            /srv/forgejo-binaries/gitlab
+          key: gitlab
+      - run: |
+          su forgejo -c "./end-to-end.sh test_federation"
       - name: full logs
         if: always()
         run: su forgejo -c "./end-to-end.sh show_logs"
diff --git a/federation/federation.sh b/federation/federation.sh
index de1e515..7fbb215 100755
--- a/federation/federation.sh
+++ b/federation/federation.sh
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ function federation_teardown() {
 }
 
 function test_federation() {
+    # start_gitlab octobus/heptapod:1.5.3
     federation_setup_variables
 
     local versions="${1:-$RELEASE_NUMBERS_AND_DEV}"
diff --git a/lib/lib.sh b/lib/lib.sh
index 96bbb25..be371ff 100644
--- a/lib/lib.sh
+++ b/lib/lib.sh
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ function dependencies() {
 	$SUDO chmod +x /usr/local/bin/forgejo-curl.sh
     fi
 
-    if ! which make curl daemon git-lfs jq sqlite3 > /dev/null ; then
+    if ! which make curl daemon git-lfs jq sqlite3 skopeo > /dev/null ; then
         $SUDO apt-get update -qq
-        $SUDO apt-get install -y -qq make curl daemon git-lfs jq sqlite3
+        $SUDO apt-get install -y -qq make curl daemon git-lfs jq sqlite3 skopeo
     fi
 
     if ! test -f /usr/local/bin/mc || ! test -f /usr/local/bin/minio ; then
@@ -178,6 +178,57 @@ function clobber() {
     rm -fr /tmp/forgejo-end-to-end
 }
 
+function start_gitlab_cache_load() {
+    local image=$1
+    local d=$DIR_BINARIES/gitlab
+    if test -d $d ; then
+	log_info "loading $image from $d"
+	skopeo copy dir:$d docker-daemon:$image
+    fi
+}
+
+function start_gitlab_cache_save() {
+    local image=$1
+    local d=$DIR_BINARIES/gitlab
+    if ! test -d $d ; then
+	log_info "saving $image to $d"
+	skopeo copy docker-daemon:$image dir:$d
+    fi
+}
+
+function start_gitlab() {
+    local image=$1
+    local config=$2
+
+    start_gitlab_cache_load $image
+
+    local GITLAB_OMNIBUS_CONFIG="nginx['listen_https'] = false ; nginx['listen_port'] = 8181 ; external_url 'http://0.0.0.0:8181'; gitlab_rails['gitlab_shell_ssh_port'] = 2221;"
+    docker run --name="test-gitlab" --shm-size=128M -d \
+	   -e GITLAB_OMNIBUS_CONFIG="$GITLAB_OMNIBUS_CONFIG" \
+	   -p 2221:22 -p 8181:8181 \
+	   $image >& /dev/null < /dev/null
+
+    start_gitlab_cache_save $image
+
+    for i in $(seq 10) ; do
+	if test $(curl --silent http://0.0.0.0:8181 -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}") = 302 ; then
+	    docker exec test-gitlab gitlab-rails runner "user = User.find_by_username 'root'; user.password = 'Wrobyak4'; user.password_confirmation = 'Wrobyak4'; user.password_automatically_set = false ; user.save!"
+	    docker exec test-gitlab$serial gitlab-rails runner "Gitlab::CurrentSettings.current_application_settings.update(default_vcs_type: 'git')"
+	    log_info "GitLab is ready"
+	    return
+	fi
+	log_info "waiting for GitLab to come up $i"
+	sleep 30
+    done
+    log_info "GitLab did not come up"
+    docker logs test-gitlab
+    false
+}
+
+function stop_gitlab() {
+    docker rm -f test-gitlab
+}
+
 function stop_forgejo() {
     local config=$1
 
@@ -386,6 +437,10 @@ function stop() {
 }
 
 function show_logs() {
+    if ! test -d $DIR ; then
+	log_info "$DIR does not exist, no logs to display"
+	return
+    fi
     (
 	cd $DIR
 	set +e