diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml b/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
index 2898bdef..af9ce4b1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ jobs:
         run: scripts/tests.integration.sh
       - name: Run e2e tests
         shell: bash
-        run: scripts/tests.e2e.sh 1.7.3
+        run: scripts/run.sh 1.7.3
+        env:
+          E2E: true
       - name: Run GoReleaser for cross-platform builds
         uses: goreleaser/goreleaser-action@v2
         with:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 356c22d9..a440228e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -32,18 +32,18 @@ At its core, the Avalanche protocol still maintains the immutable ordered sequen
 
 ## Run `quarkvm` with local network
 
-[`scripts/tests.e2e.sh`](scripts/tests.e2e.sh) automatically installs [avalanchego](https://github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego) to set up a local network, creates `quarkvm` genesis file, and run e2e tests.
+[`scripts/run.sh`](scripts/run.sh) automatically installs [avalanchego](https://github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego) to set up a local networkand creates a `quarkvm` genesis file. To build and run E2E tests, you need to set the variable `E2E` before it: `E2E=true ./scripts/run.sh 1.7.3`
 
 See [`tests/e2e`](tests/e2e) and [`tests/runner`](tests/runner) to see how it's set up and how its client requests are made:
 
 ```bash
-# to run full e2e tests and shut down cluster afterwards
+# to startup a cluster
 cd ${HOME}/go/src/github.com/ava-labs/quarkvm
-./scripts/tests.e2e.sh 1.7.3
+./scripts/run.sh 1.7.3
 
-# to run full e2e tests and keep the cluster alive
+# to run full e2e tests and shut down cluster afterwards
 cd ${HOME}/go/src/github.com/ava-labs/quarkvm
-SHUTDOWN=false ./scripts/tests.e2e.sh 1.7.3
+E2E=true ./scripts/run.sh 1.7.3
 ```
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/scripts/tests.e2e.sh b/scripts/run.sh
similarity index 75%
rename from scripts/tests.e2e.sh
rename to scripts/run.sh
index d1ef59de..de57c362 100755
--- a/scripts/tests.e2e.sh
+++ b/scripts/run.sh
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@
 set -e
 
 # e.g.,
-# ./scripts/tests.e2e.sh 1.7.3
+# ./scripts/run.sh 1.7.3
 #
-# to keep the cluster alive
-# SHUTDOWN=false ./scripts/tests.e2e.sh 1.7.3
-if ! [[ "$0" =~ scripts/tests.e2e.sh ]]; then
+# to shut the cluster down
+# SHUTDOWN=false ./scripts/run.sh 1.7.3
+
+# to run E2E tests
+# E2E=true ./scripts/run.sh 1.7.3
+if ! [[ "$0" =~ scripts/run.sh ]]; then
   echo "must be run from repository root"
   exit 255
 fi
@@ -18,8 +21,9 @@ if [[ -z "${VERSION}" ]]; then
   exit 255
 fi
 
-SHUTDOWN=${SHUTDOWN:-true}
-if [[ ${SHUTDOWN} == true ]]; then
+SHUTDOWN=${SHUTDOWN:-false}
+E2E=${E2E:-false}
+if [[ ${SHUTDOWN} == true || ${E2E} == true ]]; then
   _SHUTDOWN_FLAG="--shutdown"
 else
   _SHUTDOWN_FLAG=""
@@ -70,11 +74,13 @@ pushd ./tests/runner
 go build -v -o /tmp/runner .
 popd
 
-echo "building e2e.test"
-# to install the ginkgo binary (required for test build and run)
-go install -v github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2/ginkgo@v2.0.0-rc2
-ACK_GINKGO_RC=true ginkgo build ./tests/e2e
-./tests/e2e/e2e.test --help
+if [[ ${E2E} == true ]]; then
+  echo "building e2e.test"
+  # to install the ginkgo binary (required for test build and run)
+  go install -v github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2/ginkgo@v2.0.0-rc2
+  ACK_GINKGO_RC=true ginkgo build ./tests/e2e
+  ./tests/e2e/e2e.test --help
+fi
 
 echo "launch local test cluster in the background"
 /tmp/runner \
@@ -103,10 +109,12 @@ else
   exit 255
 fi
 
-echo "running e2e tests against the local cluster with shutdown flag '${_SHUTDOWN_FLAG}'"
-./tests/e2e/e2e.test \
---ginkgo.v \
---cluster-info-path /tmp/avalanchego-v${VERSION}/output.yaml \
-${_SHUTDOWN_FLAG}
+if [[ ${E2E} == true ]]; then
+  echo "running e2e tests against the local cluster with shutdown flag '${_SHUTDOWN_FLAG}'"
+  ./tests/e2e/e2e.test \
+  --ginkgo.v \
+  --cluster-info-path /tmp/avalanchego-v${VERSION}/output.yaml \
+  ${_SHUTDOWN_FLAG}
 
-echo "ALL SUCCESS!"
+  echo "ALL SUCCESS!"
+fi
diff --git a/tests/runner/main.go b/tests/runner/main.go
index 4790af27..d5c40029 100644
--- a/tests/runner/main.go
+++ b/tests/runner/main.go
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ func newLocalNetwork(
 	"network-peer-list-gossip-frequency":"250ms",
 	"network-max-reconnect-delay":"1s",
 	"public-ip":"0.0.0.0",
+	"http-host":"",
 	"health-check-frequency":"2s",
 	"api-admin-enabled":true,
 	"api-ipcs-enabled":true,