diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index c9b4919f..acf2766e 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -65,12 +65,12 @@ matrix:
    # +boost +itk -hdf5 +swig
    env: EXTRA_BUILD_FLAGS="-DUSE_SYSTEM_Boost=ON -DUSE_ITK=ON -DUSE_SYSTEM_HDF5=OFF -DUSE_SYSTEM_SWIG=ON" MATRIX_EVAL="CC=gcc CXX=g++" PYMVER=2
  # docker
- #- os: linux
- #  # +armadillo +boost +fftw3 +hdf5 +siemens_to_ismrmrd +swig
- #  env: DOCKER_BUILD=1
- #- os: linux
- #  # +DEVEL +armadillo +boost +fftw3 +hdf5 +siemens_to_ismrmrd +swig
- #  env: DOCKER_BUILD=DEVEL
+ - os: linux
+   # +ace +armadillo +boost +fftw3 +hdf5 +itk +siemens_to_ismrmrd +swig
+   env: DOCKER_BUILD=1
+ - os: linux
+   # +DEVEL +ace +armadillo +boost +fftw3 +hdf5 +itk +siemens_to_ismrmrd +swig
+   env: DOCKER_BUILD=DEVEL
 
 env:
  global:
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ before_install:
         brew install curl
         #brew install cmake # already present
         # alternative: get our own
-        #curl -L -O https://cmake.org/files/v3.8/cmake-3.8.0-Darwin-x86_64.tar.gz
+        #curl -L -O https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/releases/download/v3.13.4/cmake-3.13.4-Darwin-x86_64.tar.gz
         #tar xzf cmake-*.tar.gz
         #mv cmake-*/CMake.app/Contents/* cmake
         #export PATH="$PWD/cmake/bin:$PATH"
@@ -192,10 +192,9 @@ before_install:
     elif [[ "$TRAVIS_OS_NAME" == "linux" ]]; then
       PY_EXE=python$PYMVER
       if [[ -z "$DOCKER_BUILD" ]]; then
-        curl -L -O https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/releases/download/v3.13.1/cmake-3.13.1-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz
-        ls -l cmake-*
-        tar xzf cmake-*.tar.gz
-        mv cmake-*x86_64 cmake
+        curl -o cmake.tgz -L https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/releases/download/v3.13.4/cmake-3.13.4-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz
+        tar xzf cmake.tgz && rm cmake.tgz
+        ln -s cmake-*x86_64 cmake
         export PATH="$PWD/cmake/bin:$PATH"
       fi
     fi
@@ -231,7 +230,7 @@ before_install:
  # N.B.: don't put into build matrix to allow caching.
  - BUILD_FLAGS="$BUILD_FLAGS -DPYVER=$PYMVER"
  - cmake --version
- 
+
 install:
  - |
     if [[ -n "$DOCKER_BUILD" ]]; then
@@ -268,7 +267,7 @@ install:
         $PY_EXE -m pip install --user --only-binary=numpy,scipy,matplotlib numpy scipy matplotlib
         cmake $BUILD_FLAGS $EXTRA_BUILD_FLAGS .
         # Job may timeout (>50min) if no ccache, otherwise should be <1min:
-        make 
+        make
         mv INSTALL/share/gadgetron/config/gadgetron.xml.example INSTALL/share/gadgetron/config/gadgetron.xml
       ) || travis_terminate 1
       source $PWD/INSTALL/bin/env_ccppetmr.sh
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 634d64a2..47679f55 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM ubuntu:16.04 as base
+FROM ubuntu:18.04 as base
 LABEL \
   author.name="Casper da Costa-Luis"          \
   author.email=imaging@caspersci.uk.to        \
@@ -76,9 +76,11 @@ COPY user_sirf-ubuntu.sh .
 COPY devel/.ccache/ /opt/ccache/
 RUN ccache -o cache_dir=/opt/ccache
 ARG BUILD_FLAGS="\
-  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_STIR_WITH_OPENMP=ON \
-  -DUSE_SYSTEM_Armadillo=ON -DUSE_SYSTEM_Boost=ON -DUSE_SYSTEM_FFTW3=ON \
-  -DUSE_SYSTEM_HDF5=ON -DBUILD_siemens_to_ismrmrd=ON -DUSE_SYSTEM_SWIG=ON"
+ -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release\
+ -DBUILD_STIR_WITH_OPENMP=ON -DUSE_SYSTEM_ACE=ON\
+ -DUSE_SYSTEM_Armadillo=ON -DUSE_SYSTEM_Boost=ON -DUSE_SYSTEM_FFTW3=ON\
+ -DUSE_SYSTEM_HDF5=ON -DUSE_ITK=ON -DBUILD_siemens_to_ismrmrd=ON\
+ -DUSE_SYSTEM_SWIG=ON"
 ARG EXTRA_BUILD_FLAGS=""
 RUN bash user_sirf-ubuntu.sh
 RUN rm user_sirf-ubuntu.sh
diff --git a/docker/build_essential-ubuntu.sh b/docker/build_essential-ubuntu.sh
index 6dd4dc41..49724544 100755
--- a/docker/build_essential-ubuntu.sh
+++ b/docker/build_essential-ubuntu.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -ev
+INSTALL_DIR="${1:-/opt}"
 # Essential
 apt-get update -qq
 apt-get install -yq curl
@@ -14,9 +15,25 @@ apt-get install -yq --no-install-recommends \
   sudo
 apt-get clean
 
+pushd $INSTALL_DIR
+
 # CMake
-mkdir /opt/cmake
-curl https://cmake.org/files/v3.7/cmake-3.7.2-Linux-x86_64.sh > cmake.sh
-echo y | bash cmake.sh --prefix=/opt/cmake --exclude-subdir
-export PATH="/opt/cmake/bin:$PATH"
-rm cmake.sh
+curl -o cmake.tgz -L https://github.com/Kitware/CMake/releases/download/v3.13.4/cmake-3.13.4-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz
+tar xzf cmake.tgz && rm cmake.tgz
+ln -s cmake-*x86_64 cmake
+export PATH="$PWD/cmake/bin:$PATH"
+
+# ccache
+mkdir -p bin
+pushd bin
+# ccache compiler override
+ln -s "$(which ccache)" g++
+ln -s "$(which ccache)" g++-6
+ln -s "$(which ccache)" g++-7
+ln -s "$(which ccache)" gcc
+ln -s "$(which ccache)" gcc-6
+ln -s "$(which ccache)" gcc-7
+export PATH="$PWD:$PATH"
+popd
+
+popd
diff --git a/docker/build_gadgetron-ubuntu.sh b/docker/build_gadgetron-ubuntu.sh
index ac9de0a1..a57281d5 100755
--- a/docker/build_gadgetron-ubuntu.sh
+++ b/docker/build_gadgetron-ubuntu.sh
@@ -1,16 +1,23 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -ev
 # Gadgetron
+# from https://github.com/gadgetron/gadgetron/blob/master/docker/base/ubuntu_1804/Dockerfile#L8
 apt-get update -qq
 apt-get install -yq --no-install-recommends \
-  h5utils              \
-  liblapack-dev        \
-  libace-dev
-# Not required (yet) by SIRF
-# libxml2-dev
-# libxslt-dev
-# python-h5py
-# python-libxml2
-# python-psutil
-# libplplot-dev
+  libhdf5-serial-dev     \
+  libboost-all-dev       \
+  libfftw3-dev           \
+  h5utils                \
+  jq                     \
+  hdf5-tools             \
+  libatlas-base-dev      \
+  libxml2-dev            \
+  libfreetype6-dev       \
+  libxslt-dev            \
+  libarmadillo-dev       \
+  libace-dev             \
+  liblapack-dev          \
+  liblapacke-dev         \
+  libplplot-dev          \
+  libdcmtk-dev
 apt-get clean
diff --git a/docker/build_system-ubuntu.sh b/docker/build_system-ubuntu.sh
index c2c47f53..00baf3ba 100755
--- a/docker/build_system-ubuntu.sh
+++ b/docker/build_system-ubuntu.sh
@@ -3,15 +3,13 @@ set -ev
 # SIRF external dependencies
 apt-get update -qq
 apt-get install -yq --no-install-recommends \
-  hdf5-tools           \
-  hdfview              \
-  libarmadillo-dev     \
   libboost-all-dev     \
   libfftw3-dev         \
-  libgtest-dev         \
   libhdf5-serial-dev   \
-  libplplot-dev        \
-  libxml2-dev          \
-  libxslt-dev          \
   swig
+
+# siemens_to_ismrmrd external dependencies
+apt-get install -yq --no-install-recommends \
+  libxml2-dev          \
+  libxslt-dev
 apt-get clean
diff --git a/docker/devel/test.sh b/docker/devel/test.sh
index 9b081e7e..33c783da 100755
--- a/docker/devel/test.sh
+++ b/docker/devel/test.sh
@@ -17,16 +17,17 @@ pushd $SIRF_PATH/../..
 # start gadgetron
 GCONFIG=./INSTALL/share/gadgetron/config/gadgetron.xml
 [ -f "$GCONFIG" ] || cp "$GCONFIG".example "$GCONFIG"
-./INSTALL/bin/gadgetron >& gadgetron.log&
+[ -f ./INSTALL/bin/gadgetron ] && ./INSTALL/bin/gadgetron >& gadgetron.log&
 
-# print for debugging
-[ "$DEBUG" != 0 ] && cat builds/SIRF/build/CMakeCache.txt
 ctest -VV
 ret=$?
+[ -n "$(pidof gadgetron)" ] && kill -n 15 $(pidof gadgetron)
+
 # print for debugging
+[ "$DEBUG" != 0 ] && cat builds/SIRF/build/CMakeCache.txt
 [ "$DEBUG" != 0 ] && cat builds/SIRF/build/Testing/Temporary/LastTest.log
 # may exceed 4MB travis log limit
-[ "$DEBUG" != 0 ] && cat gadgetron.log
+[ "$DEBUG" != 0 ] && [ -f gadgetron.log ] && cat gadgetron.log
 
 popd
 
diff --git a/docker/docker-compose.yml b/docker/docker-compose.yml
index a8d689d1..131229c9 100644
--- a/docker/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker/docker-compose.yml
@@ -18,9 +18,12 @@ services:
     - ccppetmr/sirf:latest
   stdin_open: true
   tty: true
-  cap_add:
-   - NET_ADMIN
-  network_mode: "bridge"
+  # cap_add:
+  #  - NET_ADMIN
+  #TODO: uncomment for external gadgetron
+  # network_mode: "host"  # host only works on linux: https://docs.docker.com/network/host/
+  # depends_on:
+  #  - gadgetron
   volumes:
    - ./devel:/devel
  core:
@@ -29,5 +32,20 @@ services:
    context: .
    target: core
    cache_from:
-    - ubuntu:16.04
+    - ubuntu:18.04
     - ccppetmr/sirf:core
+ gadgetron:
+  container_name: gadgetron
+  image: gadgetron/ubuntu_1804_no_cuda:latest
+  restart: unless-stopped
+  environment:
+   GADGETRON_RELAY_HOST: 0.0.0.0
+  ports:
+   - "9002:9002"  # gadgetron
+   - "9080:9080"  # ReST API
+   - "8002:8002"  # CloudBus relay
+   - "9888:8888"  # ? https://github.com/gadgetron/gadgetron/wiki/How-to-set-up-Gadgetron-cloud-in-the-LAN-environment
+   - "18002:18002"  # ReST API
+   - "9001:9001"  # supervisord web interface
+  volumes:
+   - ./devel/gadgetron_data:/tmp/gadgetron_data
diff --git a/docker/user_python-ubuntu.sh b/docker/user_python-ubuntu.sh
index 2dc0a7d5..88bcfabd 100755
--- a/docker/user_python-ubuntu.sh
+++ b/docker/user_python-ubuntu.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-set -ev
 [ -f .bashrc ] && . .bashrc
+set -ev
 INSTALL_DIR="${1:-/opt/pyvenv}"
 PYTHON="${2:-miniconda}"
 
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ miniconda)
   rm miniconda.sh
   source "$INSTALL_DIR"/bin/activate
   conda config --add channels conda-forge
-  conda update -c conda-forge -y conda
-  conda update -c conda-forge -y --all
+  # https://github.com/conda/conda/issues/6030
+  #conda update -c conda-forge -y conda
   ;;
 *python*)
   # virtualenv
diff --git a/docker/user_sirf-ubuntu.sh b/docker/user_sirf-ubuntu.sh
index 0bd65097..8f7957f5 100755
--- a/docker/user_sirf-ubuntu.sh
+++ b/docker/user_sirf-ubuntu.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-set -ev
 [ -f .bashrc ] && . .bashrc
+set -ev
+INSTALL_DIR="${1:-/opt}"
 # SIRF
-git clone https://github.com/CCPPETMR/SIRF-SuperBuild --recursive -b master /opt/SIRF-SuperBuild
-pushd /opt/SIRF-SuperBuild
+git clone https://github.com/CCPPETMR/SIRF-SuperBuild --recursive -b docker $INSTALL_DIR/SIRF-SuperBuild
+pushd $INSTALL_DIR/SIRF-SuperBuild
+
+echo $BUILD_FLAGS $EXTRA_BUILD_FLAGS
 cmake $BUILD_FLAGS $EXTRA_BUILD_FLAGS .
 make -j 2
 
 [ -f INSTALL/share/gadgetron/config/gadgetron.xml ] || \
+[ -f INSTALL/share/gadgetron/config/gadgetron.xml.example ] && \
   mv INSTALL/share/gadgetron/config/gadgetron.xml.example \
      INSTALL/share/gadgetron/config/gadgetron.xml
+
 popd