diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 5cfd918e13a..28f61275797 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -187,12 +187,6 @@ jobs:
         with:
           key: ubuntu-latest
           cache-on-failure: true
-      - uses: actions/setup-go@v3
-        with:
-          go-version: "1.18.0"
-      - run: |
-          cd mirrord-layer/tests/apps/app_go
-          go build -o 18
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v3
         with:
           go-version: "1.19.0"
diff --git a/mirrord-layer/tests/integration.rs b/mirrord-layer/tests/integration.rs
index 2c74a633fe3..1e74d43b58e 100644
--- a/mirrord-layer/tests/integration.rs
+++ b/mirrord-layer/tests/integration.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
-use std::{collections::HashMap, path::PathBuf, process::Stdio, time::Duration};
+use std::{
+    collections::HashMap,
+    env,
+    path::{Path, PathBuf},
+    process,
+    process::Stdio,
+    time::Duration,
+};
 
 use actix_codec::Framed;
 use futures::{stream::StreamExt, SinkExt};
@@ -182,6 +189,21 @@ impl Application {
     }
 }
 
+/// For running locally, so that new developers don't have the extra step of building the go app
+/// before running the tests.
+#[cfg(test)]
+#[ctor::ctor]
+fn build_go_app() {
+    let original_dir = env::current_dir().unwrap();
+    let go_app_path = Path::new("tests/apps/app_go");
+    env::set_current_dir(go_app_path).unwrap();
+    let server = process::Command::new("go")
+        .args(vec!["build", "-o", "19"])
+        .output()
+        .expect("Failed to build Go test app.");
+    env::set_current_dir(original_dir).unwrap();
+}
+
 /// Return the path to the existing layer lib, or build it first and return the path, according to
 /// whether the environment variable MIRRORD_TEST_USE_EXISTING_LIB is set.
 /// When testing locally the lib should be rebuilt on each run so that when developers make changes