diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 3292d15e399..393959f2eff 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ RUN easy-add --var os=${TARGETOS} --var arch=${TARGETARCH}${TARGETVARIANT} \
   --var version=${MC_SERVER_RUNNER_VERSION} --var app=mc-server-runner --file {{.app}} \
   --from ${GITHUB_BASEURL}/itzg/{{.app}}/releases/download/{{.version}}/{{.app}}_{{.version}}_{{.os}}_{{.arch}}.tar.gz
 
-ARG MC_HELPER_VERSION=1.50.5
+ARG MC_HELPER_VERSION=1.50.6
 ARG MC_HELPER_BASE_URL=${GITHUB_BASEURL}/itzg/mc-image-helper/releases/download/${MC_HELPER_VERSION}
 # used for cache busting local copy of mc-image-helper
 ARG MC_HELPER_REV=1
diff --git a/tests/fulltests/multi-part-motd/docker-compose.yml b/tests/fulltests/multi-part-motd/docker-compose.yml
index 72d24ae192b..a84b9adb463 100644
--- a/tests/fulltests/multi-part-motd/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/tests/fulltests/multi-part-motd/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 services:
   monitor:
     depends_on:
-      - mc
+      mc:
+        condition: service_started
     image: ${IMAGE_TO_TEST:-itzg/minecraft-server}
     entrypoint: mc-monitor
     command: status --host mc --retry-interval 1s --timeout 1s --retry-limit 60
+    restart: no
   mc:
-    restart: "no"
+    restart: no
     image: ${IMAGE_TO_TEST:-itzg/minecraft-server}
     environment:
       EULA: "TRUE"
@@ -14,4 +16,3 @@ services:
       TYPE: PAPER
       # regression tests https://github.com/itzg/docker-minecraft-server/issues/2545
       MOTD: "Foo§rBar"
-
diff --git a/tests/fulltests/test.sh b/tests/fulltests/test.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 7e48ab96150..a1bde85c07d
--- a/tests/fulltests/test.sh
+++ b/tests/fulltests/test.sh
@@ -3,24 +3,28 @@
 # go to script root directory
 cd "$(dirname "$0")" || exit 1
 
-down() {
-    docker compose -f "$1" down -v --remove-orphans
-}
-
 # tests to completely spin up Minecraft and use the monitor to validate the service is running.
 fullMinecraftUpTest(){
   file="$1"
-  failed=false
+  result=0
+
+  echo "Testing with images:"
+  docker compose -f "$file" config --images
+
   # run the monitor to validate the Minecraft image is healthy
-  docker compose -f "$file" run monitor || failed=true
-  echo "$(dirname "$file") Result: failed=$failed"
-  if $failed; then
-    docker compose logs mc
-    down "$file"
-    return 1
+  upArgs=(
+    --attach-dependencies
+    --always-recreate-deps
+    --abort-on-container-failure
+  )
+  if ! docker compose -f "$file" up "${upArgs[@]}" monitor; then
+    echo "$(dirname "$file") Result: failed"
+    result=1
   else
-    down "$file"
+    echo "$(dirname "$file") Result: success"
   fi
+  docker compose -f "$file" down -v --remove-orphans
+  return $result
 }
 
 # go through each folder in fulltests and run fullbuilds
diff --git a/tests/fulltests/vanilla-latest/docker-compose.yml b/tests/fulltests/vanilla-latest/docker-compose.yml
index 1e39bb17c06..891f4970605 100644
--- a/tests/fulltests/vanilla-latest/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/tests/fulltests/vanilla-latest/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 services:
   monitor:
     depends_on:
-      - mc
+      mc:
+        condition: service_started
     image: ${IMAGE_TO_TEST:-itzg/minecraft-server}
     entrypoint: mc-monitor
     command: status --host mc --retry-interval 1s --timeout 1s --retry-limit 300
+    restart: no
   mc:
-    restart: "no"
+    restart: no
     image: ${IMAGE_TO_TEST:-itzg/minecraft-server}
     environment:
       EULA: "TRUE"