diff --git a/src/mpyl/build.py b/src/mpyl/build.py
index f31a96ac2..aa53dad98 100644
--- a/src/mpyl/build.py
+++ b/src/mpyl/build.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 import json
 import logging
 import os
+import time
+import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional, Union
 
@@ -99,6 +101,7 @@ def run_mpyl(
     )
     print(f"Log level is set to {log_level}")
     logger = logging.getLogger("mpyl")
+    start_time = time.time()
     try:
         run_result = RunResult(run_properties=run_properties)
 
@@ -135,6 +138,9 @@ def run_mpyl(
             console.log(f"Exception during build execution: {exc}")
             console.print_exception()
 
+        console.log(
+            f"Completed in {datetime.timedelta(seconds=time.time() - start_time)}"
+        )
         console.print(Markdown(run_result_to_markdown(run_result)))
         return run_result
 
diff --git a/src/mpyl/steps/test/before_test.py b/src/mpyl/steps/test/before_test.py
index 937fec95f..f63d06e87 100644
--- a/src/mpyl/steps/test/before_test.py
+++ b/src/mpyl/steps/test/before_test.py
@@ -11,7 +11,13 @@
 from . import STAGE_NAME
 from .. import Step, Meta
 from ..models import Input, Output, ArtifactType
-from ...utilities.docker import stream_docker_logging, DockerComposeConfig
+from ...utilities.docker import (
+    stream_docker_logging,
+    DockerComposeConfig,
+    registry_for_project,
+    login,
+    DockerConfig,
+)
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
@@ -51,6 +57,14 @@ def execute(self, step_input: Input) -> Output:
         if not os.path.exists(compose_file):
             return Output(success=True, message="No containers to start")
 
+        if not step_input.dry_run:
+            docker_registry_config = registry_for_project(
+                DockerConfig.from_dict(step_input.run_properties.config),
+                step_input.project_execution.project,
+            )
+            # log in to registry, because we may need to pull in a base image
+            login(logger=self._logger, registry_config=docker_registry_config)
+
         config = DockerComposeConfig.from_yaml(step_input.run_properties.config)
 
         self._logger.debug(f"Starting containers in {compose_file}")
@@ -60,9 +74,10 @@ def execute(self, step_input: Input) -> Output:
         docker_client.compose.up(detach=True, color=True, quiet=False)
 
         goal_reached: bool = False
-        logs = docker_client.compose.logs(stream=True)
         stream_docker_logging(
-            logger=self._logger, generator=logs, task_name=f"Start {compose_file}"
+            logger=self._logger,
+            generator=docker_client.compose.logs(stream=True),
+            task_name=f"Start {compose_file}",
         )
 
         poll = 0