diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dca8d64..fcd7449 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ $ ./run-<api|portal|kong-adapter>-tests.sh
 
 The scripts will attempt to first build the needed docker images locally (this may take some time the first time), and then runs the integration tests on the built images.
 
+The portal tests are run with file session store by default. If you want to run them using Redis as a session store, you can do so by running them like:
+
+```bash
+$ SESSION_STORE_TYPE=redis SESSION_STORE_HOST=redis ./run-portal-tests.sh
+```
+
 ## Running the tests on prebuilt container images
 
 In order to run the integration tests on already prebuilt containers (e.g. the official docker images from Haufe-Lexware), use the following syntax:
diff --git a/portal-tests-compose.yml.template b/portal-tests-compose.yml.template
index 61de77f..7be9998 100644
--- a/portal-tests-compose.yml.template
+++ b/portal-tests-compose.yml.template
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ services:
   portal:
     env_file: variables.env
     image: ${DOCKER_PREFIX}portal:${DOCKER_TAG}${BUILD_ALPINE}
+    environment:
+    - "SESSION_STORE_TYPE"
+    - "SESSION_STORE_HOST"
+    - "SESSION_STORE_PORT"
+
+  redis:
+    image: redis
 
 networks:
   default: