diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 95bd1a1a682a94358c99d59e5be3aa17764b466a..3307524bf14e97a7a64599cb616617303fc84e03 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -58,6 +58,22 @@ Integration tests use the `_Integration` test suffix and use the `_integration_t
 `GITLAB_TOKEN` must be a
 [personal access token](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/profile/personal_access_tokens.html).
 
+### Running integration tests against the GDK
+
+For local development, the integration tests can be configured to run against an arbitrary GitLab instance, including an instance of the [GDK](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit).
+
+Depending on what tests are to be executed, test data may need to be created in the instance or IDs may need to be altered in the tests.
+In CI the integration tests use the [cli-automated-testing/test](https://gitlab.com/cli-automated-testing/test) repository.
+
+Additional environment variables may have to be set:
+`GITLAB_TEST_API_PROTOCOL` - set if the instance does not use `https`
+`GITLAB_TEST_API_HOST` - set when the `api_host` is different to the `host`
+
+Example command:
+```shell
+GITLAB_TEST_API_HOST="192.168.4.31:3000" GITLAB_TEST_API_PROTOCOL=http GITLAB_TEST_HOST="http://192.168.4.31" GITLAB_TOKEN=XXX make test
+```
+
 ### Submitting a merge request
 
 1. Create a new branch: `git checkout -b my-branch-name`
diff --git a/commands/issue/subscribe/issue_subscribe_integration_test.go b/commands/issue/subscribe/issue_subscribe_integration_test.go
index a1ca8d7e4a886c8abbc803827f0c73c3e05a5cd6..f5416cc77002b57de80c1710b4730d0e33399af5 100644
--- a/commands/issue/subscribe/issue_subscribe_integration_test.go
+++ b/commands/issue/subscribe/issue_subscribe_integration_test.go
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ import (
 func TestNewCmdSubscribe_Integration(t *testing.T) {
 	glTestHost := test.GetHostOrSkip(t)
 
-	t.Parallel()
-
 	oldSubscribeIssue := api.SubscribeToIssue
 	timer, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, "2014-11-12T11:45:26.371Z")
 	api.SubscribeToIssue = func(client *gitlab.Client, projectID interface{}, issueID int, opts gitlab.RequestOptionFunc) (*gitlab.Issue, error) {
diff --git a/commands/issue/unsubscribe/issue_unsubscribe_integration_test.go b/commands/issue/unsubscribe/issue_unsubscribe_integration_test.go
index 2e919a7ec52b89f8f173c65a5198ea5c434b795b..a6ef094244627eed017455445428df74000c60a2 100644
--- a/commands/issue/unsubscribe/issue_unsubscribe_integration_test.go
+++ b/commands/issue/unsubscribe/issue_unsubscribe_integration_test.go
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ import (
 func TestNewCmdUnsubscribe_Integration(t *testing.T) {
 	glTestHost := test.GetHostOrSkip(t)
 
-	t.Parallel()
-
 	oldUnsubscribeIssue := api.UnsubscribeFromIssue
 	timer, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, "2014-11-12T11:45:26.371Z")
 	api.UnsubscribeFromIssue = func(client *gitlab.Client, projectID interface{}, issueID int, opts gitlab.RequestOptionFunc) (*gitlab.Issue, error) {
diff --git a/commands/issue/update/issue_update_integration_test.go b/commands/issue/update/issue_update_integration_test.go
index 1d10f3eb5ce78bed6be4835e24e5672903904012..4665e3d32eae269d95fc5c2d0a3804e04a6f2c14 100644
--- a/commands/issue/update/issue_update_integration_test.go
+++ b/commands/issue/update/issue_update_integration_test.go
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ import (
 func TestNewCmdUpdate_Integration(t *testing.T) {
 	glTestHost := test.GetHostOrSkip(t)
 
-	t.Parallel()
-
 	oldUpdateIssue := api.UpdateIssue
 	timer, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, "2014-11-12T11:45:26.371Z")
 	testIssue := &gitlab.Issue{
diff --git a/test/helpers.go b/test/helpers.go
index 6ccf172b882c763b77e2b4977632eefc66851407..3ba5e193ccba96cc075519620058b0d1e832e2b4 100644
--- a/test/helpers.go
+++ b/test/helpers.go
@@ -115,5 +115,14 @@ func GetHostOrSkip(t testing.TB) string {
 		}
 		t.Skip("Set GITLAB_TEST_HOST and GITLAB_TOKEN to run this integration test")
 	}
+
+	if os.Getenv("GITLAB_TEST_API_PROTOCOL") != "" {
+		t.Setenv("API_PROTOCOL", os.Getenv("GITLAB_TEST_API_PROTOCOL"))
+	}
+
+	if os.Getenv("GITLAB_TEST_API_HOST") != "" {
+		t.Setenv("GITLAB_API_HOST", os.Getenv("GITLAB_TEST_API_HOST"))
+	}
+
 	return glTestHost
 }