diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 5ed1a287..399eb81f 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@ before_install:
     - make refresh-all
 
 script:
-    - make build-all
+    - make build-test-all
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8356f21a..d70425c1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -18,46 +18,60 @@ ALL_IMAGES:=$(ALL_STACKS)
 GIT_MASTER_HEAD_SHA:=$(shell git rev-parse --short=12 --verify HEAD)
 
 help:
-	@echo
-	@echo '   build/<stack dirname> - builds the latest image for the stack'
-	@echo '     dev/<stack dirname> - runs a foreground container for the stack'
-	@echo '    push/<stack dirname> - pushes the latest and HEAD git SHA tags for the stack to Docker Hub'
-	@echo ' refresh/<stack dirname> - runs a foreground container for the stack'
-	@echo '             release-all - refresh, build, tag, and push all stacks'
-	@echo '     tag/<stack-dirname> - tags the latest stack image with the HEAD git SHA'
+# http://marmelab.com/blog/2016/02/29/auto-documented-makefile.html
+	@echo "jupyter/docker-stacks"
+	@echo "====================="
+	@echo "Replace % with a stack directory name (e.g., make build/minimal-notebook)\n"
+	@grep -E '^[a-zA-Z0-9_%/-]+:.*?## .*$$' $(MAKEFILE_LIST) | sort | awk 'BEGIN {FS = ":.*?## "}; {printf "\033[36m%-30s\033[0m %s\n", $$1, $$2}'
 
 build/%: DARGS?=
-
-build/%:
+build/%: ## build the latest image for a stack
 	docker build $(DARGS) --rm --force-rm -t $(OWNER)/$(notdir $@):latest ./$(notdir $@)
 
-build-all: $(patsubst %,build/%, $(ALL_IMAGES))
+build-all: $(ALL_IMAGES:%=build/%) ## build all stacks
+build-test-all: $(foreach I,$(ALL_IMAGES),build/$(I) test/$(I) )
 
 dev/%: ARGS?=
 dev/%: DARGS?=
 dev/%: PORT?=8888
-dev/%:
+dev/%: ## run a foreground container for a stack
 	docker run -it --rm -p $(PORT):8888 $(DARGS) $(OWNER)/$(notdir $@) $(ARGS)
 
 environment-check:
 	test -e ~/.docker-stacks-builder
 
-push/%:
+push/%: ## push the latest and HEAD git SHA tags for a stack to Docker Hub
 	docker push $(OWNER)/$(notdir $@):latest
 	docker push $(OWNER)/$(notdir $@):$(GIT_MASTER_HEAD_SHA)
 
-push-all: $(patsubst %,push/%, $(ALL_IMAGES))
+push-all: $(ALL_IMAGES:%=push/%) ## push all stacks
 
-refresh/%:
+refresh/%: ## pull the latest image from Docker Hub for a stack
 # skip if error: a stack might not be on dockerhub yet
 	-docker pull $(OWNER)/$(notdir $@):latest
 
-refresh-all: $(patsubst %,refresh/%, $(ALL_IMAGES))
+refresh-all: $(ALL_IMAGES:%=refresh/%) ## refresh all stacks
 
-release-all: environment-check refresh-all build-all tag-all push-all
+release-all: environment-check \
+	refresh-all \
+	build-test-all \
+	tag-all \
+	push-all 
+release-all: ## build, test, tag, and push all stacks
 
-tag/%:
-# always tag the latest build with the git sha
+tag/%: ##tag the latest stack image with the HEAD git SHA
 	docker tag -f $(OWNER)/$(notdir $@):latest $(OWNER)/$(notdir $@):$(GIT_MASTER_HEAD_SHA)
 
-tag-all: $(patsubst %,tag/%, $(ALL_IMAGES))
+tag-all: $(ALL_IMAGES:%=tag/%) ## tag all stacks
+
+test/%: ## run a stack container, check for jupyter server liveliness
+	@-docker rm -f iut
+	docker run -d --name iut $(OWNER)/$(notdir $@)
+	@for i in $$(seq 0 9); do \
+		sleep $$i; \
+		docker exec iut bash -c 'wget http://localhost:8888 -O- | grep -i jupyter'; \
+		if [[ $$? == 0 ]]; then break; fi; \
+	done
+	@docker rm -f iut
+
+test-all: $(ALL_IMAGES:%=test/%) ## test all stacks