diff --git a/packages/pytest-simcore/src/pytest_simcore/simcore_webserver_service.py b/packages/pytest-simcore/src/pytest_simcore/simcore_webserver_service.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0d745698ac9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/pytest-simcore/src/pytest_simcore/simcore_webserver_service.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# pylint:disable=unused-variable
+# pylint:disable=unused-argument
+# pylint:disable=redefined-outer-name
+
+from typing import Dict
+
+import aiohttp
+import pytest
+import tenacity
+from yarl import URL
+
+from servicelib.minio_utils import MinioRetryPolicyUponInitialization
+
+from .helpers.utils_docker import get_service_published_port
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def webserver_endpoint(docker_stack: Dict, devel_environ: Dict) -> URL:
+    assert "simcore_webserver" in docker_stack["services"]
+    endpoint = f"127.0.0.1:{get_service_published_port('webserver', '8080')}"
+
+    return URL(f"http://{endpoint}")
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="function")
+async def webserver_service(webserver_endpoint: URL, docker_stack: Dict) -> URL:
+    await wait_till_webserver_responsive(webserver_endpoint)
+
+    yield webserver_endpoint
+
+
+# HELPERS --
+
+# TODO: this can be used by ANY of the simcore services!
+@tenacity.retry(**MinioRetryPolicyUponInitialization().kwargs)
+async def wait_till_webserver_responsive(webserver_endpoint: URL):
+    async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
+        async with session.get(webserver_endpoint.with_path("/v0/")) as resp:
+            assert resp.status == 200
+            data = await resp.json()
+            assert "data" in data
+            assert "status" in data["data"]
+            assert data["data"]["status"] == "SERVICE_RUNNING"
diff --git a/tests/swarm-deploy/conftest.py b/tests/swarm-deploy/conftest.py
index 6b91f2d17dc..8068ff98ae2 100644
--- a/tests/swarm-deploy/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/swarm-deploy/conftest.py
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
     "pytest_simcore.rabbit_service",
     "pytest_simcore.postgres_service",
     "pytest_simcore.minio_service",
-    "pytest_simcore.traefik_service"
+    "pytest_simcore.traefik_service",
+    "pytest_simcore.simcore_webserver_service",
 ]
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -44,8 +45,14 @@ def prepare_all_services(
     return services
 
 
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def create_db_on_start(devel_environ: Dict[str, str]):
+    devel_environ["WEBSERVER_DB_INITTABLES"] = "1"
+
+
 @pytest.fixture(scope="module")
 def make_up_prod(
+    create_db_on_start,
     prepare_all_services: Dict,
     simcore_docker_compose: Dict,
     ops_docker_compose: Dict,
diff --git a/tests/swarm-deploy/test_swarm_runs.py b/tests/swarm-deploy/test_swarm_runs.py
index d1025f4632e..9b5208117e7 100644
--- a/tests/swarm-deploy/test_swarm_runs.py
+++ b/tests/swarm-deploy/test_swarm_runs.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 from typing import Dict, List
 
 import pytest
+import tenacity
 from docker import DockerClient
 from docker.models.services import Service
 from yarl import URL
@@ -146,10 +147,25 @@ def test_core_service_running(
         )
 
 
+RETRY_WAIT_SECS = 2
+RETRY_COUNT = 20
+
+
 def test_check_serve_root(loop, make_up_prod: Dict, traefik_service: URL):
+
     req = urllib.request.Request("http://127.0.0.1:9081/")
     try:
-        resp = urllib.request.urlopen(req)
+        # it takes a bit of time until traefik sets up the correct proxy and the webserver takes time to start
+        @tenacity.retry(
+            wait=tenacity.wait_fixed(RETRY_WAIT_SECS),
+            stop=tenacity.stop_after_attempt(RETRY_COUNT),
+            before_sleep=tenacity.before_sleep_log(logger, logging.INFO),
+        )
+        def check_root(request):
+            resp = urllib.request.urlopen(req)
+            return resp
+
+        resp = check_root(req)
         charset = resp.info().get_content_charset()
         content = resp.read().decode(charset)
         # TODO: serch osparc-simcore commit id e.g. 'osparc-simcore v817d82e'