diff --git a/scripts/build_release.py b/scripts/build_release.py
index 385748c..853ffe0 100755
--- a/scripts/build_release.py
+++ b/scripts/build_release.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import subprocess
 import sys
 import tarfile
 import tempfile
+import time
+import urllib.request
 
 ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
 OUT_ROOT = Path(os.environ.get("TIMMY_RELEASE_DIR", "/root/timmy-releases"))
@@ -89,8 +91,32 @@ def main() -> int:
         run(["git", "checkout", "--quiet", commit], tree)
         run(["npm", "ci", "--ignore-scripts"], tree)
         run(["npm", "test"], tree)
-        run(["npm", "run", "test:ui"], tree)
-        run(["npm", "run", "test:photo"], tree)
+        server_env = dict(os.environ)
+        server_env.update({"HOST": "127.0.0.1", "PORT": "4173", "TIMMY_VISION_ENABLED": "false"})
+        server_log = (release_dir / "acceptance-server.log").open("w", encoding="utf-8")
+        server = subprocess.Popen(["node", "server.mjs"], cwd=tree, env=server_env,
+                                  stdout=server_log, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, text=True)
+        try:
+            for _ in range(50):
+                if server.poll() is not None:
+                    raise SystemExit("Acceptance server exited before readiness")
+                try:
+                    urllib.request.urlopen("http://127.0.0.1:4173/", timeout=1).read(1)
+                    break
+                except Exception:
+                    time.sleep(0.1)
+            else:
+                raise SystemExit("Acceptance server did not become ready")
+            run(["npm", "run", "test:ui"], tree)
+            run(["npm", "run", "test:photo"], tree)
+        finally:
+            server.terminate()
+            try:
+                server.wait(timeout=5)
+            except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+                server.kill()
+                server.wait(timeout=5)
+            server_log.close()
         run(["npm", "audit", "--audit-level=high"], tree)
         for file in ("app.js", "server.mjs", "service-worker.js", "src/analysis.js", "src/domain.js", "src/vision-config.js", "src/vision-service.js"):
             run(["node", "--check", file], tree)