diff --git a/utils/docker/Dockerfile.jammy b/utils/docker/Dockerfile.jammy
index 626bdb48c69ef..3a13ca2f7a348 100644
--- a/utils/docker/Dockerfile.jammy
+++ b/utils/docker/Dockerfile.jammy
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ ENV LC_ALL=C.UTF-8
 # === INSTALL Node.js ===
 
 RUN apt-get update && \
-    # Install Node.js
     apt-get install -y curl wget gpg ca-certificates && \
     mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings && \
     curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/gpgkey/nodesource-repo.gpg.key | gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg && \
@@ -27,33 +26,28 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
     adduser pwuser
 
 # === BAKE BROWSERS INTO IMAGE ===
+# Browsers are split into separate layers to enable parallel pulls.
 
 ENV PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=/ms-playwright
 
 # 1. Add tip-of-tree Playwright package to install its browsers.
 #    The package should be built beforehand from tip-of-tree Playwright.
 COPY ./playwright-core.tar.gz /tmp/playwright-core.tar.gz
+COPY ./install_browsers.sh /tmp/install_browsers.sh
 
-# 2. Bake in browsers & deps.
-#    Browsers will be downloaded in `/ms-playwright`.
-#    Note: make sure to set 777 to the registry so that any user can access
-#    registry.
-RUN mkdir /ms-playwright && \
-    mkdir /ms-playwright-agent && \
-    cd /ms-playwright-agent && npm init -y && \
-    npm i /tmp/playwright-core.tar.gz && \
-    npm exec --no -- playwright-core mark-docker-image "${DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME_TEMPLATE}" && \
-    npm exec --no -- playwright-core install --with-deps && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* && \
+# 2. Set up playwright-core and install all system dependencies in one layer.
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh install-deps && \
     # Workaround for https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/issues/27313
     # While the gstreamer plugin load process can be in-process, it ended up throwing
     # an error that it can't have libsoup2 and libsoup3 in the same process because
     # libgstwebrtc is linked against libsoup2. So we just remove the plugin.
-    if [ "$(uname -m)" = "aarch64" ]; then \
-        rm /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/gstreamer-1.0/libgstwebrtc.so; \
-    else \
-        rm /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gstreamer-1.0/libgstwebrtc.so; \
-    fi && \
-    rm /tmp/playwright-core.tar.gz && \
-    rm -rf /ms-playwright-agent && \
-    rm -rf ~/.npm/ && \
-    chmod -R 777 /ms-playwright
+    /tmp/install_browsers.sh remove-gstwebrtc
+
+# 3. Install each browser binary in its own layer for parallel pulling.
+# Note: installing chromium also installs chromium-headless-shell and ffmpeg.
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh chromium
+
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh firefox
+
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh webkit && \
+    /tmp/install_browsers.sh cleanup
diff --git a/utils/docker/Dockerfile.noble b/utils/docker/Dockerfile.noble
index 74bf34c0ac862..3b373faba7dff 100644
--- a/utils/docker/Dockerfile.noble
+++ b/utils/docker/Dockerfile.noble
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ ENV LC_ALL=C.UTF-8
 # === INSTALL Node.js ===
 
 RUN apt-get update && \
-    # Install Node.js
     apt-get install -y curl wget gpg ca-certificates && \
     mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings && \
     curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/gpgkey/nodesource-repo.gpg.key | gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/nodesource.gpg && \
@@ -27,24 +26,23 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
     adduser pwuser
 
 # === BAKE BROWSERS INTO IMAGE ===
+# Browsers are split into separate layers to enable parallel pulls.
 
 ENV PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=/ms-playwright
 
 # 1. Add tip-of-tree Playwright package to install its browsers.
 #    The package should be built beforehand from tip-of-tree Playwright.
 COPY ./playwright-core.tar.gz /tmp/playwright-core.tar.gz
+COPY ./install_browsers.sh /tmp/install_browsers.sh
 
-# 2. Bake in browsers & deps.
-#    Browsers will be downloaded in `/ms-playwright`.
-#    Note: make sure to set 777 to the registry so that any user can access
-#    registry.
-RUN mkdir /ms-playwright && \
-    mkdir /ms-playwright-agent && \
-    cd /ms-playwright-agent && npm init -y && \
-    npm i /tmp/playwright-core.tar.gz && \
-    npm exec --no -- playwright-core mark-docker-image "${DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME_TEMPLATE}" && \
-    npm exec --no -- playwright-core install --with-deps && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* && \
-    rm /tmp/playwright-core.tar.gz && \
-    rm -rf /ms-playwright-agent && \
-    rm -rf ~/.npm/ && \
-    chmod -R 777 /ms-playwright
+# 2. Set up playwright-core and install all system dependencies in one layer.
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh install-deps
+
+# 3. Install each browser binary in its own layer for parallel pulling.
+# Note: installing chromium also installs chromium-headless-shell and ffmpeg.
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh chromium
+
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh firefox
+
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh webkit && \
+    /tmp/install_browsers.sh cleanup
diff --git a/utils/docker/Dockerfile.resolute b/utils/docker/Dockerfile.resolute
index 654c66edf9ed7..9ad8e1d951614 100644
--- a/utils/docker/Dockerfile.resolute
+++ b/utils/docker/Dockerfile.resolute
@@ -27,24 +27,23 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
     adduser pwuser
 
 # === BAKE BROWSERS INTO IMAGE ===
+# Browsers are split into separate layers to enable parallel pulls.
 
 ENV PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH=/ms-playwright
 
 # 1. Add tip-of-tree Playwright package to install its browsers.
 #    The package should be built beforehand from tip-of-tree Playwright.
 COPY ./playwright-core.tar.gz /tmp/playwright-core.tar.gz
+COPY ./install_browsers.sh /tmp/install_browsers.sh
 
-# 2. Bake in browsers & deps.
-#    Browsers will be downloaded in `/ms-playwright`.
-#    Note: make sure to set 777 to the registry so that any user can access
-#    registry.
-RUN mkdir /ms-playwright && \
-    mkdir /ms-playwright-agent && \
-    cd /ms-playwright-agent && npm init -y && \
-    npm i /tmp/playwright-core.tar.gz && \
-    npm exec --no -- playwright-core mark-docker-image "${DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME_TEMPLATE}" && \
-    npm exec --no -- playwright-core install --with-deps && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* && \
-    rm /tmp/playwright-core.tar.gz && \
-    rm -rf /ms-playwright-agent && \
-    rm -rf ~/.npm/ && \
-    chmod -R 777 /ms-playwright
+# 2. Set up playwright-core and install all system dependencies in one layer.
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh install-deps
+
+# 3. Install each browser binary in its own layer for parallel pulling.
+# Note: installing chromium also installs chromium-headless-shell and ffmpeg.
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh chromium
+
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh firefox
+
+RUN /tmp/install_browsers.sh webkit && \
+    /tmp/install_browsers.sh cleanup
diff --git a/utils/docker/install_browsers.sh b/utils/docker/install_browsers.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000..d64a1751e1e31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/docker/install_browsers.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+case "${1:-}" in
+  install-deps)
+    install -d -m 777 /ms-playwright /ms-playwright/.links
+    mkdir /ms-playwright-agent
+    cd /ms-playwright-agent
+    npm init -y
+    npm i /tmp/playwright-core.tar.gz
+    npm exec --no -- playwright-core mark-docker-image "${DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME_TEMPLATE}"
+    npm exec --no -- playwright-core install-deps
+    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+    ;;
+  remove-gstwebrtc)
+    if [ "$(uname -m)" = "aarch64" ]; then
+      rm /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/gstreamer-1.0/libgstwebrtc.so
+    else
+      rm /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/gstreamer-1.0/libgstwebrtc.so
+    fi
+    ;;
+  chromium)
+    cd /ms-playwright-agent
+    npm exec --no -- playwright-core install chromium
+    chmod -R 777 /ms-playwright/chromium-* /ms-playwright/chromium_headless_shell-* /ms-playwright/ffmpeg-*
+    ;;
+  firefox)
+    cd /ms-playwright-agent
+    npm exec --no -- playwright-core install firefox
+    chmod -R 777 /ms-playwright/firefox-*
+    ;;
+  webkit)
+    cd /ms-playwright-agent
+    npm exec --no -- playwright-core install webkit
+    chmod -R 777 /ms-playwright/webkit-*
+    ;;
+  cleanup)
+    rm /tmp/playwright-core.tar.gz
+    rm -rf /ms-playwright-agent
+    rm -rf ~/.npm/
+    rm /tmp/install_browsers.sh
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo "usage: $(basename "$0") {install-deps|remove-gstwebrtc|chromium|firefox|webkit|cleanup}"
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+esac
diff --git a/utils/docker/test_docker.sh b/utils/docker/test_docker.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000..448569571cbfd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/docker/test_docker.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ $# -lt 1 ]]; then
+  echo "usage: $(basename "$0") {jammy,noble,resolute} [amd64|arm64]"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+FLAVOR="$1"
+ARCH="${2:-amd64}"
+
+if [[ "$FLAVOR" != "jammy" && "$FLAVOR" != "noble" && "$FLAVOR" != "resolute" ]]; then
+  echo "ERROR: unknown flavor '$FLAVOR' (expected jammy, noble, or resolute)"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ "$ARCH" != "amd64" && "$ARCH" != "arm64" ]]; then
+  echo "ERROR: unknown arch '$ARCH' (expected amd64 or arm64)"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+ROOT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/../.." && pwd)"
+IMAGE_TAG="playwright:localbuild-${FLAVOR}-${ARCH}"
+CONTAINER_NAME="docker-tests-${FLAVOR}-${ARCH}"
+
+cleanup() {
+  docker rm -f "${CONTAINER_NAME}" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+}
+
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+cd "${ROOT_DIR}/utils/docker"
+./build.sh "--${ARCH}" "${FLAVOR}" "${IMAGE_TAG}"
+
+docker run \
+  --rm \
+  --name "${CONTAINER_NAME}" \
+  --platform "linux/${ARCH}" \
+  --user=pwuser \
+  --workdir /home/pwuser \
+  --env CI \
+  --env INSIDE_DOCKER=1 \
+  -v ~/.azure:/root/.azure \
+  -d \
+  -t \
+  "${IMAGE_TAG}" /bin/bash
+
+docker cp "${ROOT_DIR}" "${CONTAINER_NAME}:/home/pwuser/playwright"
+docker exec --user root "${CONTAINER_NAME}" chown -R pwuser /home/pwuser/playwright
+docker exec \
+  --user root \
+  --workdir /home/pwuser/playwright "${CONTAINER_NAME}" /bin/bash -c '
+    git config --global --add safe.directory /home/pwuser/playwright
+  '
+
+docker exec --workdir /home/pwuser/playwright "${CONTAINER_NAME}" npm ci
+docker exec --workdir /home/pwuser/playwright "${CONTAINER_NAME}" npm run build
+docker exec --workdir /home/pwuser/playwright "${CONTAINER_NAME}" xvfb-run --auto-servernum --server-args="-screen 0 1280x960x24" npm run test -- --grep "@smoke"