diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 32a501a79..7120af3e1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -71,6 +71,3 @@ lockfiles/
 
 # Editor/IDE project files
 .idea/
-
-# Example IOCs
-example-services/
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..20240da11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "example-services"]
+	path = example-services
+	url = https://github.com/epics-containers/example-services.git
diff --git a/example-services b/example-services
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..3c0274b24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example-services
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 3c0274b244d28bc6e197f9e3610355cc7c0cc5d3
diff --git a/tests/system_tests/.env b/tests/system_tests/.env
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..a4d7ec6e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/system_tests/.env
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+export EPICS_CA_NAME_SERVERS=127.0.0.1:9064
+export EPICS_PVA_NAME_SERVERS=127.0.0.1:9075
+export EPICS_CA_ADDR_LIST=127.0.0.1:9064
+
+# default profile for compose project (I don't think this gets picked up)
+COMPOSE_PROFILES=test
diff --git a/tests/system_tests/compose.yaml b/tests/system_tests/compose.yaml
index d730cba9f..b2d9bc5be 100644
--- a/tests/system_tests/compose.yaml
+++ b/tests/system_tests/compose.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+include:
+  - ../../example-services/compose.yaml
+
 services:
   numtracker:
     image: ghcr.io/diamondlightsource/numtracker:1.0.1
diff --git a/tests/system_tests/test_blueapi_system.py b/tests/system_tests/test_blueapi_system.py
index c92207c6f..07435b642 100644
--- a/tests/system_tests/test_blueapi_system.py
+++ b/tests/system_tests/test_blueapi_system.py
@@ -54,34 +54,28 @@
 To enable and execute these tests, set `REQUIRES_AUTH=1` and provide valid credentials.
 """
 
-# These system tests are primarily intended to be run from the Github CI,
-# and therefore these instructions may require multiple terminals, running
-# outside of the officially support devcontainer and other inefficiencies.
+
+# These system tests are run in the "system_tests" CI job, they can also be run
+# and debugged locally.
+#
+# 1. Spin up dummy versions of associated services
+# (outside of devcontainer)
+#
+# git submodule init
+# docker compose -f tests/system_tests/compose.yaml up -d
 #
-# Should the system tests CI fail, testing with a live blueapi server (e.g. with the
-# training rigs) may be a simpler solution than running the system tests locally.
-# The github action for the system tests are the best example to follow.
-# Start devices
-#   1. $ git clone https://github.com/epics-containers/example-services
-#   2. $ docker compose -f example-services/compose.yaml up \
-#           bl01t-di-cam-01 bl01t-mo-sim-01 ca-gateway --detach
+# 2. Spin up blueapi server (inside devcontainer)
 #
-# Start services
-#   in this directory (i.e. blueapi/tests/system_tests)
-#   $ docker compose up --detach
+# source tests/system_tests/.env
+# blueapi -c tests/system_tests/config.yaml serve
 #
-# Start blueapi server configured to talk via the ca-gateway
-#   $ EPICS_CA_NAME_SERVERS=127.0.0.1:9064 EPICS_PVA_NAME_SERVERS=127.0.0.1:9075 \
-#        blueapi -c config.yaml serve
+# 3. Run the system tests
+# tox -e system-test
 #
-# Run the system tests using tox:
-#   $ tox -e system-test
+# 4. To tear down the associated services
+# (outside of devcontainer)
 #
-# Tear down
-#  Tear down blueapi by passing SIGINT in the console where it was started (ctrl+c)
-#  Remove the containers and networking configured by the compose files:
-#  $ docker compose -f example-services/compose.yaml down
-#  $ docker compose down
+# docker compose -f tests/system_tests/compose.yaml down
 
 
 @pytest.fixture