diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index 13f90b4b8..1e9133f80 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ dependencies {
     androidTestImplementation 'com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-core:3.0.2'
     androidTestImplementation 'com.android.support.test:runner:1.0.2'
     androidTestImplementation 'com.android.support.test:rules:1.0.2'
+    androidTestImplementation 'com.android.support.test.uiautomator:uiautomator-v18:2.1.3'
 }
 
 checkstyle {
diff --git a/app/lint.xml b/app/lint.xml
index 5ce172832..f38e22391 100644
--- a/app/lint.xml
+++ b/app/lint.xml
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
     </issue>
 
     <issue id="ProtectedPermissions" severity="error">
+        <ignore path="src/debug/AndroidManifest.xml"/>
         <ignore path="src/full/AndroidManifest.xml"/>
     </issue>
 
diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/AndroidManifest.xml b/app/src/androidTest/AndroidManifest.xml
index bf0cb30d6..6527ef9ae 100644
--- a/app/src/androidTest/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <!-- package name must be unique so suffix with "tests" so package loader doesn't ignore us -->
 <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+          xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
           package="org.fdroid.fdroid.tests"
           android:versionCode="1"
           android:versionName="1.0">
+    <uses-sdk tools:overrideLibrary="android.support.test.uiautomator.v18"/>
     <!-- We add an application tag here just so that we can indicate that
          this package needs to link against the android.test library,
          which is needed when building test cases. -->
diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/MainActivityEspressoTest.java b/app/src/androidTest/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/MainActivityEspressoTest.java
index 53e12895f..44034d45d 100644
--- a/app/src/androidTest/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/MainActivityEspressoTest.java
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/MainActivityEspressoTest.java
@@ -1,19 +1,25 @@
 package org.fdroid.fdroid;
 
+import android.app.Instrumentation;
+import android.support.test.InstrumentationRegistry;
 import android.support.test.espresso.IdlingPolicies;
 import android.support.test.espresso.ViewInteraction;
 import android.support.test.filters.LargeTest;
 import android.support.test.rule.ActivityTestRule;
 import android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnit4;
+import android.support.test.uiautomator.UiDevice;
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.view.View;
 import org.fdroid.fdroid.views.BannerUpdatingRepos;
 import org.fdroid.fdroid.views.main.MainActivity;
 import org.hamcrest.Matchers;
+import org.junit.AfterClass;
+import org.junit.BeforeClass;
 import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import static android.support.test.espresso.Espresso.onView;
@@ -37,8 +43,25 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 public class MainActivityEspressoTest {
     public static final String TAG = "MainActivityEspressoTest";
 
-    static {
+    @BeforeClass
+    public static void classSetUp() {
         IdlingPolicies.setIdlingResourceTimeout(10, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
+        IdlingPolicies.setMasterPolicyTimeout(10, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
+        Instrumentation instrumentation = InstrumentationRegistry.getInstrumentation();
+        try {
+            UiDevice.getInstance(instrumentation)
+                    .executeShellCommand("pm grant "
+                            + instrumentation.getTargetContext().getPackageName()
+                            + " android.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE");
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+        }
+        SystemAnimations.disableAll(InstrumentationRegistry.getTargetContext());
+    }
+
+    @AfterClass
+    public static void classTearDown() {
+        SystemAnimations.enableAll(InstrumentationRegistry.getTargetContext());
     }
 
     @Rule
@@ -130,7 +153,7 @@ public class MainActivityEspressoTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void showLatest() throws InterruptedException {
+    public void showLatest() {
         if (!BuildConfig.FLAVOR.startsWith("full")) {
             return;
         }
diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/SystemAnimations.java b/app/src/androidTest/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/SystemAnimations.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f46d5495a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/SystemAnimations.java
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package org.fdroid.fdroid;
+
+import android.Manifest;
+import android.content.Context;
+import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
+import android.os.IBinder;
+import android.util.Log;
+
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+
+/**
+ * @see <a href="https://artemzin.com/blog/easiest-way-to-give-set_animation_scale-permission-for-your-ui-tests-on-android/>EASIEST WAY TO GIVE SET_ANIMATION_SCALE PERMISSION FOR YOUR UI TESTS ON ANDROID</a>
+ * @see <a href="https://gist.github.com/xrigau/11284124>Disable animations for Espresso tests</a>
+ */
+class SystemAnimations {
+    public static final String TAG = "SystemAnimations";
+
+    private static final float DISABLED = 0.0f;
+    private static final float DEFAULT = 1.0f;
+
+    static void disableAll(Context context) {
+        int permStatus = context.checkCallingOrSelfPermission(Manifest.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE);
+        if (permStatus == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
+            Log.i(TAG, "Manifest.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE PERMISSION_GRANTED");
+            setSystemAnimationsScale(DISABLED);
+        } else {
+            Log.i(TAG, "Disabling Manifest.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE failed: " + permStatus);
+        }
+    }
+
+    static void enableAll(Context context) {
+        int permStatus = context.checkCallingOrSelfPermission(Manifest.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE);
+        if (permStatus == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
+            Log.i(TAG, "Manifest.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE PERMISSION_GRANTED");
+            setSystemAnimationsScale(DEFAULT);
+        } else {
+            Log.i(TAG, "Enabling Manifest.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE failed: " + permStatus);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void setSystemAnimationsScale(float animationScale) {
+        try {
+            Class<?> windowManagerStubClazz = Class.forName("android.view.IWindowManager$Stub");
+            Method asInterface = windowManagerStubClazz.getDeclaredMethod("asInterface", IBinder.class);
+            Class<?> serviceManagerClazz = Class.forName("android.os.ServiceManager");
+            Method getService = serviceManagerClazz.getDeclaredMethod("getService", String.class);
+            Class<?> windowManagerClazz = Class.forName("android.view.IWindowManager");
+            Method setAnimationScales = windowManagerClazz.getDeclaredMethod("setAnimationScales", float[].class);
+            Method getAnimationScales = windowManagerClazz.getDeclaredMethod("getAnimationScales");
+
+            IBinder windowManagerBinder = (IBinder) getService.invoke(null, "window");
+            Object windowManagerObj = asInterface.invoke(null, windowManagerBinder);
+            float[] currentScales = (float[]) getAnimationScales.invoke(windowManagerObj);
+            for (int i = 0; i < currentScales.length; i++) {
+                currentScales[i] = animationScale;
+            }
+            setAnimationScales.invoke(windowManagerObj, new Object[]{currentScales});
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            Log.e(TAG, "Could not change animation scale to " + animationScale + " :'(");
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/src/debug/AndroidManifest.xml b/app/src/debug/AndroidManifest.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9a241f133
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/debug/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<!-- This file should be outside of release manifest (in this case app/src/mock/Manifest.xml -->
+<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+
+    <!--required to enable/disable system animations from the app itself during Espresso test runs-->
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE"/>
+</manifest>