diff --git a/integration_test/entrypoint.sh b/integration_test/entrypoint.sh
index b42964220..566f13269 100755
--- a/integration_test/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/integration_test/entrypoint.sh
@@ -7,15 +7,17 @@ DIR=$(
     pwd
 )
 
-if ! command -v docker &>/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "ERROR: docker command not found"
-    exit 1
-fi
+# load tool commands.
+source "./scripts/common.sh"
 
-if ! docker info >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "ERROR: docker daemon isn't running"
-    exit 1
-fi
+# make sure all the commands are available.
+check_command "solc"
+check_command "cast"
+check_command "forge"
+check_command "docker"
+
+# make sure environment variables are set
+check_env "TAIKO_MONO_DIR"
 
 TESTNET_CONFIG=$DIR/nodes/docker-compose.yml
 
diff --git a/integration_test/nodes/docker-compose.yml b/integration_test/nodes/docker-compose.yml
index 64a816b99..7c52581fe 100644
--- a/integration_test/nodes/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/integration_test/nodes/docker-compose.yml
@@ -2,27 +2,27 @@ version: "3.9"
 
 services:
   l1_node:
-    image: ghcr.io/foundry-rs/foundry:latest
+    image: ghcr.dockerproxy.com/foundry-rs/foundry:latest
     restart: unless-stopped
     pull_policy: always
     ports:
-      - 18545:8545
-      - 18546:8545
+      - "18545:8545"
+      - "18546:8545"
     entrypoint:
       - anvil
       - --host
       - "0.0.0.0"
 
   l2_execution_engine:
-    image: gcr.io/evmchain/taiko-geth:taiko
+    image: gcr.dockerproxy.com/evmchain/taiko-geth:taiko
     restart: unless-stopped
     pull_policy: always
     volumes:
       - .:/host
     ports:
-      - 28545:8545
-      - 28546:8546
-      - 28551:8551
+      - "28545:8545"
+      - "28546:8546"
+      - "28551:8551"
     command:
       - --nodiscover
       - --gcmode
diff --git a/integration_test/nodes/init.sh b/integration_test/nodes/init.sh
index dcd7b7b54..be96471c9 100755
--- a/integration_test/nodes/init.sh
+++ b/integration_test/nodes/init.sh
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@ DIR=$(
     pwd
 )
 
-# Download solc for PlonkVerifier
-$TAIKO_MONO_DIR/packages/protocol/script/download_solc.sh
-
 echo "Starting testnet..."
 
 docker compose -f $TESTNET_CONFIG down -v --remove-orphans &>/dev/null
@@ -21,14 +18,7 @@ NODE_URL=localhost:18545 $DIR/../util/wait_for_node.sh
 NODE_URL=localhost:28545 $DIR/../util/wait_for_node.sh
 
 # Get the hash of L2 genesis.
-L2_GENESIS_HASH=$(
-    curl \
-        --silent \
-        -X POST \
-        -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-        -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":0,"method":"eth_getBlockByNumber","params":["0x0", false]}' \
-        localhost:28545 | jq .result.hash | sed 's/\"//g'
-)
+L2_GENESIS_HASH=$(cast block --rpc-url localhost:28545 0x0 -f hash)
 
 GUARDIAN_PROVERS_ADDRESSES_LIST=(
     "0x70997970C51812dc3A010C7d01b50e0d17dc79C8"
diff --git a/scripts/common.sh b/scripts/common.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2d3744e0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/common.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+RED='\033[1;31m'
+NC='\033[0m' # No Color
+
+print_error() {
+  local msg="$1"
+  echo -e "${RED}$msg${NC}"
+}
+
+check_env() {
+  local name="$1"
+  local value="${!name}"
+
+  if [ -z "$value" ]; then
+    print_error "$name not set in env"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
+
+check_command() {
+  if ! command -v "$1" &> /dev/null; then
+    print_error "$1 could not be found"
+    exit
+  fi
+}
+