diff --git a/.github/workflows/continous-integration-docker.yml b/.github/workflows/continous-integration-docker.yml
index b5869c20..cf984ce7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/continous-integration-docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/continous-integration-docker.yml
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ jobs:
 
   # Run all the zebra tests, including tests that are ignored by default.
   # Skips tests that need a cached state disk or a lightwalletd binary.
+  #
+  # (We activate the gRPC feature to avoid recompiling `zebrad`, but we don't actually run any gRPC tests.)
   test-all:
     name: Test all
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -115,13 +117,17 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run all zebrad tests
         run: |
           docker pull ${{ env.GAR_BASE }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}:sha-${{ env.GITHUB_SHA_SHORT }}
-          docker run --name zebrad-tests -t ${{ env.GAR_BASE }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}:sha-${{ env.GITHUB_SHA_SHORT }} cargo test --locked --release --workspace -- --include-ignored
+          docker run --name zebrad-tests -t ${{ env.GAR_BASE }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}:sha-${{ env.GITHUB_SHA_SHORT }} cargo test --locked --release --features lightwalletd-grpc-tests --workspace -- --include-ignored
 
+  # Run state tests with fake activation heights.
+  #
   # This test changes zebra-chain's activation heights,
   # which can recompile all the Zebra crates,
   # so we want its build products to be cached separately.
   #
   # Also, we don't want to accidentally use the fake heights in other tests.
+  #
+  # (The gRPC feature is a zebrad feature, so it isn't needed here.)
   test-fake-activation-heights:
     name: Test with fake activation heights
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -140,7 +146,9 @@ jobs:
         env:
           TEST_FAKE_ACTIVATION_HEIGHTS: '1'
 
-  # Test that Zebra syncs and checkpoints a few thousand blocks from an empty state
+  # Test that Zebra syncs and checkpoints a few thousand blocks from an empty state.
+  #
+  # (We activate the gRPC feature to avoid recompiling `zebrad`, but we don't actually run any gRPC tests.)
   test-empty-sync:
     name: Test checkpoint sync from empty state
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -155,9 +163,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run zebrad large sync tests
         run: |
           docker pull ${{ env.GAR_BASE }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}:sha-${{ env.GITHUB_SHA_SHORT }}
-          docker run --name zebrad-tests -t ${{ env.GAR_BASE }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}:sha-${{ env.GITHUB_SHA_SHORT }} cargo test --locked --release --test acceptance sync_large_checkpoints_ -- --ignored
+          docker run --name zebrad-tests -t ${{ env.GAR_BASE }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}:sha-${{ env.GITHUB_SHA_SHORT }} cargo test --locked --release --features lightwalletd-grpc-tests --test acceptance sync_large_checkpoints_ -- --ignored
 
-  # Test launching lightwalletd with an empty lightwalletd and Zebra state
+  # Test launching lightwalletd with an empty lightwalletd and Zebra state.
+  #
+  # (We activate the gRPC feature to avoid recompiling `zebrad`, but we don't actually run any gRPC tests.)
   test-lightwalletd-integration:
     name: Test integration with lightwalletd
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -172,7 +182,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run tests with empty lightwalletd launch
         run: |
           docker pull ${{ env.GAR_BASE }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}:sha-${{ env.GITHUB_SHA_SHORT }}
-          docker run -e ZEBRA_TEST_LIGHTWALLETD --name lightwalletd-tests -t ${{ env.GAR_BASE }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}:sha-${{ env.GITHUB_SHA_SHORT }} cargo test --locked --release --test acceptance -- lightwalletd_integration --nocapture
+          docker run -e ZEBRA_TEST_LIGHTWALLETD --name lightwalletd-tests -t ${{ env.GAR_BASE }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}:sha-${{ env.GITHUB_SHA_SHORT }} cargo test --locked --release --features lightwalletd-grpc-tests --test acceptance -- lightwalletd_integration --nocapture
         env:
           ZEBRA_TEST_LIGHTWALLETD: '1'
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/continous-integration-os.yml b/.github/workflows/continous-integration-os.yml
index 4ef23c63..11a77b23 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/continous-integration-os.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/continous-integration-os.yml
@@ -110,6 +110,10 @@ jobs:
 
       # Modified from:
       # https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/blob/c48bb4def2e122289843ddb3cb2984c325c03ca0/.github/workflows/ci.yml#L20-L33
+      #
+      # TODO: split get-params-path and download-params examples into their own crate,
+      #       to speed up compilation
+      #       compile examples in release mode, to speed up downloads
       - name: Fetch path to Zcash parameters
         working-directory: ./zebra-consensus
         shell: bash
diff --git a/book/src/user/requirements.md b/book/src/user/requirements.md
index 9ebf3574..f8421eb3 100644
--- a/book/src/user/requirements.md
+++ b/book/src/user/requirements.md
@@ -21,3 +21,22 @@ We usually run `zebrad` on systems with:
 
 `zebrad` might build and run fine on smaller and slower systems - we haven't
 tested its exact limits yet.
+
+# Additional Features
+
+## Sentry Production Monitoring
+
+Compile Zebra with `--features enable-sentry` to monitor it using Sentry in production.
+
+## Lightwalletd Test Requirements
+
+To test Zebra's `lightwalletd` RPC methods:
+- compile Zebra with the `--features lightwalletd-grpc-tests`
+- install a `lightwalletd` binary
+  - Zebra's tests currently target [adityapk00/lightwalletd](https://github.com/adityapk00/lightwalletd)
+  - some tests might fail on other lightwalletd versions, due to differences in the logs
+- install the `protoc` Protobuf compiler:
+  - the `protobuf-compiler` or `protobuf` package, or
+  - `cmake` to automatically compile `protoc` in the `zebrad` build script
+- set the required test environmental variables:
+  - TODO: list or link to test environmental variables - [see ticket #4363](https://github.com/ZcashFoundation/zebra/issues/4363)
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 24d28848..2d7ddd3a 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ FROM rust:bullseye as chef
 RUN cargo install cargo-chef --locked
 WORKDIR /app
 
-# Analyze the current project to determine the minimum subset of files 
+# Analyze the current project to determine the minimum subset of files
 # (Cargo.lock and Cargo.toml manifests) required to build it and cache dependencies
 #
 # The recipe.json is the equivalent of the Python requirements.txt file
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ RUN apt-get -qq update && \
     libclang-dev \
     clang \
     ca-certificates \
-    cmake \
     protobuf-compiler \
     ; \
     rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* /tmp/*
@@ -96,12 +95,15 @@ COPY --from=us-docker.pkg.dev/zealous-zebra/zebra/zcash-params /root/.zcash-para
 COPY --from=us-docker.pkg.dev/zealous-zebra/zebra/lightwalletd /lightwalletd /usr/local/bin
 
 # Re-hydrate the minimum project skeleton identified by `cargo chef prepare` in the planner stage,
-# and build it to cache dependencies.
+# and build it to cache all possible sentry and test dependencies.
+#
 # This is the caching Docker layer for Rust!
-RUN cargo chef cook --release --workspace --recipe-path recipe.json
+#
+# TODO: is it faster to use --tests here?
+RUN cargo chef cook --release --features enable-sentry,lightwalletd-grpc-tests --workspace --recipe-path recipe.json
 
 COPY . .
-RUN cargo test --locked --release --workspace --no-run
+RUN cargo test --locked --release --features lightwalletd-grpc-tests --workspace --no-run
 
 COPY ./docker/entrypoint.sh /
 RUN chmod u+x /entrypoint.sh
@@ -111,7 +113,7 @@ CMD [ "cargo"]
 
 # In this stage we build a release (generate the zebrad binary)
 #
-# This step also adds `cargo chef` as this stage is completely independent from the 
+# This step also adds `cargo chef` as this stage is completely independent from the
 # `test` stage. This step is a dependency for the `runtime` stage, which uses the resulting
 # zebrad binary from this step.
 FROM deps AS release
@@ -119,7 +121,7 @@ RUN cargo chef cook --release --features enable-sentry --recipe-path recipe.json
 
 COPY . .
 # Build zebra
-RUN cargo build --locked --release --features enable-sentry --bin zebrad
+RUN cargo build --locked --release --features enable-sentry --package zebrad --bin zebrad
 
 # This stage is only used when deploying nodes or when only the resulting zebrad binary is needed
 #
diff --git a/docker/entrypoint.sh b/docker/entrypoint.sh
index 0a8965f2..ee052a99 100755
--- a/docker/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/entrypoint.sh
@@ -4,18 +4,37 @@ set -x
 
 case "$1" in
     -- | cargo)
+        # For these tests, we activate the gRPC feature to avoid recompiling `zebrad`,
+        # but we might not actually run any gRPC tests.
         if [[ "$RUN_ALL_TESTS" -eq "1" ]]; then
-            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--workspace" "--" "--include-ignored"
+            # Run all the available tests for the current environment.
+            # If the lightwalletd environmental variables are set, we will also run those tests.
+            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--features" "lightwalletd-grpc-tests" "--workspace" "--" "--include-ignored"
+
+        # For these tests, we activate the gRPC feature to avoid recompiling `zebrad`,
+        # but we don't actually run any gRPC tests.
         elif [[ "$TEST_FULL_SYNC" -eq "1" ]]; then
-            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--test" "acceptance" "--" "--nocapture" "--ignored" "full_sync_mainnet"
+            # Run a Zebra full sync test.
+            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--features" "lightwalletd-grpc-tests" "--test" "acceptance" "--" "--nocapture" "--ignored" "full_sync_mainnet"
         elif [[ "$TEST_DISK_REBUILD" -eq "1" ]]; then
-            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--features" "test_sync_to_mandatory_checkpoint_${NETWORK,,}" "--manifest-path" "zebrad/Cargo.toml" "sync_to_mandatory_checkpoint_${NETWORK,,}"
+            # Run a Zebra sync up to the mandatory checkpoint.
+            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--features" "test_sync_to_mandatory_checkpoint_${NETWORK,,},lightwalletd-grpc-tests" "--manifest-path" "zebrad/Cargo.toml" "sync_to_mandatory_checkpoint_${NETWORK,,}"
         elif [[ "$TEST_CHECKPOINT_SYNC" -eq "1" ]]; then
-            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--features" "test_sync_past_mandatory_checkpoint_${NETWORK,,}" "--manifest-path" "zebrad/Cargo.toml" "sync_past_mandatory_checkpoint_${NETWORK,,}"
+            # Run a Zebra sync starting at the cached mandatory checkpoint, and syncing past it.
+            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--features" "test_sync_past_mandatory_checkpoint_${NETWORK,,},lightwalletd-grpc-tests" "--manifest-path" "zebrad/Cargo.toml" "sync_past_mandatory_checkpoint_${NETWORK,,}"
         elif [[ "$TEST_LWD_RPC_CALL" -eq "1" ]]; then
-            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--test" "acceptance" "--" "--nocapture" "--ignored" "fully_synced_rpc_test"
+            # Starting at a cached tip, test a JSON-RPC call to Zebra.
+            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--features" "lightwalletd-grpc-tests" "--test" "acceptance" "--" "--nocapture" "--ignored" "fully_synced_rpc_test"
+        elif [[ "$TEST_LWD_FULL_SYNC" -eq "1" ]]; then
+            # Starting at a cached Zebra tip, run a lightwalletd sync to tip.
+            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--features" "lightwalletd-grpc-tests" "--test" "acceptance" "--" "--nocapture" "--ignored" "lightwalletd_full_sync"
+
+        # These tests actually use gRPC.
         elif [[ "$TEST_LWD_TRANSACTIONS" -eq "1" ]]; then
-            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--test" "acceptance" "--" "--nocapture" "--ignored" "sending_transactions_using_lightwalletd"
+            # Starting at a cached tip, test a gRPC call to lightwalletd, which calls Zebra.
+            exec cargo "test" "--locked" "--release" "--features" "lightwalletd-grpc-tests" "--test" "acceptance" "--" "--nocapture" "--ignored" "sending_transactions_using_lightwalletd"
+
+        # These command-lines are provided by the caller.
         else
             exec "$@"
         fi
@@ -27,4 +46,4 @@ case "$1" in
         exec "$@"
 esac
 
-exit 1
\ No newline at end of file
+exit 1
diff --git a/docker/zcash-params/Dockerfile b/docker/zcash-params/Dockerfile
index ebb3d478..65da3839 100644
--- a/docker/zcash-params/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/zcash-params/Dockerfile
@@ -18,14 +18,12 @@ RUN apt-get -qq update && \
     libclang-dev \
     clang \
     ca-certificates \
-    cmake \
-    protobuf-compiler \
     ; \
     rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* /tmp/*
 
 ENV CARGO_HOME /app/.cargo/
 # Build dependencies - this is the caching Docker layer!
-RUN cargo chef cook --release --features enable-sentry --recipe-path recipe.json
+RUN cargo chef cook --release --features enable-sentry --package zebrad --recipe-path recipe.json
 
 ARG RUST_BACKTRACE=0
 ENV RUST_BACKTRACE ${RUST_BACKTRACE}
@@ -38,4 +36,4 @@ ENV COLORBT_SHOW_HIDDEN ${COLORBT_SHOW_HIDDEN}
 
 COPY . .
 # Pre-download Zcash Sprout and Sapling parameters
-RUN cargo run --locked --release --features enable-sentry --bin zebrad download
+RUN cargo run --locked --release --features enable-sentry --package zebrad --bin zebrad download
diff --git a/zebrad/Cargo.toml b/zebrad/Cargo.toml
index cb1ca046..f8c83800 100644
--- a/zebrad/Cargo.toml
+++ b/zebrad/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ enable-sentry = ["sentry", "sentry-tracing"]
 # Testing features that activate extra dependencies
 proptest-impl = ["proptest", "proptest-derive", "zebra-chain/proptest-impl", "zebra-state/proptest-impl", "zebra-consensus/proptest-impl", "zebra-network/proptest-impl"]
 
+# The gRPC tests also need an installed lightwalletd binary
+lightwalletd-grpc-tests = ["tonic-build"]
+
+# TODO: replace with environmental variables that skip the tests when not set (part of #2995)
 test_sync_to_mandatory_checkpoint_mainnet = []
 test_sync_to_mandatory_checkpoint_testnet = []
 test_sync_past_mandatory_checkpoint_mainnet = []
@@ -73,14 +77,15 @@ proptest = { version = "0.10.1", optional = true }
 proptest-derive = { version = "0.3.0", optional = true }
 
 [build-dependencies]
-tonic-build = "0.7.2"
 vergen = { version = "7.0.0", default-features = false, features = ["cargo", "git"] }
 
+# test feature lightwalletd-grpc-tests
+tonic-build = { version = "0.7.2", optional = true }
+
 [dev-dependencies]
 abscissa_core = { version = "0.5", features = ["testing"] }
 hex = "0.4.3"
 once_cell = "1.10.0"
-prost = "0.10.3"
 regex = "1.5.5"
 reqwest = "0.11"
 semver = "1.0.9"
@@ -88,6 +93,9 @@ semver = "1.0.9"
 serde_json = { version = "1.0.81", features = ["preserve_order"] }
 tempfile = "3.3.0"
 tokio = { version = "1.18.2", features = ["full", "test-util"] }
+
+# test feature lightwalletd-grpc-tests
+prost = "0.10.3"
 tonic = "0.7.2"
 
 proptest = "0.10.1"
diff --git a/zebrad/build.rs b/zebrad/build.rs
index 56d3ab98..20138ba8 100644
--- a/zebrad/build.rs
+++ b/zebrad/build.rs
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ fn main() {
         }
     }
 
+    #[cfg(feature = "lightwalletd-grpc-tests")]
     tonic_build::configure()
         .build_client(true)
         .build_server(false)
diff --git a/zebrad/tests/acceptance.rs b/zebrad/tests/acceptance.rs
index 6776beff..ea17d617 100644
--- a/zebrad/tests/acceptance.rs
+++ b/zebrad/tests/acceptance.rs
@@ -1525,6 +1525,7 @@ async fn fully_synced_rpc_test() -> Result<()> {
 /// Test sending transactions using a lightwalletd instance connected to a zebrad instance.
 ///
 /// See [`common::lightwalletd::send_transaction_test`] for more information.
+#[cfg(feature = "lightwalletd-grpc-tests")]
 #[tokio::test]
 #[ignore]
 async fn sending_transactions_using_lightwalletd() -> Result<()> {
@@ -1534,7 +1535,9 @@ async fn sending_transactions_using_lightwalletd() -> Result<()> {
 /// Test all the rpc methods a wallet connected to lightwalletd can call.
 ///
 /// See [`common::lightwalletd::wallet_grpc_test`] for more information.
+#[cfg(feature = "lightwalletd-grpc-tests")]
 #[tokio::test]
+#[ignore]
 async fn lightwalletd_wallet_grpc_tests() -> Result<()> {
     common::lightwalletd::wallet_grpc_test::run().await
 }
diff --git a/zebrad/tests/common/cached_state.rs b/zebrad/tests/common/cached_state.rs
index 0117ed4d..2c98893e 100644
--- a/zebrad/tests/common/cached_state.rs
+++ b/zebrad/tests/common/cached_state.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 //! Utility functions for tests that used cached Zebra state.
+//!
+//! Note: we allow dead code in this module, because it is mainly used by the gRPC tests,
+//! which are optional.
+
+#![allow(dead_code)]
 
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
diff --git a/zebrad/tests/common/lightwalletd.rs b/zebrad/tests/common/lightwalletd.rs
index aa75f15f..4d649aea 100644
--- a/zebrad/tests/common/lightwalletd.rs
+++ b/zebrad/tests/common/lightwalletd.rs
@@ -34,8 +34,11 @@ use super::{
 
 use LightwalletdTestType::*;
 
+#[cfg(feature = "lightwalletd-grpc-tests")]
 pub mod send_transaction_test;
+#[cfg(feature = "lightwalletd-grpc-tests")]
 pub mod wallet_grpc;
+#[cfg(feature = "lightwalletd-grpc-tests")]
 pub mod wallet_grpc_test;
 
 /// The name of the env var that enables Zebra lightwalletd integration tests.
diff --git a/zebrad/tests/common/sync.rs b/zebrad/tests/common/sync.rs
index 2a5322e4..4a8fcdbd 100644
--- a/zebrad/tests/common/sync.rs
+++ b/zebrad/tests/common/sync.rs
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ pub const LARGE_CHECKPOINT_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(180);
 /// The partially synchronized state is expected to be close to the tip, so this timeout can be
 /// lower than what's expected for a full synchronization. However, a value that's too short may
 /// cause the test to fail.
+#[allow(dead_code)]
 pub const FINISH_PARTIAL_SYNC_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(60 * 60);
 
 /// The test sync height where we switch to using the default lookahead limit.
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ pub enum MempoolBehavior {
     ///
     /// [`sync_until`] will kill `zebrad` after it logs mempool activation,
     /// then the `stop_regex`.
+    #[allow(dead_code)]
     ShouldAutomaticallyActivate,
 
     /// The mempool should not become active during the test.
@@ -281,6 +283,7 @@ pub fn sync_until(
 ///
 /// The zebrad instance is executed on a copy of the partially synchronized chain state. This copy
 /// is returned afterwards, containing the fully synchronized chain state.
+#[allow(dead_code)]
 pub async fn perform_full_sync_starting_from(
     network: Network,
     partial_sync_path: &Path,