diff --git a/DistTestCore/Codex/CodexContainerRecipe.cs b/DistTestCore/Codex/CodexContainerRecipe.cs
index c928b3e..d6e3e41 100644
--- a/DistTestCore/Codex/CodexContainerRecipe.cs
+++ b/DistTestCore/Codex/CodexContainerRecipe.cs
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ namespace DistTestCore.Codex
 {
     public class CodexContainerRecipe : DefaultContainerRecipe
     {
-        private const string DefaultDockerImage = "codexstorage/nim-codex:latest-dist-tests";
-
+        public const string DockerImage = "codexstorage/nim-codex:sha-1d161d3";
         public const string MetricsPortTag = "metrics_port";
         public const string DiscoveryPortTag = "discovery-port";
 
@@ -38,7 +37,12 @@ namespace DistTestCore.Codex
             AddVolume($"codex/{dataDir}", GetVolumeCapacity(config));
 
             AddInternalPortAndVar("CODEX_DISC_PORT", DiscoveryPortTag);
-            AddEnvVar("CODEX_LOG_LEVEL", config.LogLevel.ToString()!.ToUpperInvariant());
+
+            var level = config.LogLevel.ToString()!.ToUpperInvariant();
+            if (config.LogTopics != null && config.LogTopics.Count() > 0){
+                level = $"INFO;{level}: {string.Join(",", config.LogTopics.Where(s => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(s)))}";
+            }
+            AddEnvVar("CODEX_LOG_LEVEL", level);
 
             // This makes the node announce itself to its local (pod) IP address.
             AddEnvVar("NAT_IP_AUTO", "true");
@@ -76,7 +80,15 @@ namespace DistTestCore.Codex
                 AddPodAnnotation("prometheus.io/port", metricsPort.Number.ToString());
             }
 
-            if (config.MarketplaceConfig != null)
+			if (config.SimulateProofFailures != null)
+            {
+                AddEnvVar("CODEX_SIMULATE_PROOF_FAILURES", config.SimulateProofFailures.ToString()!);
+            }
+			if (config.EnableValidator == true)
+            {
+                AddEnvVar("CODEX_VALIDATOR", "true");
+            }
+            if (config.MarketplaceConfig != null || config.EnableValidator == true)
             {
                 var gethConfig = startupConfig.Get<GethStartResult>();
                 var companionNode = gethConfig.CompanionNode;
@@ -91,10 +103,17 @@ namespace DistTestCore.Codex
                 AddEnvVar("CODEX_MARKETPLACE_ADDRESS", gethConfig.MarketplaceNetwork.Marketplace.Address);
                 AddEnvVar("CODEX_PERSISTENCE", "true");
 
-                if (config.MarketplaceConfig.IsValidator)
-                {
-                    AddEnvVar("CODEX_VALIDATOR", "true");
-                }
+                //if (config.MarketplaceConfig.IsValidator)
+                //{
+                //    AddEnvVar("CODEX_VALIDATOR", "true");
+                //}
+            }
+			if (config.MarketplaceConfig != null) {
+                AddEnvVar("CODEX_PERSISTENCE", "true");
+            }
+
+            if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(config.NameOverride)) {
+                AddEnvVar("CODEX_NODENAME", config.NameOverride);
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/DistTestCore/Codex/CodexStartupConfig.cs b/DistTestCore/Codex/CodexStartupConfig.cs
index 36e4757..a1170c6 100644
--- a/DistTestCore/Codex/CodexStartupConfig.cs
+++ b/DistTestCore/Codex/CodexStartupConfig.cs
@@ -14,12 +14,14 @@ namespace DistTestCore.Codex
 
         public string? NameOverride { get; set; }
         public Location Location { get; set; }
-        public CodexLogLevel LogLevel { get; }
+        public CodexLogLevel LogLevel { get; set; }
         public ByteSize? StorageQuota { get; set; }
         public MetricsMode MetricsMode { get; set; }
         public MarketplaceInitialConfig? MarketplaceConfig { get; set; }
         public string? BootstrapSpr { get; set; }
         public int? BlockTTL { get; set; }
+        public uint? SimulateProofFailures { get; set; }
+        public bool? EnableValidator { get; set; }
         public TimeSpan? BlockMaintenanceInterval { get; set; }
         public int? BlockMaintenanceNumber { get; set; }
     }
diff --git a/DistTestCore/CodexSetup.cs b/DistTestCore/CodexSetup.cs
index f2ec51e..c91b66f 100644
--- a/DistTestCore/CodexSetup.cs
+++ b/DistTestCore/CodexSetup.cs
@@ -18,8 +18,16 @@ namespace DistTestCore
         ICodexSetup EnableMarketplace(TestToken initialBalance);
         ICodexSetup EnableMarketplace(TestToken initialBalance, Ether initialEther);
         ICodexSetup EnableMarketplace(TestToken initialBalance, Ether initialEther, bool isValidator);
+		/// <summary>
+        /// Provides an invalid proof every N proofs
+        /// </summary>
+        ICodexSetup WithSimulateProofFailures(uint failEveryNProofs);
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Enables the validation module in the node
+        /// </summary>
+        ICodexSetup WithValidator();
     }
-    
+
     public class CodexSetup : CodexStartupConfig, ICodexSetup
     {
         public int NumberOfNodes { get; }
@@ -85,7 +93,7 @@ namespace DistTestCore
 
         public ICodexSetup EnableMarketplace(TestToken initialBalance, Ether initialEther)
         {
-            return EnableMarketplace(initialBalance, initialEther, false);
+			return EnableMarketplace(initialBalance, initialEther, false);
         }
 
         public ICodexSetup EnableMarketplace(TestToken initialBalance, Ether initialEther, bool isValidator)
@@ -94,6 +102,18 @@ namespace DistTestCore
             return this;
         }
 
+        public ICodexSetup WithSimulateProofFailures(uint failEveryNProofs)
+        {
+            SimulateProofFailures = failEveryNProofs;
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        public ICodexSetup WithValidator()
+        {
+            EnableValidator = true;
+            return this;
+        }
+
         public string Describe()
         {
             var args = string.Join(',', DescribeArgs());
@@ -104,7 +124,9 @@ namespace DistTestCore
         {
             yield return $"LogLevel={LogLevel}";
             if (BootstrapSpr != null) yield return $"BootstrapNode={BootstrapSpr}";
-            if (StorageQuota != null) yield return $"StorageQuote={StorageQuota}";
+            if (StorageQuota != null) yield return $"StorageQuota={StorageQuota}";
+            if (SimulateProofFailures != null) yield return $"SimulateProofFailures={SimulateProofFailures}";
+            if (EnableValidator != null) yield return $"EnableValidator={EnableValidator}";
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/DistTestCore/CodexStarter.cs b/DistTestCore/CodexStarter.cs
index 86a839e..7a8947b 100644
--- a/DistTestCore/CodexStarter.cs
+++ b/DistTestCore/CodexStarter.cs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ namespace DistTestCore
             LogSeparator();
             LogStart($"Starting {codexSetup.Describe()}...");
             var gethStartResult = lifecycle.GethStarter.BringOnlineMarketplaceFor(codexSetup);
+            gethStartResult = lifecycle.GethStarter.BringOnlineValidatorFor(codexSetup, gethStartResult);
 
             var startupConfig = CreateStartupConfig(gethStartResult, codexSetup);
 
diff --git a/DistTestCore/GethStarter.cs b/DistTestCore/GethStarter.cs
index 578cc30..7df4ba4 100644
--- a/DistTestCore/GethStarter.cs
+++ b/DistTestCore/GethStarter.cs
@@ -30,6 +30,17 @@ namespace DistTestCore
             return CreateGethStartResult(marketplaceNetwork, companionNode);
         }
 
+        public GethStartResult BringOnlineValidatorFor(CodexSetup codexSetup, GethStartResult previousResult)
+        {
+            // allow marketplace and validator to be enabled on the same Codex node
+            if (previousResult.CompanionNode != null || (codexSetup.EnableValidator ?? false) == false) return previousResult;
+
+            var marketplaceNetwork = marketplaceNetworkCache.Get();
+            var companionNode = StartCompanionNode(codexSetup, marketplaceNetwork);
+
+            return CreateGethStartResult(marketplaceNetwork, companionNode);
+        }
+
         private void TransferInitialBalance(MarketplaceNetwork marketplaceNetwork, MarketplaceInitialConfig marketplaceConfig, GethCompanionNodeInfo companionNode)
         {
             if (marketplaceConfig.InitialTestTokens.Amount == 0) return;