diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 9185746af2eb5cf253b555add72703369e757eb4..2a5025320fb5c471a4db4b5083009bb1492d0500 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ default:
     - 1cpu-4gb # build on smaller machine
 
 variables:
-  API_DOMAIN_PATH: "$CI_PROJECT_DIR/api_domain"
+  API_DOMAIN_PATH: '$CI_PROJECT_DIR/api_domain'
 
 # job templates
 
@@ -17,15 +17,15 @@ variables:
   image:
     name: 'europe-north1-docker.pkg.dev/holi-shared/docker-hub-remote/hashicorp/terraform:1.6.6'
     # default entrypoint is terraform command, but we want to run shell scripts
-    entrypoint: ["/bin/sh", "-c"]
+    entrypoint: ['/bin/sh', '-c']
   variables:
     ENVIRONMENT_ID: $CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG
   artifacts:
     paths:
-      - "terraform/environments/crash.log" # optional, only available in case of a crash/panic
-      - "terraform/environments/terraform-*.log" # separate log for every step/command
+      - 'terraform/environments/crash.log' # optional, only available in case of a crash/panic
+      - 'terraform/environments/terraform-*.log' # separate log for every step/command
       - $API_DOMAIN_PATH
-    name: "${CI_JOB_NAME}_${CI_JOB_ID}"
+    name: '${CI_JOB_NAME}_${CI_JOB_ID}'
     #when: on_failure
     expire_in: 1 week
   script:
@@ -34,12 +34,13 @@ variables:
   resource_group: $ENVIRONMENT_ID # never execute terraform in parallel on the same environment
   interruptible: false
 
-.e2e:
-  image: 'europe-north1-docker.pkg.dev/holi-shared/docker-hub-remote/archlinux:latest'
+.smoketest:
+  image: 'europe-north1-docker.pkg.dev/holi-shared/docker/holi-docker/holi-k6-builder'
   script:
-    - API_DOMAIN=`cat $API_DOMAIN_PATH`
-    - echo "e2e tests against $CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG environment go here and against $API_DOMAIN"
+    - API_DOMAIN=$(cat $API_DOMAIN_PATH)
     - terraform/environments/scripts/wait-for-ssl.sh "https://${API_DOMAIN}"
+    - BASE_URL="https://${API_DOMAIN}/graphql" k6 run smoketest/main.js
+    # TODO should/could we roll back the service to the last working revision on test failure?
 
 # end job templates
 
@@ -48,13 +49,13 @@ variables:
 ## common steps
 
 cache_lint_test:
-  image: 'europe-north1-docker.pkg.dev/holi-shared/docker-hub-remote/denoland/deno:alpine-1.45.2'
-  stage: "test"
+  image: 'europe-north1-docker.pkg.dev/holi-shared/docker-hub-remote/denoland/deno:2.0.0'
+  stage: 'test'
   script:
-    - deno cache --reload --lock=deno.lock app/deps.ts app/dev_deps.ts
+    - deno cache --allow-import --reload --lock=deno.lock app/deps.ts app/dev_deps.ts
     - deno fmt --check
     - deno lint
-    - deno test
+    - deno test --allow-import
 
 # You can override the included template(s) by including variable overrides
 # SAST customization: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/application_security/sast/#customizing-the-sast-settings
@@ -64,13 +65,13 @@ cache_lint_test:
 # Note that environment variables can be set in several places
 # See https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/variables/#cicd-variable-precedence
 sast:
-  needs: ["cache_lint_test"]
+  needs: ['cache_lint_test']
   stage: test
 include:
   - template: Security/SAST.gitlab-ci.yml
 
 build_docker:
-  needs: ["cache_lint_test"]
+  needs: ['cache_lint_test']
   image: 'europe-north1-docker.pkg.dev/holi-shared/docker-hub-remote/docker:27'
   services:
     - 'docker:27-dind'
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ build_docker:
 
 review_deploy:
   extends: .deploy
-  needs: ["build_docker"]
+  needs: ['build_docker']
   environment:
     name: review/$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG
     url: https://$CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG.volunteering.apis.holi.social
@@ -98,20 +99,20 @@ review_deploy:
     - production
     - /^noenv\/.*/
 
-review_e2e:
-  extends: .e2e
-  needs: ["review_deploy"]
+review_smoketest:
+  extends: .smoketest
+  needs: ['review_deploy']
   except:
     - main
     - production
     - /^noenv\/.*/
 
 review_destroy:
-  needs: ["review_deploy"]
+  needs: ['review_deploy']
   image:
     name: 'europe-north1-docker.pkg.dev/holi-shared/docker-hub-remote/hashicorp/terraform:1.6.6'
     # default entrypoint is terraform command, but we want to run shell scripts
-    entrypoint: ["/bin/sh", "-c"]
+    entrypoint: ['/bin/sh', '-c']
   variables:
     # has to be set to none for auto stop
     GIT_STRATEGY: none
@@ -122,9 +123,9 @@ review_destroy:
   dependencies: [] # explicitly disable artifact usage
   artifacts:
     paths:
-      - "terraform/environments/crash.log" # optional, only available in case of a crash/panic
-      - "terraform/environments/terraform-*.log" # separate log for every step/command
-    name: "${CI_JOB_NAME}_${CI_JOB_ID}"
+      - 'terraform/environments/crash.log' # optional, only available in case of a crash/panic
+      - 'terraform/environments/terraform-*.log' # separate log for every step/command
+    name: '${CI_JOB_NAME}_${CI_JOB_ID}'
     when: on_failure
     expire_in: 1 week
   script:
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@ review_destroy:
     - terraform/environments/scripts/destroy-env.sh $CI_ENVIRONMENT_SLUG
   # can't use rules here: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/34077
   when: manual
-  allow_failure: false
+  allow_failure: true
   except:
     - main
     - production
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ review_destroy:
 
 staging_deploy:
   extends: .deploy
-  needs: ["build_docker"]
+  needs: ['build_docker']
   environment:
     name: staging
     deployment_tier: staging
@@ -156,27 +157,26 @@ staging_deploy:
   only:
     - main
 
-staging_trigger_unified-api_redeployment:
-  needs: ["staging_deploy"]
-  trigger:
-    project: "app/holi-unified-api"
-    branch: "main"
+staging_smoketest:
+  extends: .smoketest
+  needs: ['staging_deploy']
   only:
     - main
 
-staging_e2e:
-  extends: .e2e
-  # if staging_e2e would actually run tests (other than ensuring SSL works), we'd have to
-  # wait for the unified-api pipeline to finish.
-  needs: ["staging_deploy"]
+staging_trigger_unified-api_redeployment:
+  needs: ['staging_smoketest']
+  trigger:
+    project: 'app/holi-unified-api'
+    branch: 'main'
   only:
     - main
+  resource_group: unified-api-staging
 
 ## production environment
 
 production_deploy:
   extends: .deploy
-  needs: ["build_docker"]
+  needs: ['build_docker']
   allow_failure: false
   environment:
     name: production
@@ -187,10 +187,17 @@ production_deploy:
   only:
     - production
 
+production_smoketest:
+  extends: .smoketest
+  needs: ['production_deploy']
+  only:
+    - production
+
 production_trigger_unified-api_redeployment:
-  needs: ["production_deploy"]
+  needs: ['production_smoketest']
   trigger:
-    project: "app/holi-unified-api"
-    branch: "production"
+    project: 'app/holi-unified-api'
+    branch: 'production'
   only:
     - production
+  resource_group: unified-api-production
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 2f34ebc58adb3df395e52bedee0d670532274122..f4b830c8175179542b86e58cc479dbe443a5adbb 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 repos:
--   repo: local
+  - repo: local
     hooks:
-    -   id: gitleaks
+      - id: gitleaks
         name: gitleaks
         language: system
         entry: gitleaks protect --staged -v -c ../.gitleaks.toml
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 3f53a75b2bcd049d1b69f277207a3f48d2566790..cd6ca8a811095df53c4778ade83d5a1cdfa851a9 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM europe-north1-docker.pkg.dev/holi-shared/docker-hub-remote/denoland/deno:alpine-1.45.2
+FROM europe-north1-docker.pkg.dev/holi-shared/docker-hub-remote/denoland/deno:2.0.0
 
 # The port that your application listens to.
 EXPOSE 8004
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ COPY deno.lock .
 COPY deno.json .
 COPY ./app ./app
 
-RUN deno cache --lock=deno.lock app/deps.ts app/dev_deps.ts
-RUN deno cache --lock=deno.lock app/main.ts
+RUN deno cache --allow-import --lock=deno.lock app/deps.ts app/dev_deps.ts
+RUN deno cache --allow-import --lock=deno.lock app/main.ts
 
-CMD ["deno", "run", "--allow-net", "--allow-env", "--lock=deno.lock", "--cached-only", "app/main.ts"]
+CMD ["deno", "run", "--allow-import", "--allow-net", "--allow-env", "--lock=deno.lock", "--cached-only", "app/main.ts"]
diff --git a/deno.json b/deno.json
index 9203752ec4618c7162ed0c65e3d2d2c392263f09..c7a0e2ddb13d85bb8f9f77b1c0bb79685fe8585e 100644
--- a/deno.json
+++ b/deno.json
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@
       "lint": "deno lint",
       "fmt": "deno fmt",
       "fmt:check": "deno fmt --check",
-      "test": "deno test",
-      "updateDeps": "deno cache --lock=deno.lock --lock-write app/deps.ts app/dev_deps.ts",
-      "install": "deno cache --reload --lock=deno.lock app/deps.ts app/dev_deps.ts",
-      "cache": "deno cache app/main.ts",
-      "dev": "deno run --allow-net --allow-env --lock=deno.lock --cached-only --watch app/main.ts",
-      "start": "deno run --allow-net --allow-env --lock=deno.lock --cached-only app/main.ts",
+      "test": "deno test --allow-import ",
+      "updateDeps": "deno cache --allow-import --lock=deno.lock --lock-write app/deps.ts app/dev_deps.ts",
+      "install": "deno cache --allow-import --reload --lock=deno.lock app/deps.ts app/dev_deps.ts",
+      "cache": "deno cache --allow-import app/main.ts",
+      "dev": "deno run --allow-import --allow-net --allow-env --lock=deno.lock --cached-only --watch app/main.ts",
+      "start": "deno run --allow-import --allow-net --allow-env --lock=deno.lock --cached-only app/main.ts",
       "docker": "docker build -t volunteering-api . && docker run -it --init -p 8004:8004 volunteering-api",
-      "coverage": "deno test --coverage=coverage && deno coverage coverage",
+      "coverage": "deno test --allow-import --coverage=coverage && deno coverage coverage",
       "pre-commit": {
         "cmd": "vr fmt && vr lint && vr test",
         "gitHook": "pre-commit"
diff --git a/smoketest/main.js b/smoketest/main.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..919c8a156d5102cce203590c7d9e24f46d72fce4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smoketest/main.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import http from 'k6/http'
+import { check } from 'k6'
+
+// You don't need to change anything in this section, it's k6 glue code.
+// See the default function at the end of the file for defining your smoketest.
+// This configuration only executes 1 test, enough for a smoketest. The smoketest will fail on any check failing.
+const allChecksNeedToPassTreshold = { checks: [{ threshold: 'rate==1', abortOnFail: true }] }
+export const options = {
+  vus: 1,
+  iterations: 1,
+  thresholds: allChecksNeedToPassTreshold,
+}
+
+/**
+ * Performs a GraphQL query and checks the response using the provided function. Fails if any of the provided expectations are not met.
+ * @param {string} query The GraphQL query to perform
+ * @param {(response: http.Response) => Array<boolean>} checkFunction
+ *   A function that takes the HTTP response as an argument and returns an array
+ *   of boolean values, each indicating success or failure of a test.
+ */
+function forQuery(query, checkFunction) {
+  const response = http.post(`${__ENV.BASE_URL}`, JSON.stringify({ query }), {
+    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+  })
+  checkFunction(response)
+}
+
+// Define your smoketest(s) here.
+export default () => {
+  forQuery(`{categories{data{name}}}`, (response) => {
+    check(response, {
+      'is status 200': (r) => r.status === 200,
+    })
+    check(JSON.parse(response.body), {
+      // there can be multiple tests here, e.g.
+      //"contains topics object": (r) => typeof r.data.topics != null,
+      'contains categories': (r) => Array.isArray(r.data.categories.data) && r.data.categories.data.length > 0,
+    })
+  })
+}