diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d0074a9124..cd126dfc62 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -80,3 +80,6 @@ dynamic-plugins-root/*
 **/__pycache__/
 **/.pytest_cache/
 **/.venv/
+
+# rhdh-local clone for e2e testing
+rhdh-local/
diff --git a/docs/e2e-tests/README.md b/docs/e2e-tests/README.md
index 25b245dcc1..61526184d1 100644
--- a/docs/e2e-tests/README.md
+++ b/docs/e2e-tests/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # README for End-to-End Automation Framework
 
-**Stack**: [Playwright](https://playwright.dev/) over TypeScript  
+**Stack**: [Playwright](https://playwright.dev/) over TypeScript
 **Repository Location**: [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/redhat-developer/rhdh/tree/main/e2e-tests)
 
 ## File Structure of the Testing Framework
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ To run the tests, ensure you have:
 - [Playwright browsers installed](#install-playwright-browsers)
 
 #### macOS Users
+
 **Important**: If you're using macOS, you need to install GNU `grep` and GNU `sed` to avoid compatibility issues with scripts and CI/CD pipelines:
 
 ```bash
@@ -116,6 +117,88 @@ All Playwright project names are defined in [`e2e-tests/playwright/projects.json
 
 See the [CI documentation](CI.md#playwright-project-names-single-source-of-truth) for more details.
 
+## Running Tests Locally with rhdh-local
+
+For quick local testing without a Kubernetes cluster, you can use the `run-e2e-tests.sh` script which automatically sets up [rhdh-local](https://github.com/redhat-developer/rhdh-local) and runs tests against it.
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+- **Podman** (v5.4.1+)
+- **Node.js** (v18+)
+- **Git**
+
+### Quick Start
+
+From the repository root:
+
+```bash
+# Run basic sanity tests with the latest community image
+./scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh --project showcase-sanity-plugins
+
+# Run RBAC tests
+./scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh --profile rbac --project showcase-rbac
+
+# Build and test local changes
+./scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh --build --project showcase-sanity-plugins
+```
+
+### Available Options
+
+| Option | Description |
+|--------|-------------|
+| `--profile <name>` | Test profile: `basic` (default) or `rbac` |
+| `--project <name>` | Playwright project (default: `showcase-sanity-plugins`) |
+| `--build` | Build local RHDH image from `docker/Dockerfile` |
+| `--image <url>` | Use a specific registry image |
+| `--fresh` | Force re-clone rhdh-local |
+| `--skip-setup` | Skip setup, use existing running RHDH instance |
+| `--skip-teardown` | Leave RHDH running after tests |
+
+### How It Works
+
+1. The script clones [rhdh-local](https://github.com/redhat-developer/rhdh-local) into `./rhdh-local/` (gitignored)
+2. Copies local configs from `e2e-tests/local/` (these work without external services)
+3. Starts RHDH using podman/docker compose
+4. Waits for the health check endpoint
+5. Runs Playwright tests with `CI=true BASE_URL=http://localhost:7007`
+6. Tears down the environment (unless `--skip-teardown`)
+
+### Test Profiles
+
+| Profile | Config File | Use Case |
+|---------|-------------|----------|
+| `basic` | `e2e-tests/local/config-basic.yaml` | General testing with guest auth |
+| `rbac` | `e2e-tests/local/config-rbac.yaml` | RBAC/permissions testing |
+
+> **Note**: These are minimal configs designed for local testing without external services (GitHub Apps, Keycloak, etc.). They differ from the CI configs in `.ibm/pipelines/resources/config_map/` which require a fully-configured environment. See `e2e-tests/local/README.md` for more details.
+
+### Test Compatibility
+
+Not all tests work with local rhdh-local. Here's a compatibility matrix:
+
+| Test Project | Compatible | Notes |
+|--------------|------------|-------|
+| `showcase-sanity-plugins` | ✅ Yes | Quick sanity checks |
+| `showcase` | ⚠️ Partial | Some tests require GitHub integration |
+| `showcase-rbac` | ✅ Yes | Use `--profile rbac` |
+| `showcase-k8s` | ❌ No | Requires Kubernetes cluster |
+| `showcase-auth-providers` | ❌ No | Requires Keycloak/external auth |
+
+### Debugging
+
+To keep RHDH running after tests for debugging:
+
+```bash
+./scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh --project showcase-sanity-plugins --skip-teardown
+```
+
+Then access RHDH at <http://localhost:7007> and run tests manually:
+
+```bash
+cd e2e-tests
+BASE_URL=http://localhost:7007 yarn playwright test --ui
+```
+
 ## Setting Up Backstage Configuration During the Pipeline
 
 [app-config-rhdh.yaml](../../.ibm/pipelines/resources/config_map/app-config-rhdh.yaml) is the configuration file used to add plugins or any other kind of configuration into Backstage during pipeline execution.
diff --git a/e2e-tests/README.md b/e2e-tests/README.md
index 89c0371dfc..26147457dd 100644
--- a/e2e-tests/README.md
+++ b/e2e-tests/README.md
@@ -3,3 +3,14 @@
 The readme for the e2e framework is located [here](../docs/e2e-tests/README.md)
 The contribution guidelines are [here](../docs/e2e-tests/CONTRIBUTING.MD)
 The example and bootstraps to create tests are [here](../docs/e2e-tests/examples.md)
+
+## Quick Start: Local Testing
+
+Run e2e tests locally without a Kubernetes cluster:
+
+```bash
+# From repository root
+./scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh --project showcase-sanity-plugins
+```
+
+See [Local Testing Documentation](../docs/e2e-tests/README.md#running-tests-locally-with-rhdh-local) for more options.
diff --git a/e2e-tests/local/README.md b/e2e-tests/local/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ad5347fd92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e-tests/local/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Local E2E Testing Configuration
+
+This folder contains configuration files for running e2e tests locally using [rhdh-local](https://github.com/redhat-developer/rhdh-local).
+
+## Files
+
+| File | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| `config-basic.yaml` | Minimal config for basic testing with guest auth |
+| `config-rbac.yaml` | Config with RBAC/permissions enabled |
+| `defaults.env` | Environment variable defaults (not currently used) |
+
+## Usage
+
+From the repository root:
+
+```bash
+# Basic tests
+./scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh --project showcase-sanity-plugins
+
+# RBAC tests
+./scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh --profile rbac --project showcase-rbac
+
+# Build and test local changes
+./scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh --build --project showcase-sanity-plugins
+```
+
+## Profiles
+
+| Profile | Config File | Use Case |
+|---------|-------------|----------|
+| `basic` | `config-basic.yaml` | General testing with guest auth |
+| `rbac` | `config-rbac.yaml` | RBAC/permissions testing |
+
+## Notes
+
+- These configs are designed for local testing without external services
+- Guest user identity is `user:development/guest` in development mode
+- RBAC profile grants admin access to the guest user for testing
+
diff --git a/e2e-tests/local/config-basic.yaml b/e2e-tests/local/config-basic.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b3d655f1f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e-tests/local/config-basic.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# Minimal local config for e2e testing with rhdh-local
+# This config works without external services (GitHub Apps, Keycloak, etc.)
+
+app:
+  baseUrl: http://localhost:7007
+  title: Red Hat Developer Hub (Local E2E)
+
+backend:
+  baseUrl: http://localhost:7007
+  cors:
+    origin: http://localhost:7007
+  auth:
+    dangerouslyDisableDefaultAuthPolicy: true
+    externalAccess:
+      - type: static
+        options:
+          token: test-token
+          subject: test-user
+
+auth:
+  environment: development
+  session:
+    secret: super-secret-session-key-for-local-testing
+  providers:
+    guest:
+      dangerouslyAllowOutsideDevelopment: true
+
+catalog:
+  import:
+    entityFilename: catalog-info.yaml
+    pullRequestBranchName: backstage-integration
+  rules:
+    - allow: [API, Component, Group, Location, Resource, System, Template, User]
+  locations:
+    - type: url
+      target: https://github.com/redhat-developer/rhdh/blob/main/catalog-entities/all.yaml
+
diff --git a/e2e-tests/local/config-rbac.yaml b/e2e-tests/local/config-rbac.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..481fa2f907
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e-tests/local/config-rbac.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# RBAC local config for e2e testing with rhdh-local
+# This config enables RBAC/permissions without external services
+
+app:
+  baseUrl: http://localhost:7007
+  title: Red Hat Developer Hub (Local E2E - RBAC)
+
+backend:
+  baseUrl: http://localhost:7007
+  cors:
+    origin: http://localhost:7007
+  auth:
+    dangerouslyDisableDefaultAuthPolicy: true
+    externalAccess:
+      - type: static
+        options:
+          token: test-token
+          subject: test-user
+
+auth:
+  environment: development
+  session:
+    secret: super-secret-session-key-for-local-testing
+  providers:
+    guest:
+      dangerouslyAllowOutsideDevelopment: true
+
+permission:
+  enabled: true
+  rbac:
+    maxDepth: 1
+    policyFileReload: true
+    policies-csv-file: /opt/app-root/src/configs/rbac/rbac-policy.csv
+    pluginsWithPermission:
+      - catalog
+      - permission
+      - scaffolder
+    admin:
+      users:
+        - name: user:development/guest
+
+catalog:
+  import:
+    entityFilename: catalog-info.yaml
+    pullRequestBranchName: backstage-integration
+  rules:
+    - allow: [API, Component, Group, Location, Resource, System, Template, User]
+  locations:
+    - type: url
+      target: https://github.com/redhat-developer/rhdh/blob/main/catalog-entities/all.yaml
+
diff --git a/e2e-tests/local/defaults.env b/e2e-tests/local/defaults.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..db8d2f0303
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e-tests/local/defaults.env
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Local defaults for e2e testing with rhdh-local
+# These values are substituted into CI configs when running locally.
+
+# Base URLs
+export RHDH_BASE_URL="http://localhost:7007"
+export RHDH_BASE_URL_HTTP="http://localhost:7007"
+export DH_TARGET_URL="localhost"
+
+# Backend
+export BACKEND_SECRET="test-secret-for-local-e2e-testing"
+
+# Redis (disabled for local testing - uses in-memory)
+export REDIS_USERNAME=""
+export REDIS_PASSWORD=""
+
+# GitHub App Integration (disabled for local testing)
+export GITHUB_APP_APP_ID=""
+export GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_ID=""
+export GITHUB_APP_CLIENT_SECRET=""
+export GITHUB_APP_WEBHOOK_URL=""
+export GITHUB_APP_WEBHOOK_SECRET=""
+export GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY=""
+
+# GitHub Janus Test App (disabled for local testing)
+export GITHUB_APP_JANUS_TEST_APP_ID=""
+export GITHUB_APP_JANUS_TEST_CLIENT_ID=""
+export GITHUB_APP_JANUS_TEST_CLIENT_SECRET=""
+export GITHUB_APP_JANUS_TEST_PRIVATE_KEY=""
+
+# GitHub OAuth (disabled for local testing)
+export GITHUB_OAUTH_APP_ID=""
+export GITHUB_OAUTH_APP_SECRET=""
+export GITHUB_URL="https://github.com"
+export GITHUB_ORG=""
+export GITHUB_ORG_2=""
+
+# GitLab (disabled for local testing)
+export GITLAB_TOKEN=""
+
+# Google Auth (disabled for local testing)
+export GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=""
+export GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=""
+
+# Keycloak/OIDC (disabled for local testing)
+export KEYCLOAK_AUTH_BASE_URL=""
+export KEYCLOAK_AUTH_REALM=""
+export KEYCLOAK_AUTH_LOGIN_REALM=""
+export KEYCLOAK_AUTH_CLIENTID=""
+export KEYCLOAK_AUTH_CLIENT_SECRET=""
+
+# Azure Container Registry (disabled for local testing)
+export ACR_SECRET=""
+
diff --git a/scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh b/scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a6506cf750
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,297 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# Run e2e tests locally using rhdh-local
+#
+# This script:
+# 1. Clones fresh rhdh-local if not present
+# 2. Processes CI configs with local environment variables
+# 3. Starts RHDH via podman/docker compose
+# 4. Runs Playwright e2e tests
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ./scripts/run-e2e-tests.sh [options]
+#
+# Options:
+#   --profile <name>    Test profile: basic (default), rbac
+#   --project <name>    Playwright project (default: showcase-sanity-plugins)
+#   --build             Build local RHDH image from docker/Dockerfile
+#   --image <url>       Use specific registry image
+#   --fresh             Force re-clone rhdh-local
+#   --skip-setup        Skip rhdh-local setup (use existing running instance)
+#   --skip-teardown     Leave RHDH running after tests
+#   --help              Show this help message
+
+set -e
+
+# Colors for output
+RED='\033[0;31m'
+GREEN='\033[0;32m'
+BLUE='\033[0;34m'
+YELLOW='\033[0;33m'
+NC='\033[0m' # No Color
+
+log_info() { echo -e "${BLUE}[INFO]${NC} $1"; }
+log_success() { echo -e "${GREEN}[SUCCESS]${NC} $1"; }
+log_warn() { echo -e "${YELLOW}[WARN]${NC} $1"; }
+log_error() { echo -e "${RED}[ERROR]${NC} $1"; }
+
+# Script directory and paths
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+RHDH_ROOT="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/.." && pwd)"
+RHDH_LOCAL_PATH="$RHDH_ROOT/rhdh-local"
+RHDH_LOCAL_REPO="https://github.com/redhat-developer/rhdh-local.git"
+CI_CONFIG_PATH="$RHDH_ROOT/.ibm/pipelines/resources/config_map"
+
+# Default values
+RHDH_IMAGE="${RHDH_IMAGE:-quay.io/rhdh-community/rhdh:next}"
+TEST_PROFILE="basic"
+TEST_PROJECT="showcase-sanity-plugins"
+BUILD_LOCAL=false
+FRESH_CLONE=false
+SKIP_SETUP=false
+SKIP_TEARDOWN=false
+
+# Parse arguments
+show_help() {
+  head -30 "$0" | grep -E "^#" | sed 's/^# \?//'
+  exit 0
+}
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case $1 in
+  --profile)
+    TEST_PROFILE="$2"
+    shift 2
+    ;;
+  --project)
+    TEST_PROJECT="$2"
+    shift 2
+    ;;
+  --build)
+    BUILD_LOCAL=true
+    shift
+    ;;
+  --image)
+    RHDH_IMAGE="$2"
+    shift 2
+    ;;
+  --fresh)
+    FRESH_CLONE=true
+    shift
+    ;;
+  --skip-setup)
+    SKIP_SETUP=true
+    shift
+    ;;
+  --skip-teardown)
+    SKIP_TEARDOWN=true
+    shift
+    ;;
+  --help | -h) show_help ;;
+  *)
+    log_warn "Unknown option: $1"
+    shift
+    ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+# Detect container runtime
+detect_container_runtime() {
+  if command -v podman &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "podman"
+  elif command -v docker &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "docker"
+  else
+    log_error "Neither podman nor docker found. Please install one."
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
+
+CONTAINER_RUNTIME=$(detect_container_runtime)
+log_info "Using container runtime: $CONTAINER_RUNTIME"
+
+# Print configuration
+log_info "============================================"
+log_info "RHDH E2E Test Runner"
+log_info "============================================"
+log_info "Image:   $RHDH_IMAGE"
+log_info "Profile: $TEST_PROFILE"
+log_info "Project: $TEST_PROJECT"
+log_info "E2E Path: $RHDH_ROOT/e2e-tests"
+log_info "============================================"
+
+# Clone rhdh-local if needed
+clone_rhdh_local() {
+  if [ "$FRESH_CLONE" = true ] && [ -d "$RHDH_LOCAL_PATH" ]; then
+    log_info "Removing existing rhdh-local for fresh clone..."
+    rm -rf "$RHDH_LOCAL_PATH"
+  fi
+
+  if [ ! -d "$RHDH_LOCAL_PATH" ]; then
+    log_info "Cloning rhdh-local..."
+    git clone --depth 1 "$RHDH_LOCAL_REPO" "$RHDH_LOCAL_PATH"
+  else
+    log_info "Using existing rhdh-local at: $RHDH_LOCAL_PATH"
+  fi
+}
+
+# Setup configs for local testing
+setup_configs() {
+  log_info "Setting up local test configs..."
+
+  # Local config files are in e2e-tests/local/
+  LOCAL_CONFIG_DIR="$RHDH_ROOT/e2e-tests/local"
+
+  # Select config file based on profile
+  # We use minimal local configs that don't require external services
+  case $TEST_PROFILE in
+  basic)
+    LOCAL_CONFIG_FILE="$LOCAL_CONFIG_DIR/config-basic.yaml"
+    ;;
+  rbac)
+    LOCAL_CONFIG_FILE="$LOCAL_CONFIG_DIR/config-rbac.yaml"
+    ;;
+  *)
+    log_error "Unknown profile: $TEST_PROFILE"
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+  esac
+
+  if [ ! -f "$LOCAL_CONFIG_FILE" ]; then
+    log_error "Config file not found: $LOCAL_CONFIG_FILE"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  log_info "Using config: $LOCAL_CONFIG_FILE"
+
+  # Create directories if needed
+  mkdir -p "$RHDH_LOCAL_PATH/configs/app-config"
+  mkdir -p "$RHDH_LOCAL_PATH/configs/rbac"
+
+  # Copy local config to rhdh-local
+  cp "$LOCAL_CONFIG_FILE" "$RHDH_LOCAL_PATH/configs/app-config/app-config.local.yaml"
+  log_info "Created app-config.local.yaml"
+
+  # Copy RBAC policy if using RBAC profile
+  if [ "$TEST_PROFILE" = "rbac" ]; then
+    if [ -f "$CI_CONFIG_PATH/rbac-policy.csv" ]; then
+      cp "$CI_CONFIG_PATH/rbac-policy.csv" "$RHDH_LOCAL_PATH/configs/rbac/rbac-policy.csv"
+      log_info "Copied rbac-policy.csv"
+    fi
+  fi
+}
+
+# Build local RHDH image
+build_local_image() {
+  if [ "$BUILD_LOCAL" = true ]; then
+    log_info "Building local RHDH image..."
+    $CONTAINER_RUNTIME build -f "$RHDH_ROOT/docker/Dockerfile" "$RHDH_ROOT" -t rhdh:local
+    RHDH_IMAGE="localhost/rhdh:local"
+    log_success "Built local image: $RHDH_IMAGE"
+  fi
+}
+
+# Start rhdh-local
+start_rhdh_local() {
+  log_info "Starting rhdh-local with image: $RHDH_IMAGE"
+
+  cd "$RHDH_LOCAL_PATH"
+  RHDH_IMAGE="$RHDH_IMAGE" $CONTAINER_RUNTIME compose up -d
+
+  # Wait for RHDH to be ready
+  log_info "Waiting for RHDH to be ready..."
+  HEALTH_URL="http://localhost:7007"
+  MAX_WAIT=180
+  ELAPSED=0
+
+  # Give the container a moment to start the app
+  sleep 10
+
+  while [ $ELAPSED -lt $MAX_WAIT ]; do
+    # Try curl with explicit timeout and handle Windows/Git Bash quirks
+    HTTP_CODE=$(curl --connect-timeout 5 --max-time 10 -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" "$HEALTH_URL" 2>/dev/null)
+    CURL_EXIT=$?
+
+    # curl exit code 0 means success, check HTTP code
+    if [ $CURL_EXIT -eq 0 ]; then
+      if [ "$HTTP_CODE" = "200" ] || [ "$HTTP_CODE" = "401" ]; then
+        log_success "RHDH is ready! (HTTP $HTTP_CODE after ${ELAPSED}s)"
+        return 0
+      fi
+    fi
+
+    sleep 5
+    ELAPSED=$((ELAPSED + 5))
+    log_info "Waiting for RHDH... (${ELAPSED}s elapsed, HTTP: $HTTP_CODE, curl exit: $CURL_EXIT)"
+  done
+
+  log_error "RHDH failed to start within ${MAX_WAIT}s"
+  log_info "Container logs:"
+  $CONTAINER_RUNTIME logs rhdh 2>&1 | tail -50
+  exit 1
+}
+
+# Stop rhdh-local
+stop_rhdh_local() {
+  log_info "Stopping rhdh-local..."
+  cd "$RHDH_LOCAL_PATH"
+  $CONTAINER_RUNTIME compose down --volumes 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
+# Run e2e tests
+run_tests() {
+  log_info "Running e2e tests..."
+  log_info "Test project: $TEST_PROJECT"
+
+  cd "$RHDH_ROOT/e2e-tests"
+
+  # Install dependencies if needed
+  if [ ! -d "node_modules" ]; then
+    log_info "Installing e2e-tests dependencies..."
+    yarn install
+  fi
+
+  # Run Playwright tests in CI mode (headless, no interactive prompts)
+  log_info "Executing: CI=true BASE_URL=http://localhost:7007 yarn playwright test --project=$TEST_PROJECT"
+  CI=true BASE_URL="http://localhost:7007" yarn playwright test --project="$TEST_PROJECT"
+
+  TEST_EXIT_CODE=$?
+  return $TEST_EXIT_CODE
+}
+
+# Cleanup on exit
+cleanup() {
+  if [ "$SKIP_TEARDOWN" = false ]; then
+    stop_rhdh_local
+  else
+    log_info "Skipping teardown. RHDH is still running at http://localhost:7007"
+  fi
+}
+
+# Main execution
+main() {
+  # Setup trap for cleanup
+  trap cleanup EXIT
+
+  if [ "$SKIP_SETUP" = false ]; then
+    clone_rhdh_local
+    setup_configs
+    build_local_image
+    start_rhdh_local
+  else
+    log_info "Skipping setup, using existing RHDH instance"
+  fi
+
+  run_tests
+  TEST_EXIT_CODE=$?
+
+  if [ $TEST_EXIT_CODE -eq 0 ]; then
+    log_success "All tests passed!"
+  else
+    log_error "Some tests failed (exit code: $TEST_EXIT_CODE)"
+  fi
+
+  exit $TEST_EXIT_CODE
+}
+
+main