diff --git a/tests/interchaintest/chain_start_test.go b/tests/interchaintest/chain_start_test.go
index 5651b07..7bee2ae 100644
--- a/tests/interchaintest/chain_start_test.go
+++ b/tests/interchaintest/chain_start_test.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ func TestStartFeeabs(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Skip()
 	}
 
+	t.Parallel()
+
 	numVals := 1
 	numFullNodes := 1
 
diff --git a/tests/interchaintest/host_zone_proposal_test.go b/tests/interchaintest/host_zone_proposal_test.go
index 8452032..1b3b7cd 100644
--- a/tests/interchaintest/host_zone_proposal_test.go
+++ b/tests/interchaintest/host_zone_proposal_test.go
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/strangelove-ventures/interchaintest/v8"
 	"github.com/strangelove-ventures/interchaintest/v8/chain/cosmos"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"go.uber.org/zap/zaptest"
 
 	feeabsCli "github.com/osmosis-labs/fee-abstraction/v8/tests/interchaintest/feeabs"
 )
@@ -14,18 +16,45 @@ func TestHostZoneProposal(t *testing.T) {
 	if testing.Short() {
 		t.Skip("skipping in short mode")
 	}
-	ctx := context.Background()
 
-	chains, users, channels := SetupChain(t, ctx)
-	feeabs, _, osmosis := chains[0].(*cosmos.CosmosChain), chains[1].(*cosmos.CosmosChain), chains[2].(*cosmos.CosmosChain)
-	channFeeabsOsmosis, _, channFeeabsOsmosisICQ := channels[0], channels[1], channels[6]
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	numVals := 1
+	numFullNodes := 1
 
-	feeabsUser, _, _ := users[0], users[1], users[2]
-	osmoOnFeeabs := GetOsmoOnFeeabs(channFeeabsOsmosis, osmosis.Config().Denom)
+	cf := interchaintest.NewBuiltinChainFactory(zaptest.NewLogger(t), []*interchaintest.ChainSpec{
+		{
+			Name:          "feeabs",
+			ChainConfig:   feeabsConfig,
+			NumValidators: &numVals,
+			NumFullNodes:  &numFullNodes,
+		},
+	})
 
-	ParamChangeProposal(t, ctx, feeabs, feeabsUser, &channFeeabsOsmosis, &channFeeabsOsmosisICQ, osmoOnFeeabs)
+	chains, err := cf.Chains(t.Name())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	feeabs := chains[0].(*cosmos.CosmosChain)
+	ic := interchaintest.NewInterchain().AddChain(feeabs)
+	client, network := interchaintest.DockerSetup(t)
+
+	require.NoError(t, ic.Build(ctx, nil, interchaintest.InterchainBuildOptions{
+		TestName:         t.Name(),
+		Client:           client,
+		NetworkID:        network,
+		SkipPathCreation: true,
+	}))
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		_ = ic.Close()
+	})
+
+	users := interchaintest.GetAndFundTestUsers(t, ctx, t.Name(), genesisWalletAmount, feeabs)
+	feeabsUser := users[0]
+
+	ParamChangeProposal(t, ctx, feeabs, feeabsUser, "channel-0", "channel-1", fakeIBCDenom)
 	AddHostZoneProposal(t, ctx, feeabs, feeabsUser)
 
-	_, err := feeabsCli.QueryHostZoneConfigWithDenom(feeabs, ctx, osmoOnFeeabs)
+	_, err = feeabsCli.QueryHostZoneConfigWithDenom(feeabs, ctx, fakeIBCDenom)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
diff --git a/tests/interchaintest/ibc_transfer_customfee_test.go b/tests/interchaintest/ibc_transfer_customfee_test.go
index b092379..4180411 100644
--- a/tests/interchaintest/ibc_transfer_customfee_test.go
+++ b/tests/interchaintest/ibc_transfer_customfee_test.go
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ func TestFeeabsGaiaIBCTransferWithIBCFee(t *testing.T) {
 	// Setup feeabs module & add host zone via proposals
 	////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-	ParamChangeProposal(t, ctx, feeabs, feeabsUser, &channFeeabsOsmosis, &channFeeabsOsmosisICQ, stakeOnOsmosis)
+	ParamChangeProposal(t, ctx, feeabs, feeabsUser, channFeeabsOsmosis.ChannelID, channFeeabsOsmosisICQ.ChannelID, stakeOnOsmosis)
 	AddHostZoneProposal(t, ctx, feeabs, feeabsUser)
 	_, err = feeabsCli.QueryAllHostZoneConfig(feeabs, ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/tests/interchaintest/packet_foward_test.go b/tests/interchaintest/packet_foward_test.go
index 3afabd1..886ff09 100644
--- a/tests/interchaintest/packet_foward_test.go
+++ b/tests/interchaintest/packet_foward_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ func TestPacketForwardMiddleware(t *testing.T) {
 	if testing.Short() {
 		t.Skip("skipping in short mode")
 	}
+
+	t.Parallel()
+
 	// Set up chains, users and channels
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	chains, users, channels := SetupChain(t, ctx)
diff --git a/tests/interchaintest/query_osmosis_twap_test.go b/tests/interchaintest/query_osmosis_twap_test.go
index 0b062bc..08f777c 100644
--- a/tests/interchaintest/query_osmosis_twap_test.go
+++ b/tests/interchaintest/query_osmosis_twap_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ func TestQueryOsmosisTwap(t *testing.T) {
 	if testing.Short() {
 		t.Skip("skipping in short mode")
 	}
+
+	t.Parallel()
+
 	// Set up chains, users and channels
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	chains, users, channels := SetupChain(t, ctx)
@@ -98,7 +101,7 @@ func TestQueryOsmosisTwap(t *testing.T) {
 	err = osmosis.QueryContract(ctx, registryContractAddress, queryMsg, &res)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	ParamChangeProposal(t, ctx, feeabs, feeabsUser, &channFeeabsOsmosis, &channFeeabsOsmosisICQ, stakeOnOsmosis)
+	ParamChangeProposal(t, ctx, feeabs, feeabsUser, channFeeabsOsmosis.ChannelID, channFeeabsOsmosisICQ.ChannelID, stakeOnOsmosis)
 	AddHostZoneProposal(t, ctx, feeabs, feeabsUser)
 
 	// ensure that the host zone is added
@@ -120,7 +123,14 @@ func TestQueryOsmosisTwap(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
-func ParamChangeProposal(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, feeabs *cosmos.CosmosChain, feeabsUser ibc.Wallet, channFeeabsOsmosis, channFeeabsOsmosisFeeabs *ibc.ChannelOutput, stakeOnOsmosis string) {
+func ParamChangeProposal(
+	t *testing.T,
+	ctx context.Context,
+	feeabs *cosmos.CosmosChain,
+	feeabsUser ibc.Wallet,
+	channFeeabsOsmosis, channFeeabsOsmosisFeeabs string,
+	stakeOnOsmosis string,
+) {
 	t.Helper()
 	govAddr, err := feeabs.AuthQueryModuleAddress(ctx, "gov")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -128,8 +138,8 @@ func ParamChangeProposal(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, feeabs *cosmos.Cosmo
 	updateParamMsg := feeabstypes.MsgUpdateParams{
 		Params: feeabstypes.Params{
 			OsmosisQueryTwapPath:         "/osmosis.twap.v1beta1.Query/ArithmeticTwapToNow",
-			IbcTransferChannel:           channFeeabsOsmosis.ChannelID,
-			IbcQueryIcqChannel:           channFeeabsOsmosisFeeabs.ChannelID,
+			IbcTransferChannel:           channFeeabsOsmosis,
+			IbcQueryIcqChannel:           channFeeabsOsmosisFeeabs,
 			NativeIbcedInOsmosis:         stakeOnOsmosis,
 			OsmosisCrosschainSwapAddress: "osmo17p9rzwnnfxcjp32un9ug7yhhzgtkhvl9jfksztgw5uh69wac2pgs5yczr8",
 			ChainName:                    feeabs.Config().ChainID,
@@ -170,7 +180,7 @@ func AddHostZoneProposal(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, feeabs *cosmos.Cosmo
 
 	addHostZoneMsg := feeabstypes.MsgAddHostZone{
 		HostChainConfig: &feeabstypes.HostChainFeeAbsConfig{
-			IbcDenom:                "ibc/0471F1C4E7AFD3F07702BEF6DC365268D64570F7C1FDC98EA6098DD6DE59817B",
+			IbcDenom:                fakeIBCDenom,
 			OsmosisPoolTokenDenomIn: "uosmo",
 			PoolId:                  1,
 			Status:                  0,
diff --git a/tests/interchaintest/setup.go b/tests/interchaintest/setup.go
index b6dabf3..7acf6f1 100644
--- a/tests/interchaintest/setup.go
+++ b/tests/interchaintest/setup.go
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ var (
 	pathOsmosisGaia     = "osmosis-gaia"
 	genesisWalletAmount = math.NewInt(100_000_000_000)
 	amountToSend        = math.NewInt(1_000_000_000)
+	fakeIBCDenom        = "ibc/0471F1C4E7AFD3F07702BEF6DC365268D64570F7C1FDC98EA6098DD6DE59817B"
 )
 
 // feeabsEncoding registers the feeabs specific module codecs so that the associated types and msgs