diff --git a/e2e-test-server/app.yaml b/e2e-test-server/app.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index ffb36c73..00000000
--- a/e2e-test-server/app.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-runtime: python311
-# Start the app directly instead of using gunicorn, same as we do in the Dockerfile
-entrypoint: python main.py
diff --git a/e2e-test-server/e2e_test_server/server.py b/e2e-test-server/e2e_test_server/server.py
index 52105630..f61ac761 100644
--- a/e2e-test-server/e2e_test_server/server.py
+++ b/e2e-test-server/e2e_test_server/server.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+import json
 import logging
 from typing import Literal
 
@@ -20,6 +21,9 @@
 from google.cloud import pubsub_v1
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.subscriber.message import Message
 from google.rpc import code_pb2
+from flask import Flask, Response, request
+from waitress import serve
+
 
 from . import scenarios, types
 from .constants import (
@@ -146,16 +150,21 @@ def pubsub_callback(message: Message) -> None:
         streaming_pull_future.result()
 
 
-def pubsub_push() -> None:
-    """Start a web server listening for incoming pub/sub push message"""
-    from flask import Flask, Response, request
-    from waitress import serve
-
+def create_flask_app() -> Flask:
     app = Flask(__name__)
     responder = _Responder()
 
     @app.route("/", methods=["POST"])
     def index() -> Response:
+        print(
+            json.dumps(
+                {
+                    "message": f"got request {request=}",
+                    "request": request,
+                    "is_json": request.is_json,
+                }
+            )
+        )
         if not request.is_json:
             return Response("Expected a JSON payload", status=400)
         payload = types.PubsubPushPayload(**request.json)
@@ -168,6 +177,12 @@ def index() -> Response:
         else:
             return Response(status=400)
 
+    return app
+
+
+def pubsub_push() -> None:
+    """Start a web server listening for incoming pub/sub push message"""
+    app = create_flask_app()
     serve(app, port=PUSH_PORT)
 
 
diff --git a/e2e-test-server/main.py b/e2e-test-server/main.py
index 7c0d65a5..d79a1313 100644
--- a/e2e-test-server/main.py
+++ b/e2e-test-server/main.py
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 from e2e_test_server.server import cloud_functions_handler
 from e2e_test_server.constants import SUBSCRIPTION_MODE, SubscriptionMode
 
+app = None
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
 
@@ -26,5 +28,9 @@
     elif SUBSCRIPTION_MODE is SubscriptionMode.PUSH:
         server.pubsub_push()
 
+else:
+    # being started by gunicorn
+    app = server.create_flask_app()
+
 # Expose handler to functions-framework
-__all__ = ["cloud_functions_handler"]
+__all__ = ["app", "cloud_functions_handler"]