diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 5a99f1eacb6..43dc1ca0107 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -116,16 +116,7 @@ allprojects {
   spotless {
     java {
       // This path needs to be relative to each project
-      target fileTree('.') {
-        include '**/src/*/java/**/*.java'
-        exclude '**/generalstate/GeneralStateReferenceTest*.java'
-        exclude '**/generalstate/GeneralStateRegressionReferenceTest*.java'
-        exclude '**/generalstate/LegacyGeneralStateReferenceTest*.java'
-        exclude '**/blockchain/BlockchainReferenceTest*.java'
-        exclude '**/blockchain/LegacyBlockchainReferenceTest*.java'
-        exclude '**/reference-test/resources/docker_interop/**'
-        exclude '**/.gradle/**'
-      }
+      target '**/src/*/java/**/*.java'
       removeUnusedImports()
       googleJavaFormat('1.10.0')
       importOrder 'org.hyperledger', 'java', ''
@@ -137,20 +128,10 @@ allprojects {
       greclipse().configFile(rootProject.file('gradle/formatter.properties'))
       endWithNewline()
     }
-
     // Below this line are currently only license header tasks
     format 'groovy', { target '**/src/*/grovy/**/*.groovy' }
-
-    // Currently disabled due to referencetest issues
-    //  format 'bash', {
-    //    target fileTree('.') {
-    //      include '**/*.sh'
-    //     exclude '**/ansible/**'
-    //    }
-    //  }
-    //  format 'sol', {
-    //    target fileTree('.') { include '**/*.sol' }
-    //  }
+    format 'bash', { target '**/*.sh' }
+    format 'sol', { target '**/*.sol' }
   }
 
   tasks.withType(JavaCompile) {
diff --git a/ethereum/core/build.gradle b/ethereum/core/build.gradle
index 0bca2aafe28..e2ea513c038 100644
--- a/ethereum/core/build.gradle
+++ b/ethereum/core/build.gradle
@@ -27,6 +27,16 @@ jar {
   }
 }
 
+sourceSets {
+  test {
+    java {
+      compileClasspath += main.output
+      runtimeClasspath += main.output
+      srcDirs += file('./build/generated/sources/referencetests/java/test')
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 dependencies {
   annotationProcessor 'org.openjdk.jmh:jmh-generator-annprocess'
 
@@ -115,6 +125,7 @@ test {
 }
 
 def generateTestFiles(FileTree jsonPath, File templateFile, String pathstrip, String destination, String namePrefix, String ... excludedPath) {
+  mkdir(destination)
   def referenceTestTemplate = templateFile.text
 
   // This is how many json files to include in each test file
@@ -143,63 +154,79 @@ def generateTestFiles(FileTree jsonPath, File templateFile, String pathstrip, St
 }
 
 task blockchainReferenceTestsSetup {
+  inputs.files fileTree('../referencetests/src/test/resources/BlockchainTests')
+  outputs.files "./build/generated/sources/referencetests/java/test/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/blockchain"
   generateTestFiles(
     fileTree('../referencetests/src/test/resources/BlockchainTests'),
     file("./src/test/resources/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/BlockchainReferenceTest.java.template"),
     "BlockchainTests",
-    "./src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/blockchain",
+    "./build/generated/sources/referencetests/java/test/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/blockchain",
     "BlockchainReferenceTest",
     ("BlockchainTests/InvalidBlocks/bcExpectSection") // exclude test for test filling tool
     )
 }
 
 task legacyBlockchainReferenceTestsSetup {
+  inputs.files fileTree('../referencetests/src/test/resources/LegacyTests/Constantinople/BlockchainTests')
+  outputs.files "./build/generated/sources/referencetests/java/test/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/blockchain"
   generateTestFiles(
     fileTree('../referencetests/src/test/resources/LegacyTests/Constantinople/BlockchainTests'),
     file("./src/test/resources/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/BlockchainReferenceTest.java.template"),
     "LegacyTests",
-    "./src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/blockchain",
+    "./build/generated/sources/referencetests/java/test/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/blockchain",
     "LegacyBlockchainReferenceTest",
     ("BlockchainTests/InvalidBlocks/bcExpectSection") // exclude test for test filling tool
     )
 }
 
 task generalstateReferenceTestsSetup {
+  inputs.files fileTree("../referencetests/src/test/resources/GeneralStateTests")
+  outputs.files "./build/generated/sources/referencetests/java/test/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate"
   generateTestFiles(
     fileTree("../referencetests/src/test/resources/GeneralStateTests"),
     file("./src/test/resources/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/GeneralStateReferenceTest.java.template"),
     "GeneralStateTests",
-    "./src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate",
+    "./build/generated/sources/referencetests/java/test/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate",
     "GeneralStateReferenceTest"
     )
 }
 
 task legacyGeneralstateReferenceTestsSetup {
+  inputs.files fileTree('../referencetests/src/test/resources/LegacyTests/Constantinople/GeneralStateTests')
+  outputs.files "./build/generated/sources/referencetests/java/test/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate"
   generateTestFiles(
     fileTree('../referencetests/src/test/resources/LegacyTests/Constantinople/GeneralStateTests'),
     file("./src/test/resources/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/GeneralStateReferenceTest.java.template"),
     "LegacyTests",
-    "./src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate",
+    "./build/generated/sources/referencetests/java/test/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate",
     "LegacyGeneralStateReferenceTest"
     )
 }
 
 task generalstateRegressionReferenceTestsSetup {
+  inputs.files fileTree("./src/test/resources/regressions/generalstate")
+  outputs.files "./build/generated/sources/referencetests/java/test/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate"
   generateTestFiles(
     fileTree("./src/test/resources/regressions/generalstate"),
     file("./src/test/resources/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/GeneralStateReferenceTest.java.template"),
     "regressions",
-    "./src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate",
+    "./build/generated/sources/referencetests/java/test/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate",
     "GeneralStateRegressionReferenceTest"
     )
 }
 
+//TODO delete in Jan 2022.  This is left as a migration aid for reference tests moving to the build directory
 task cleanupReferenceTests(type: Delete) {
   delete fileTree("./src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate/") {
     include("**/GeneralStateReferenceTest*.java")
     include("**/GeneralStateRegressionReferenceTest*.java")
+    include("**/LegacyGeneralStateReferenceTest*.java")
+    include("**/LegacyGeneralStateRegressionReferenceTest*.java")
+  }
+  delete fileTree("./src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/blockchain/") {
+    include("**/BlockchainReferenceTest*.java")
+    include("**/LegacyBlockchainReferenceTest*.java")
   }
-  delete fileTree("./src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/blockchain/") { include("**/BlockchainReferenceTest*.java") }
 }
 
 clean.dependsOn(cleanupReferenceTests)
@@ -215,6 +242,8 @@ task referenceTests(type: Test, dependsOn: [
   compileTestJava.mustRunAfter blockchainReferenceTestsSetup
   compileTestJava.mustRunAfter generalstateReferenceTestsSetup
   compileTestJava.mustRunAfter generalstateRegressionReferenceTestsSetup
+  compileTestJava.mustRunAfter legacyBlockchainReferenceTestsSetup
+  compileTestJava.mustRunAfter legacyGeneralstateReferenceTestsSetup
   doFirst {
     if (!file("../referencetests/src/test/resources/README.md").exists()) {
       throw new GradleException("ethereum/referencetests/src/test/resources/README.md missing: please clone submodules (git submodule update --init --recursive)")
diff --git a/ethereum/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/blockchain/.keep b/ethereum/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/blockchain/.keep
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2d..00000000000
diff --git a/ethereum/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate/.keep b/ethereum/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/vm/generalstate/.keep
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2d..00000000000