diff --git a/detox/test/android/app/build.gradle b/detox/test/android/app/build.gradle
index 30858e59d7..4a78b93713 100644
--- a/detox/test/android/app/build.gradle
+++ b/detox/test/android/app/build.gradle
@@ -26,6 +26,16 @@ android {
         */
     }
 
+    productFlavors {
+        flavorDimensions "compileRNFromSource"
+        fromSource {
+            dimension "compileRNFromSource"
+        }
+        fromBin {
+            dimension "compileRNFromSource"
+        }
+    }
+
     signingConfigs {
         release {
             storeFile file("keystore.jks")
@@ -51,7 +61,9 @@ android {
 
 dependencies {
     implementation "com.android.support:appcompat-v7:27.0.2"
-    implementation "com.facebook.react:react-native:+"  // From node_modules
+
+    fromSourceImplementation(project(path: ":ReactAndroid"))
+    fromBinImplementation "com.facebook.react:react-native:+"
 
     androidTestImplementation(project(path: ":detox"))
     androidTestImplementation 'junit:junit:4.12'
diff --git a/detox/test/android/build.gradle b/detox/test/android/build.gradle
index 8f3a5f42a7..787881f4c4 100644
--- a/detox/test/android/build.gradle
+++ b/detox/test/android/build.gradle
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ buildscript {
     }
     dependencies {
         classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:3.0.1'
+        classpath 'de.undercouch:gradle-download-task:3.1.2'
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/detox/test/android/settings.gradle b/detox/test/android/settings.gradle
index b63d44f9cf..55be9788c1 100644
--- a/detox/test/android/settings.gradle
+++ b/detox/test/android/settings.gradle
@@ -3,4 +3,7 @@ rootProject.name = 'DetoxTest'
 include ':app'
 
 include ':detox'
-project(':detox').projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, '../../android/detox')
\ No newline at end of file
+project(':detox').projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, '../../android/detox')
+
+include ':ReactAndroid'
+project(':ReactAndroid').projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, '../node_modules/react-native/ReactAndroid')
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/detox/test/package.json b/detox/test/package.json
index 1f49208d63..307fc17fb5 100644
--- a/detox/test/package.json
+++ b/detox/test/package.json
@@ -51,13 +51,19 @@
       },
       "android.emu.debug": {
         "binaryPath": "android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk",
-        "build": "cd android && ./gradlew assembleDebug assembleAndroidTest -DtestBuildType=debug && cd ..",
+        "build": "cd android && ./gradlew assembleFromBinDebug assembleAndroidTest -DtestBuildType=debug && cd ..",
         "type": "android.emulator",
         "name": "Nexus_5X_API_26"
       },
       "android.emu.release": {
         "binaryPath": "android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk",
-        "build": "cd android && ./gradlew assembleRelease assembleAndroidTest -DtestBuildType=release && cd ..",
+        "build": "cd android && ./gradlew assembleFromBinRelease assembleAndroidTest -DtestBuildType=release && cd ..",
+        "type": "android.emulator",
+        "name": "Nexus_5X_API_26"
+      },
+      "android.emu.debug.fromSource": {
+        "binaryPath": "android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk",
+        "build": "cd android && ./gradlew assembleFromSourceDebug assembleAndroidTest -DtestBuildType=debug && cd ..",
         "type": "android.emulator",
         "name": "Nexus_5X_API_26"
       }
diff --git a/docs/Guide.Contributing.md b/docs/Guide.Contributing.md
index b0fb7300b5..80db052f6a 100644
--- a/docs/Guide.Contributing.md
+++ b/docs/Guide.Contributing.md
@@ -104,6 +104,22 @@ npm run build:android
 npm run e2e:android
 ```
 
+Android test project includes two flavors: 
+`fromBin` - uses the precompiled aar from `node_moudles` just like a standard RN project.
+`fromSource` - compiles the project with RN sources from `node_modules`, this is useful when developing and debugging Espresso idle resource. 
+[Here](https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/building-from-source.html#android) are the prerequisites to compiling React Native from source.
+
+Each build can be triggered separately by running its assemble task:
+`./gradlew assembleFromSourceDebug` or `./gradlew assembleFromBinDebug`.
+
+To run from Android Studio, React native `react.gradle` script requires `node` to be in path.
+on macOS environment variables can be exported to desktop applications by adding the following to your `.bashrc`/`.zshrc`:
+
+```sh
+launchctl setenv PATH $PATH
+```
+
+
 ### 3. Android Native tests
 
 0. Install Java and Android SDK 25