diff --git a/tests/runtime/test_stress_docker_runtime.py b/tests/runtime/test_stress_docker_runtime.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e7d196d48207
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/runtime/test_stress_docker_runtime.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+"""Stress tests for the DockerRuntime, which connects to the ActionExecutor running in the sandbox."""
+
+import pytest
+from conftest import TEST_IN_CI, _close_test_runtime, _load_runtime
+
+from openhands.core.logger import openhands_logger as logger
+from openhands.events.action import CmdRunAction
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    TEST_IN_CI,
+    reason='This test should only be run locally, not in CI.',
+)
+def test_stress_docker_runtime(temp_dir, runtime_cls, repeat=1):
+    runtime = _load_runtime(temp_dir, runtime_cls)
+
+    action = CmdRunAction(
+        command='sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y stress-ng'
+    )
+    logger.info(action, extra={'msg_type': 'ACTION'})
+    obs = runtime.run_action(action)
+    logger.info(obs, extra={'msg_type': 'OBSERVATION'})
+    assert obs.exit_code == 0
+
+    for _ in range(repeat):
+        # run stress-ng stress tests for 5 minutes
+        # FIXME: this would make Docker daemon die, even though running this
+        # command on its own in the same container is fine
+        action = CmdRunAction(command='stress-ng --all 1 -t 5m')
+        action.timeout = 600
+        logger.info(action, extra={'msg_type': 'ACTION'})
+        obs = runtime.run_action(action)
+        logger.info(obs, extra={'msg_type': 'OBSERVATION'})
+
+    _close_test_runtime(runtime)