diff --git a/.cargo/config.toml b/.cargo/config.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..0015055659c2c3f53b6ebcb64f7af80a0223a875
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.cargo/config.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[build]
+# Share one `target` directory at the project root for all Cargo projects and workspaces in smithy-rs
+target-dir = "target"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index b6a45ad555553852ee437dd6e15212e055a46b93..06116c9323355a6014f343846e99b60c4286f0ef 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ jobs:
           ${{ runner.os }}-gradle-
     - name: ktlint
       run: ./gradlew ktlint
+
   unit-tests:
     name: Codegen unit tests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ jobs:
       run: ./gradlew :codegen:test
     - name: aws tests
       run: ./gradlew :aws:sdk-codegen:test
+
   integration-tests:
     name: Codegen integration tests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -106,6 +108,7 @@ jobs:
         path: |
           codegen-test/build/smithyprojections/codegen-test/*/rust-codegen/
           codegen-test/build/smithyprojections/codegen-test/Cargo.toml
+
   runtime-tests:
     name: Rust runtime tests
     strategy:
@@ -128,7 +131,7 @@ jobs:
         components: ${{ env.rust_toolchain_components }}
         default: true
     - name: Format Check
-      run: rustfmt --check --edition 2018 $(find -name '*.rs' -print)
+      run: rustfmt --check --edition 2018 $(find -name '*.rs' -print | grep -v /target/)
       # windows doesn't support using --check like this
       if: ${{ matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest' }}
     - name: clippy check
@@ -146,7 +149,7 @@ jobs:
         RUSTDOCFLAGS: -D warnings
 
   generate-sdk:
-    name: Generate an AWS SDK
+    name: AWS Rust SDK Tier 1 - Generate
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
@@ -170,8 +173,6 @@ jobs:
         java-version: ${{ env.java_version }}
     - name: Generate the SDK
       run: ./gradlew :aws:sdk:assemble
-    - name: Generate the SDK...again?
-      run: ./gradlew :aws:sdk:assemble
     - name: Generate a list of services with tests
       run: python aws/sdk/test-services.py > aws/sdk/build/aws-sdk/services-with-tests
     - name: Generate a name for the SDK
@@ -186,7 +187,7 @@ jobs:
         path: sdk.tar
 
   check-sdk:
-    name: cargo check AWS SDK
+    name: AWS Rust SDK Tier 1 - cargo check
     needs: generate-sdk
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
@@ -219,10 +220,11 @@ jobs:
       run: cargo check --lib --tests --benches
       working-directory: aws-sdk
       env:
+        RUSTC_FORCE_INCREMENTAL: 1
         RUSTFLAGS: -D warnings
-        CARGO_TARGET_DIR: ../target
+
   test-sdk:
-    name: cargo test AWS SDK
+    name: AWS Rust SDK Tier 1 - cargo test
     needs: generate-sdk
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
@@ -252,14 +254,14 @@ jobs:
           ${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.rust_version }}-${{ github.job }}-
           ${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.rust_version }}-
     - name: Cargo Test
-      run: cargo test $(cat services-with-tests)
+      run: cargo test $(cat service-with-tests)
       working-directory: aws-sdk
       env:
         RUSTC_FORCE_INCREMENTAL: 1
         RUSTFLAGS: -D warnings
-        CARGO_TARGET_DIR: ../target
+
   docs-sdk:
-    name: cargo docs AWS SDK
+    name: AWS Rust SDK Tier 1 - cargo docs
     needs: generate-sdk
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
@@ -290,8 +292,9 @@ jobs:
       working-directory: aws-sdk
       env:
         RUSTDOCFLAGS: -D warnings
+
   clippy-sdk:
-    name: cargo clippy AWS SDK
+    name: AWS Rust SDK Tier 1 - cargo clippy
     needs: generate-sdk
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
@@ -321,8 +324,45 @@ jobs:
       run: cargo clippy -- -D warnings
       working-directory: aws-sdk
 
+  standalone-integration-tests-check:
+    name: AWS Rust SDK Standalone Integration Tests - cargo check
+    needs: generate-sdk
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/cache@v2
+      name: Gradle Cache
+      with:
+        path: |
+          ~/.gradle/caches
+          ~/.gradle/wrapper
+        key: ${{ runner.os }}-gradle-${{ hashFiles('**/*.gradle*') }}
+        restore-keys: |
+          ${{ runner.os }}-gradle-
+    - uses: actions-rs/toolchain@v1
+      with:
+        toolchain: ${{ env.rust_version }}
+        components: ${{ env.rust_toolchain_components }}
+        default: true
+    - name: Generate a name for the SDK
+      id: gen-name
+      run: echo "name=${GITHUB_REF##*/}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+    - uses: actions/download-artifact@v2
+      name: Download SDK Artifact
+      with:
+        name: aws-sdk-${{ env.name }}-tier1-${{ github.sha }}
+        path: artifact
+    - name: untar
+      run: mkdir -p aws/sdk/build/aws-sdk && cd aws/sdk/build/aws-sdk && tar -xvf ../../../../artifact/sdk.tar
+    - name: Check integration tests
+      run: cargo check
+      working-directory: aws/sdk/integration-tests
+      env:
+        RUSTC_FORCE_INCREMENTAL: 1
+        RUSTFLAGS: -D warnings
+
   all-services-check:
-    name: cargo check all services
+    name: AWS Rust SDK Tier 2 - Generate and cargo check
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
@@ -344,7 +384,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/setup-java@v1
       with:
         java-version: ${{ env.java_version }}
-    - name: generate a check all services
+    - name: Generate and check all services
       run: ./gradlew -Paws.fullsdk=true :aws:sdk:cargoCheck
     - name: Generate a name for the SDK
       id: gen-name
diff --git a/aws/sdk/integration-tests/Cargo.toml b/aws/sdk/integration-tests/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..bcfccd7808b5bce1183b177e31f704e5a5e22ae2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aws/sdk/integration-tests/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Note: this workspace exists solely for the convenience of running tests. These packages will all eventually
+# end up in the final SDK workspace.
+[workspace]
+members = [
+    "dynamodb",
+    "iam",
+    "kms",
+    "qldbsession",
+    "s3",
+]