diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ce201efc09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+from ubuntu:18.04
+
+USER root
+
+RUN \
+    apt-get update -q && \
+    DEBIAN_FRONTEND="noninteractive" apt-get install -qy --fix-missing --no-install-recommends \
+      ca-certificates \
+      build-essential \
+      #fakeroot \
+      git \
+      wget \
+      curl \
+      file \
+      python2.7-dev \
+      python3-dev \
+      libssl-dev \
+      libncurses5-dev \
+      rsync \
+      patch \
+      cpio \
+      gzip \
+      unzip \
+      bc \
+      openssh-client \
+      asciidoc \
+      dblatex \
+      graphviz \
+      python-matplotlib && \
+    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*  && \
+    useradd -ms /bin/bash build && \
+    mkdir -p /build && \
+    chown -R build:build  /build
+
+USER build
+
+WORKDIR /build
+
+# container just waits, by default, actual builds can be done with `docker exec`
+CMD /bin/bash -c 'for ((i = 0; ; i++)); do sleep 100; done'
diff --git a/build-docker.sh b/build-docker.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..1234eac8d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build-docker.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+IMAGE_NAME=motioneyeos-builder
+SHOW_USAGE=false
+
+while true
+do
+  case "$1" in
+    -i|--image) if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then SHOW_USAGE=true; else IMAGE_NAME=$2; shift; fi; shift;;
+    --image) if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then SHOW_USAGE=true; else IMAGE_NAME=$2; shift; fi; shift;;
+    -?|-h|--help) SHOW_USAGE="true"; shift;;
+    *) break;;
+  esac
+done
+
+if [ "${SHOW_USAGE}" = "true" ]; then
+  echo "Usage: $0 [-i|--image <image-tag>]"
+  echo "    builds a docker image based on Ubuntu 18.04 for building motioneyeos"
+  echo "    default image name is 'motioneyeos-builder'"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+docker build -t "${IMAGE_NAME}" .
+
diff --git a/docker-build.sh b/docker-build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..4fc1873a8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+IMAGE_NAME=motioneyeos-builder
+CONTAINER_NAME=""
+SHOW_USAGE=false
+
+while true
+do
+  case "$1" in
+    -i|--image) if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then SHOW_USAGE=true; else IMAGE_NAME=$2; shift; fi; shift;;
+    -c|--container) if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then SHOW_USAGE=true; else CONTAINER_NAME=$2; shift; fi; shift;;
+    -?|-h|--help) SHOW_USAGE="true"; shift;;
+    *) break;;
+  esac
+done
+
+if [ "${SHOW_USAGE}" = "true" ]; then
+  echo "Usage: $0 [-i|--image <image-tag>]  [-c|--container <container-name>] <args>"
+  echo "    -i | --image: Docker image to use (default image name is 'motioneyeos-builder')"
+  echo "    -c | --container: Name for Docker container (defaults to image name with a randome integer appended"
+  echo "    causes a docker image to build motioneyeos in a docker container"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ "${CONTAINER_NAME}" = "" ]; then
+  CONTAINER_NAME="${IMAGE_NAME}-${RANDOM}"
+fi
+
+docker run --rm --name "${CONTAINER_NAME}" --mount type=bind,src=${PWD},target=/build -it "${IMAGE_NAME}" ./build.sh "$@"