diff --git a/.env b/.env
index aab2e15..252eaef 100644
--- a/.env
+++ b/.env
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ HOST_HOME="${HOST_HOME:-/home/coresense/}"
 HOST_WORKSPACE_FOLDER="${HOST_WORKSPACE_FOLDER:-${HOST_HOME}/workspaces/k_ws/}"
 
 CONTAINER_USER_HOME="/home/ros/"
-CONTAINER_DEV_WORKSPACE="/workspaces/mesh_ws/"
 
-DYNAMIC_MESH_GEN_SRC_HOST_DIR="${HOST_WORKSPACE_FOLDER}/src/dynamic_mesh/"
-DYNAMIC_MESH_GEN_SRC_CONTAINER_DIR="${CONTAINER_DEV_WORKSPACE}/src/dynamic_mesh/"
+DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS="/workspaces/mesh_ws/"
+DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR="src/dynamic_mesh/"
+DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_CONTAINER_DIR="${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS}/${DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR}"
 
 DISPLAY=${DISPLAY:-"coresense-nuc:1.0"}
diff --git a/build.docker-compose.yaml b/build.docker-compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69e43ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.docker-compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+
+services:
+
+  dynamic_mesh_gen:
+    extends:
+      file: ./container/docker_compose/build.dynamic_mesh.docker-compose.yaml
+      service: dynamic_mesh_gen
diff --git a/container/docker_compose/build.Dockerfile b/container/docker_compose/build.Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc07821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/container/docker_compose/build.Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+###########################################
+# docker build
+#   -t user/repo:tag                # assign user, repo and tag. if tag is omitted, will default to 'latest'
+#   --rm                            # (optional) clean up intermediate images
+#   --build-context name=location
+#   --build-arg name=value
+#   -f Dockerfilename .             # build from file with context (. is current pwd)
+#
+# docker build -t erf2025.demo/dynamic_mesh_gen  --build-arg DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS=/workspaces/dynamic_mesh_ws --build-arg DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR=src/dynamic_mesh -f build.Dockerfile .
+#
+###########################################
+# docker push user/repo:tag
+###########################################
+
+# hadolint global ignore=DL3004
+
+FROM scancontrol:latest
+
+ARG DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS="/CHANGEME_ws"
+ARG DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR="src/dynamic_mesh"
+
+USER ros
+
+RUN sudo mkdir -p "${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS}/${DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR}" && sudo chown -R ros:ros "${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS}"
+
+WORKDIR ${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS}/${DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR}
+
+COPY ${DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR} ${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS}/${DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR}
+
+WORKDIR ${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS}
+
+# Remember to source ROS here if the script requires ROS variables!
+RUN [ "/bin/bash", "-c", "source /opt/ros/humble/setup.sh && ${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS}/${DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR}/container/docker_compose/scripts/build_app.sh -t ${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS}" ]
+
+ENTRYPOINT [ "/bin/bash", "-c", "tail -f /dev/null" ]
diff --git a/container/docker_compose/build.dynamic_mesh.docker-compose.yaml b/container/docker_compose/build.dynamic_mesh.docker-compose.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..225b0c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/container/docker_compose/build.dynamic_mesh.docker-compose.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+
+services:
+  dynamic_mesh_gen:
+
+    build: 
+      context: ${HOST_WORKSPACE_FOLDER:-/CHANGEMEws}
+      args:
+        DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS: ${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS:-/CHANGEMEcached_target_ws}
+        DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR: ${DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR:-src/CHANGEMEcached}
+      dockerfile: ${HOST_WORKSPACE_FOLDER}/${DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_SUBDIR}/container/docker_compose/build.Dockerfile
+
+    image: erf2025.demo/dynamic_mesh_c
+    container_name: dynamic_mesh_gen_c
+
+    environment:
+      DEV_WORKSPACE: ${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS:-/CHANGEMEcached_target_ws}
+
+    env_file:
+      - path: variables.env
+        required: true # default
+
+    network_mode: host
+
+    # entrypoint: tail -f /dev/null
+    entrypoint: ${DYNAMIC_MESH_SRC_CONTAINER_DIR}/container/docker_compose/scripts/run_app.sh -t ${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS}
+
+    working_dir: ${DYNAMIC_MESH_TARGET_WS:-/CHANGEMEwrkdir}
+
+    user: ${PUID:-1000}:${PGID:-1000}
+
+    ipc: host
+
+    mem_limit: 12gb # TODO confirm this
+
+    privileged: true
+
+    tty: true
diff --git a/container/docker_compose/scripts/build_app.sh b/container/docker_compose/scripts/build_app.sh
index 0d516a7..ce8402e 100755
--- a/container/docker_compose/scripts/build_app.sh
+++ b/container/docker_compose/scripts/build_app.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,35 @@
-#! /bin/bash
+#!/bin/bash
 
-cd "${DEV_WORKSPACE}" || exit
+SOURCE_WS="$DEV_WORKSPACE"
 
-# Auto-build everything in the background:
-# export ROSDEP_SKIP_KEYS=snp_msgs 
-# "${DEV_WORKSPACE}"/src/dynamic_mesh/setup.sh -t "${DEV_WORKSPACE}"
+USAGE="
+build.sh usage
+
+-t <path> \
+SOURCE_WS: the location of the workspace you wish to cache inside an image
+
+"
+
+while getopts t:h flag; do
+    case "${flag}" in
+    t) SOURCE_WS=${OPTARG} ;;
+    h)
+        echo -e "${USAGE}"
+        exit 0
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo 'Unknown parameter' >&2
+        echo 'use -h for usage information'
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+    esac
+done
 
+echo "Target workspace: ${SOURCE_WS}"
+
+cd "${SOURCE_WS}" || exit
+
+# Auto-build everything in the background:
 source /opt/ros/humble/setup.bash
 
 # install dependencies
diff --git a/container/docker_compose/scripts/run_app.sh b/container/docker_compose/scripts/run_app.sh
index 712641c..934114c 100755
--- a/container/docker_compose/scripts/run_app.sh
+++ b/container/docker_compose/scripts/run_app.sh
@@ -1,9 +1,36 @@
 #! /bin/bash
 
-cd "${DEV_WORKSPACE}" || exit
+SOURCE_WS="$DEV_WORKSPACE"
+
+USAGE="
+build.sh usage
+
+-t <path> \
+SOURCE_WS: the location of the workspace you wish to cache inside an image
+
+"
+
+while getopts t:h flag; do
+    case "${flag}" in
+    t) SOURCE_WS=${OPTARG} ;;
+    h)
+        echo -e "${USAGE}"
+        exit 0
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo 'Unknown parameter' >&2
+        echo 'use -h for usage information'
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+echo "Target workspace: ${SOURCE_WS}"
+
+cd "${SOURCE_WS}" || exit
 
 source ~/.bashrc
-source install/setup.bash
+source "${SOURCE_WS}/install/setup.bash"
 
 # launch processes here