diff --git a/Containerfile b/Containerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eec07d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Containerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+FROM rust:bookworm
+
+RUN apt-get update \
+    && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+        ca-certificates \
+        git \
+        libssl-dev \
+        pkg-config \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+ENV CARGO_TERM_COLOR=always
+WORKDIR /workspace
+CMD ["bash"]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d8b7039..b51fc60 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 </p>
 
 > [!IMPORTANT]
-> The active Rust workspace now lives in [`rust/`](./rust). Start with [`USAGE.md`](./USAGE.md) for build, auth, CLI, session, and parity-harness workflows, then use [`rust/README.md`](./rust/README.md) for crate-level details.
+> The active Rust workspace now lives in [`rust/`](./rust). Start with [`USAGE.md`](./USAGE.md) for build, auth, CLI, session, and parity-harness workflows, use [`rust/README.md`](./rust/README.md) for crate-level details, and see [`docs/container.md`](./docs/container.md) for Docker/Podman container-first usage.
 
 > Want the bigger idea behind this repo? Read [`PHILOSOPHY.md`](./PHILOSOPHY.md) and Sigrid Jin's public explanation: https://x.com/realsigridjin/status/2039472968624185713
 
diff --git a/docs/container.md b/docs/container.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aeaa45e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/container.md
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+# Container-first claw-code workflows
+
+This repo already had **container detection** in the Rust runtime before this document was added:
+
+- `rust/crates/runtime/src/sandbox.rs` detects Docker/Podman/container markers such as `/.dockerenv`, `/run/.containerenv`, matching env vars, and `/proc/1/cgroup` hints.
+- `rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs` exposes that state through the `claw sandbox` / `cargo run -p rusty-claude-cli -- sandbox` report.
+- `.github/workflows/rust-ci.yml` runs on `ubuntu-latest`, but it does **not** define a Docker or Podman container job.
+- Before this change, the repo did **not** have a checked-in `Dockerfile`, `Containerfile`, or `.devcontainer/` config.
+
+This document adds a small checked-in `Containerfile` so Docker and Podman users have one canonical container workflow.
+
+## What the checked-in container image is for
+
+The root [`../Containerfile`](../Containerfile) gives you a reusable Rust build/test shell with the extra packages this workspace commonly needs (`git`, `pkg-config`, `libssl-dev`, certificates).
+
+It does **not** copy the repository into the image. Instead, the recommended flow is to bind-mount your checkout into `/workspace` so edits stay on the host.
+
+## Build the image
+
+From the repository root:
+
+### Docker
+
+```bash
+docker build -t claw-code-dev -f Containerfile .
+```
+
+### Podman
+
+```bash
+podman build -t claw-code-dev -f Containerfile .
+```
+
+## Run `cargo test --workspace` in the container
+
+These commands mount the repo, keep Cargo build artifacts out of the working tree, and run from the Rust workspace at `rust/`.
+
+### Docker
+
+```bash
+docker run --rm -it \
+  -v "$PWD":/workspace \
+  -e CARGO_TARGET_DIR=/tmp/claw-target \
+  -w /workspace/rust \
+  claw-code-dev \
+  cargo test --workspace
+```
+
+### Podman
+
+```bash
+podman run --rm -it \
+  -v "$PWD":/workspace:Z \
+  -e CARGO_TARGET_DIR=/tmp/claw-target \
+  -w /workspace/rust \
+  claw-code-dev \
+  cargo test --workspace
+```
+
+If you want a fully clean rebuild, add `cargo clean &&` before `cargo test --workspace`.
+
+## Open a shell in the container
+
+### Docker
+
+```bash
+docker run --rm -it \
+  -v "$PWD":/workspace \
+  -e CARGO_TARGET_DIR=/tmp/claw-target \
+  -w /workspace/rust \
+  claw-code-dev
+```
+
+### Podman
+
+```bash
+podman run --rm -it \
+  -v "$PWD":/workspace:Z \
+  -e CARGO_TARGET_DIR=/tmp/claw-target \
+  -w /workspace/rust \
+  claw-code-dev
+```
+
+Inside the shell:
+
+```bash
+cargo build --workspace
+cargo test --workspace
+cargo run -p rusty-claude-cli -- --help
+cargo run -p rusty-claude-cli -- sandbox
+```
+
+The `sandbox` command is a useful sanity check: inside Docker or Podman it should report `In container true` and list the markers the runtime detected.
+
+## Bind-mount this repo and another repo at the same time
+
+If you want to run `claw` against a second checkout while keeping `claw-code` itself mounted read-write:
+
+### Docker
+
+```bash
+docker run --rm -it \
+  -v "$PWD":/workspace \
+  -v "$HOME/src/other-repo":/repo \
+  -e CARGO_TARGET_DIR=/tmp/claw-target \
+  -w /workspace/rust \
+  claw-code-dev
+```
+
+### Podman
+
+```bash
+podman run --rm -it \
+  -v "$PWD":/workspace:Z \
+  -v "$HOME/src/other-repo":/repo:Z \
+  -e CARGO_TARGET_DIR=/tmp/claw-target \
+  -w /workspace/rust \
+  claw-code-dev
+```
+
+Then, for example:
+
+```bash
+cargo run -p rusty-claude-cli -- prompt "summarize /repo"
+```
+
+## Notes
+
+- Docker and Podman use the same checked-in `Containerfile`.
+- The `:Z` suffix in the Podman examples is for SELinux relabeling; keep it on Fedora/RHEL-class hosts.
+- Running with `CARGO_TARGET_DIR=/tmp/claw-target` avoids leaving container-owned `target/` artifacts in your bind-mounted checkout.
+- For non-container local development, keep using [`../USAGE.md`](../USAGE.md) and [`../rust/README.md`](../rust/README.md).