diff --git a/backend/backend.dockerfile b/backend/backend.dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..53cb0381
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/backend.dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+FROM python:3.10
+
+WORKDIR /backend
+
+COPY ./requirements.txt /backend/requirements.txt
+
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir --upgrade -r /backend/requirements.txt
+
+COPY ./alembic.ini /backend/alembic.ini
+COPY ./alembic /backend/alembic
+COPY ./app /backend/app
+
+ENV PYTHONPATH=/backend/app
+
+CMD ["uvicorn", "app.main:app", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "80"]
diff --git a/backend/scripts/docker-build-backend.sh b/backend/scripts/docker-build-backend.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..ea8d1ca9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/scripts/docker-build-backend.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+parent_path=$( cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" ; pwd -P )
+pushd $parent_path
+
+docker build ../../backend -f ../backend.dockerfile -t ocgpt-backend
+
+popd
diff --git a/backend/scripts/docker-run-backend.sh b/backend/scripts/docker-run-backend.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..eba4b225
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/scripts/docker-run-backend.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# This script launches a ocgpt-backend docker container stand-alone.
+
+docker run -it --rm -p 127.0.0.1:8000:80/tcp --env POSTGRES_SERVER=host.docker.internal:5432 --env ALLOW_ANY_API_KEY=True --add-host host.docker.internal:host-gateway ocgpt-backend
diff --git a/backend/scripts/run-local.sh b/backend/scripts/run-local.sh
index bf45e870..871dd85e 100755
--- a/backend/scripts/run-local.sh
+++ b/backend/scripts/run-local.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
+parent_path=$( cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" ; pwd -P )
+
+# switch to backend directory
+pushd "$parent_path/../"
 
 export ALLOW_ANY_API_KEY=True
 
 uvicorn app.main:app --reload
+
+popd