diff --git a/flake-module.nix b/flake-module.nix
index b10eafdd43..7d8b11d99f 100644
--- a/flake-module.nix
+++ b/flake-module.nix
@@ -43,9 +43,27 @@ devenvFlake: { flake-parts-lib, lib, inputs, ... }: {
         lib.concatMapAttrs
           (shellName: devenv:
             lib.concatMapAttrs
-              (containerName: container:
-                { "${shellPrefix shellName}container-${containerName}" = container.derivation; }
-              )
+              (containerName: container: {
+                "${shellPrefix shellName}container-${containerName}-spec" = container.derivation;
+              })
+              devenv.containers
+          )
+          config.devenv.shells;
+
+      config.apps =
+        lib.concatMapAttrs
+          (shellName: devenv:
+            lib.concatMapAttrs
+              (containerName: container: {
+                "${shellPrefix shellName}container-${containerName}" = {
+                  type = "app";
+                  program = "${container.run}";
+                };
+                "${shellPrefix shellName}container-${containerName}-copy-to" = {
+                  type = "app";
+                  program = "${container.copyTo}";
+                };
+              })
               devenv.containers
           )
           config.devenv.shells;
diff --git a/src/modules/containers.nix b/src/modules/containers.nix
index 904cc5fba4..373f53670c 100644
--- a/src/modules/containers.nix
+++ b/src/modules/containers.nix
@@ -158,6 +158,48 @@ let
           docker run -it ${config.name}:${config.version} "$@"
         '';
       };
+
+      copyTo = lib.mkOption {
+        type = types.package;
+        internal = true;
+        default = pkgs.writeScript "devenv-container-copy-to" ''
+          ${config.copyScript} ${config.derivation} "''${1:-"containers-storage:localhost/"}" "''${@:2}"
+        '';
+      };
+
+      run = lib.mkOption {
+        type = types.package;
+        internal = true;
+        default = pkgs.writeScript "devenv-container-run" ''
+          #!${pkgs.bash}/bin/bash
+          set -eEuo pipefail
+
+          ${config.copyScript} ${config.derivation} "containers-storage:localhost/"
+
+          container_args=()
+          runtime_args=()
+
+          for arg in "$@" ; do
+            if [ "$arg" == "--" ] ; then
+              runtime_args=("''${container_args[@]}")
+              container_args=()
+            else
+              container_args+=("$arg")
+            fi
+          done
+
+          args=( run -it "''${runtime_args[@]}" '${config.name}:${config.version}' "''${container_args[@]}" )
+
+          if command -v docker >/dev/null ; then
+            docker "''${args[@]}"
+          elif command -v podman >/dev/null ; then
+            podman "''${args[@]}"
+          else
+            echo "Found neither docker nor podman." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+        '';
+      };
     };
   });
 in
@@ -178,16 +220,19 @@ in
     };
   };
 
-  config = {
-    container.isBuilding = envContainerName != "";
-    containers.${envContainerName}.isBuilding = true;
-
-    containers.shell = {
-      startupCommand = "bash";
-    };
+  config = lib.mkMerge [
+    {
+      containers.shell = {
+        startupCommand = "bash";
+      };
 
-    containers.processes = {
-      startupCommand = config.procfileScript;
-    };
-  };
+      containers.processes = {
+        startupCommand = config.procfileScript;
+      };
+    }
+    (lib.mkIf (envContainerName != "") {
+      container.isBuilding = true;
+      containers.${envContainerName}.isBuilding = true;
+    })
+  ];
 }