diff --git a/contrib/dockerfile/Dockerfile.in b/contrib/dockerfile/Dockerfile.in
index 1537561f0..09d539850 100644
--- a/contrib/dockerfile/Dockerfile.in
+++ b/contrib/dockerfile/Dockerfile.in
@@ -4,25 +4,23 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2018 Linutronix GmbH
 
 # This Dockerfile generate a image for the elbe buildsystem
-FROM debian:bullseye
+FROM debian:trixie-slim
 
 USER root
 ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND noninteractive
 
 # use a sources.list including backports and security
-RUN echo "deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-backports main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list; \
-    echo "deb http://deb.debian.org/debian-security bullseye-security main"   >> /etc/apt/sources.list
+RUN echo "deb http://deb.debian.org/debian trixie-backports main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.sources; \
+    echo "deb http://deb.debian.org/debian-security trixie-security main"   >>  /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.sources
 
 # update, upgrade and install elbe runtime-dependencies
-RUN apt-get update -y ;\
-    apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+RUN apt-get update -y
+RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
                     -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confnew" \
-        systemd \
         ca-certificates \
         sudo \
         vim-nox \
         elbe-archive-keyring \
-        software-properties-common \
         gnupg \
         python3-setuptools \
         python3-yaml \
@@ -61,27 +59,13 @@ RUN useradd -d /home/elbe -l -U -G kvm-elbe,libvirt -m -s /bin/bash -u @USERID@
 RUN echo "root:elbe" | chpasswd
 RUN echo "elbe:elbe" | chpasswd
 
-RUN rm -f /lib/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/*;\
-    rm -f /etc/systemd/system/*.wants/*;\
-    rm -f /lib/systemd/system/local-fs.target.wants/*; \
-    rm -f /lib/systemd/system/sockets.target.wants/*udev*; \
-    rm -f /lib/systemd/system/sockets.target.wants/*initctl*; \
-    rm -f /lib/systemd/system/basic.target.wants/*;\
-    rm -f /lib/systemd/system/anaconda.target.wants/*;
-
 VOLUME [ "/sys/fs/cgroup" ]
-VOLUME [ "/elbe" ]
+VOLUME [ "/usr/elbe" ]
 VOLUME [ "/var/cache/elbe" ]
 
 # sudo for elbe
 RUN echo "%elbe  ALL=(ALL:ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL" > /etc/sudoers.d/elbegrp
 RUN chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers.d/elbegrp
 
-# run qemu as root
-RUN echo 'user = "root"' >> /etc/libvirt/qemu.conf
-RUN echo 'group = "root"' >> /etc/libvirt/qemu.conf
-
-# run libvirt in systemd on startup
-RUN systemctl enable libvirtd
 
-CMD [ "/lib/systemd/systemd" ]
+CMD [ "/bin/bash" ]
diff --git a/contrib/dockerfile/Makefile b/contrib/dockerfile/Makefile
index 024d80d43..e4f03f3a8 100644
--- a/contrib/dockerfile/Makefile
+++ b/contrib/dockerfile/Makefile
@@ -8,6 +8,18 @@ CONTAINERNAME ?= elbe-devel
 KVMGID ?= $(shell ls -n /dev/kvm | awk '{ print $$4 }')
 UID ?= $(shell id -u)
 
+# Common docker run options
+DOCKER_RUN_OPTS = \
+	--cap-add SYS_ADMIN \
+	--security-opt seccomp:unconfined \
+	--security-opt apparmor:unconfined \
+	--group-add kvm \
+	--device /dev/kvm \
+	--device /dev/fuse \
+	--rm \
+	--interactive \
+	--tty
+
 # docker commands
 build:
 	test -c /dev/kvm  || ( echo "/dev/kvm not found" && false )
@@ -23,21 +35,23 @@ build:
 	             -t $(IMAGENAME) .
 	rm Dockerfile
 
+start-devel:
+	docker ps | grep $(CONTAINERNAME)$$ || \
+	docker run --name $(CONTAINERNAME) \
+		-e http_proxy=$(http_proxy) \
+		-e https_proxy=$(https_proxy) \
+		-e no_proxy=$(no_proxy) \
+		-v $(realpath ../../.):/var/cache/elbe/devel -w /var/cache/elbe/devel \
+		$(DOCKER_RUN_OPTS) \
+		$(IMAGENAME)
+
 start:
 	docker ps | grep $(CONTAINERNAME)$$ || \
-	docker run --name $(CONTAINERNAME) -d \
-		-e container=docker \
+	docker run --name $(CONTAINERNAME) \
 		-e http_proxy=$(http_proxy) \
 		-e https_proxy=$(https_proxy) \
 		-e no_proxy=$(no_proxy) \
-		-v $(realpath ../../.):/elbe -w /elbe\
-		-v /sys/fs/cgroup:/sys/fs/cgroup:ro \
-		--cap-add SYS_ADMIN \
-		--security-opt seccomp:unconfined \
-		--security-opt apparmor:unconfined \
-		--group-add kvm \
-		--device /dev/kvm \
-		--device /dev/fuse \
+		$(DOCKER_RUN_OPTS) \
 		$(IMAGENAME)
 
 stop:
diff --git a/contrib/dockerfile/README.md b/contrib/dockerfile/README.md
index 2b5c2e326..29c6f8d3a 100644
--- a/contrib/dockerfile/README.md
+++ b/contrib/dockerfile/README.md
@@ -27,14 +27,15 @@ You need docker installed, a running docker service and `make` installed.
 ## usage
 
 A `Makefile` with some handy targets are provided. Per default the image name
-is `elbe-image` and a started container name is `elbe`. This names are
+is `elbe-devel-image` and a started container name is `elbe-devel`. This names are
 changeable via `IMAGENAME` and `CONTAINERNAME` environment variables.
 
 * `build`: build the image
-* `start` start a container, mounts the elbe git-archive to `/elbe`
+* `start` start a container, and use packaged
+* `start-devel` start a container, mounts the elbe git-archive to `/usr/elbe`
 * `stop`: stop a running container
 * `stoprm`: stop and remove the container
-* `connect`: attach to a running container
+* `connect`: attach a new terminal to a running container
 
 After `connect` you can find the elbe git repository under `/elbe`.