diff --git a/tools/dockerbuild.py b/tools/dockerbuild.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..89e7d09e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/dockerbuild.py
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""dockerbuild.py - helper to run ESP-Miner builds inside a Docker/Podman container.
+
+Prerequisites (choose one):
+  • Podman (rootless-friendly OCI runtime).
+    Ubuntu/Debian:  `sudo apt install podman`
+    Arch Linux   :  `sudo pacman -S podman`
+    macOS (brew) :  `brew install podman`
+  • Docker (classic container runtime).
+    Ubuntu/Debian:  `sudo apt install docker.io`
+    Arch Linux   :  `sudo pacman -S docker`
+    macOS (brew) :  `brew install --cask docker`  # Docker Desktop
+
+Make sure the chosen runtime is on your PATH; the script will probe for Podman
+first and fall back to Docker.
+
+Usage examples:
+  # Run a build in a fresh transient container (default image & cmd)
+  ./dockerbuild.py
+
+  # Exec `idf.py clean` inside a container
+  ./dockerbuild.py idf.py clean
+
+  # Start a container with a custom image and command
+  ./dockerbuild.py --image ghcr.io/espressif/idf:release-v5.4 idf.py menuconfig
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import os
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import uuid
+import sys
+from typing import List
+
+
+def find_container_runtime() -> str:
+    """Return the first available container runtime (`podman` or `docker`)."""
+    for runtime in ("podman", "docker"):
+        if shutil.which(runtime):
+            return runtime
+    sys.stderr.write("Error: neither podman nor docker was found in PATH\n")
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+
+def build_container_cmd(runtime: str, name: str, image: str, workspace: str) -> List[str]:
+    """Return docker/podman run command prefix for a fresh container started with the host UID/GID."""
+    uid = os.getuid()
+    gid = os.getgid()
+    return [
+        runtime,
+        "run",
+        "--rm",
+        "-it",
+        "--name",
+        name,
+        "--user",
+        f"{uid}:{gid}",
+        "-v",
+        f"{workspace}:{workspace}:rw,z",
+        "-w",
+        workspace,
+        image,
+    ]
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Run build inside Docker/Podman container")
+    parser.add_argument("build_cmd", nargs=argparse.REMAINDER, help="Build command to run (default: idf.py build)")
+    parser.add_argument("--image", help="Container image to use",
+                    default="ghcr.io/bitaxeorg/esp-miner/devcontainer:sha-6a7c499a5dd8f985a578a05e04eba3fa9f93f1f7")
+    # Determine repository root to use as default workspace. Try git, fallback to script parent directory.
+    script_dir = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+    try:
+        repo_root = (
+            subprocess.check_output(["git", "rev-parse", "--show-toplevel"], cwd=script_dir, text=True)
+            .strip()
+        )
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, FileNotFoundError):
+        repo_root = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(script_dir, os.pardir))
+
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--workspace",
+        help="Path to project root mounted inside container (default: repository root)",
+        default=repo_root,
+    )
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    build_cmd = args.build_cmd or ["idf.py", "build"]
+
+    runtime = find_container_runtime()
+    name = f"esp-miner-{uuid.uuid4().hex[:8]}"
+    prefix = build_container_cmd(runtime, name, args.image, args.workspace)
+
+    cmd = prefix + build_cmd
+    print("Running:", " ".join(cmd))
+    os.execvp(cmd[0], cmd)  # replace current process
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()