diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 895391d..82bbbf0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
-.PHONY: install run develop clean build build-appimage build-exe dist sync-version wheel node_modules python
+.PHONY: install run develop clean build build-appimage build-exe dist sync-version wheel node_modules python build-docker run-docker
 
 PYTHON ?= python
 POETRY = $(PYTHON) -m poetry
 NPM = npm
 
+DOCKER_COMPOSE_CMD ?= docker compose
+DOCKER_COMPOSE_FILE ?= docker-compose.yml
+DOCKER_IMAGE ?= reticulum-meshchatx:local
+DOCKER_BUILDER ?= meshchatx-builder
+DOCKER_PLATFORMS ?= linux/amd64
+DOCKER_BUILD_FLAGS ?= --load
+DOCKER_BUILD_ARGS ?=
+DOCKER_CONTEXT ?= .
+DOCKERFILE ?= Dockerfile
+
 install: sync-version node_modules python
 
 node_modules:
@@ -43,3 +53,20 @@ clean:
 
 sync-version:
 	$(PYTHON) scripts/sync_version.py
+
+build-docker:
+	@if ! docker buildx inspect $(DOCKER_BUILDER) >/dev/null 2>&1; then \
+		docker buildx create --name $(DOCKER_BUILDER) --use >/dev/null; \
+	else \
+		docker buildx use $(DOCKER_BUILDER); \
+	fi
+	docker buildx build --builder $(DOCKER_BUILDER) --platform $(DOCKER_PLATFORMS) \
+		$(DOCKER_BUILD_FLAGS) \
+		-t $(DOCKER_IMAGE) \
+		$(DOCKER_BUILD_ARGS) \
+		-f $(DOCKERFILE) \
+		$(DOCKER_CONTEXT)
+
+run-docker:
+	MESHCHAT_IMAGE="$(DOCKER_IMAGE)" \
+		$(DOCKER_COMPOSE_CMD) -f $(DOCKER_COMPOSE_FILE) up --remove-orphans --pull never reticulum-meshchatx
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 40946af..b1ee9bb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -55,9 +55,19 @@ The wheel includes the frontend `public/` assets, `logo/`, and the CLI entry poi
 ### Building in Docker
 
 ```bash
-make docker-build
+make build-docker
 ```
 
+`build-docker` creates `reticulum-meshchatx:local` (or `$(DOCKER_IMAGE)` if you override it) via `docker buildx`. Set `DOCKER_PLATFORMS` to `linux/amd64,linux/arm64` when you need multi-arch images, and adjust `DOCKER_BUILD_FLAGS`/`DOCKER_BUILD_ARGS` to control `--load`/`--push`.
+
+### Running with Docker Compose
+
+```bash
+make run-docker
+```
+
+`run-docker` feeds the locally-built image into `docker compose -f docker-compose.yml up --remove-orphans --pull never reticulum-meshchatx`. The compose file uses the `MESHCHAT_IMAGE` env var so you can override the target image without editing the YAML (the default still points at `ghcr.io/sudo-ivan/reticulum-meshchatx:latest`). Use `docker compose down` or `Ctrl+C` to stop the container.
+
 The Electron build artifacts will still live under `dist/` for releases.
 
 ## Python packaging
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 1555e54..d513770 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 services:
   reticulum-meshchatx:
     container_name: reticulum-meshchatx
-    image: ghcr.io/sudo-ivan/reticulum-meshchatx:latest
+    image: ${MESHCHAT_IMAGE:-ghcr.io/sudo-ivan/reticulum-meshchatx:latest}
     pull_policy: always
     restart: unless-stopped
     # Make the meshchat web interface accessible from the host on port 8000