diff --git a/documentation/tools/Containerfile.almalinux b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.almalinux
new file mode 120000
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..7237e9b99f4132957c0ad5b11fa6cefe9daaec74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.almalinux
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Containerfile.dnf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/documentation/tools/Containerfile.apt b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.apt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..a601699ce4005b3bc5288990dbf2e7fa235ea431
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.apt
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+ARG ARG_FROM=debian:12 # default value to avoid warning
+FROM $ARG_FROM
+
+ARG HOST_DOCS_PACKAGES=ubuntu_host_packages_docs.sh
+
+ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+
+# relative to the location of the dockerfile
+COPY --chmod=777 ${HOST_DOCS_PACKAGES} /temp/host_packages_docs.sh
+
+RUN apt-get update \
+ && apt-get install -y sudo \
+ && yes | /temp/host_packages_docs.sh \
+ && apt-get --yes autoremove \
+ && apt-get clean \
+ && rm -rf /temp
+
+RUN git config --global --add safe.directory /docs
+
+ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/bin/env", "make", "-C", "documentation/"]
+CMD ["publish"]
diff --git a/documentation/tools/Containerfile.debian b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.debian
new file mode 120000
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5a7a425197afc2928802fcad5f34699b1ad3348a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.debian
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Containerfile.apt
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/documentation/tools/Containerfile.dnf b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.dnf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..29ea670905ac011966d7bf5340c10be0660149a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.dnf
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+ARG ARG_FROM=fedora:40 # default value to avoid warning
+FROM $ARG_FROM
+
+ARG HOST_DOCS_PACKAGES=fedora_host_packages_docs.sh
+
+# relative to the location of the dockerfile
+COPY --chmod=777 ${HOST_DOCS_PACKAGES} /temp/host_packages_docs.sh
+
+RUN dnf update -y \
+ && dnf install -y sudo \
+ && yes | /temp/host_packages_docs.sh \
+ && dnf autoremove -y \
+ && dnf clean all -y \
+ && rm -rf /temp
+
+RUN git config --global --add safe.directory /docs
+
+ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/bin/env", "make", "-C", "documentation/"]
+CMD ["publish"]
diff --git a/documentation/tools/Containerfile.fedora b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.fedora
new file mode 120000
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..7237e9b99f4132957c0ad5b11fa6cefe9daaec74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.fedora
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Containerfile.dnf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/documentation/tools/Containerfile.ubuntu b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.ubuntu
new file mode 120000
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5a7a425197afc2928802fcad5f34699b1ad3348a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.ubuntu
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Containerfile.apt
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/documentation/tools/Containerfile.zypper b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.zypper
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..567256d65b580aab45e27a7b7a386e7a8dbe107f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/tools/Containerfile.zypper
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+ARG ARG_FROM=opensuse/leap:15.4 # default value to avoid warning
+FROM $ARG_FROM
+
+ARG HOST_DOCS_PACKAGES=opensuse_host_packages_docs.sh
+
+# relative to the location of the dockerfile
+COPY --chmod=777 ${HOST_DOCS_PACKAGES} /temp/host_packages_docs.sh
+
+RUN zypper update -y \
+ && zypper install -y sudo \
+ && yes | /temp/host_packages_docs.sh \
+ && zypper clean --all \
+ && rm -rf /temp
+
+RUN git config --global --add safe.directory /docs
+
+ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/bin/env", "make", "-C", "documentation/"]
+CMD ["publish"]
diff --git a/documentation/tools/build-docs-container b/documentation/tools/build-docs-container
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..4a799bd8e795f1ab7d55eb99116fe859aff2692c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documentation/tools/build-docs-container
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Build a container ready to build the documentation be reading the dependencies
+# listed in poky.yaml.in, and start a documentation build in this container.
+#
+# Usage:
+#
+#   ./documentation/tools/build-docs-container <image> [<make target>]
+#
+# e.g.:
+#
+#   ./documentation/tools/build-docs-container ubuntu:24.04 html
+#
+# Will build the docs in an Ubuntu 24.04 container in html.
+#
+# The container engine can be selected by exporting CONTAINERCMD in the
+# environment. The default is docker, but podman can also be used.
+
+set -eu -o pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR=$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" &>/dev/null && pwd)
+CONTAINERCMD=${CONTAINERCMD:-docker}
+DOCS_DIR="$SCRIPT_DIR/../.."
+
+main ()
+{
+  local image="$1"
+  shift
+
+  OCI=$(which "$CONTAINERCMD")
+
+  # docker build doesn't accept 2 colons, so "sanitize" the name
+  local sanitized_dockername
+  sanitized_dockername=$(echo "$image" | tr ':.' '-')
+
+  local version
+  version=$(echo "$image" | awk -F: '{print $NF}')
+
+  case $image in
+    almalinux*)
+      containerfile=Containerfile.almalinux
+      host_packages_docs=almalinux_host_packages_docs.sh
+      ;;
+    debian*)
+      containerfile=Containerfile.debian
+      host_packages_docs=ubuntu_host_packages_docs.sh
+      ;;
+    fedora*)
+      containerfile=Containerfile.fedora
+      host_packages_docs=fedora_host_packages_docs.sh
+      ;;
+    opensuse* | leap*)
+      image=opensuse/leap:$version
+      containerfile=Containerfile.zypper
+      host_packages_docs=opensuse_host_packages_docs.sh
+      ;;
+    ubuntu*)
+      containerfile=Containerfile.ubuntu
+      host_packages_docs=ubuntu_host_packages_docs.sh
+      ;;
+    *)
+      echo "$image not supported"
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+  esac
+
+  $OCI build \
+    --tag "yocto-docs-$sanitized_dockername:latest" \
+    --build-arg ARG_FROM="docker.io/$image" \
+    --build-arg HOST_DOCS_PACKAGES="$host_packages_docs" \
+    --file "$SCRIPT_DIR/$containerfile" \
+    "$SCRIPT_DIR/"
+
+  local -a args_run=(
+    --rm
+    --interactive
+    --tty
+    --volume="$DOCS_DIR:/docs:rw"
+    --workdir=/docs
+    --security-opt label=disable
+  )
+
+  if [ "$OCI" = "docker" ]; then
+    args_run+=(
+      --user="$(id -u)":"$(id -g)"
+    )
+  elif [ "$OCI" = "podman" ]; then
+    # we need net access to fetch bitbake terms
+    args_run+=(
+      --cap-add=NET_RAW
+      --userns=keep-id
+    )
+  fi
+
+  $OCI run \
+    "${args_run[@]}" \
+    "yocto-docs-$sanitized_dockername" \
+    "$*"
+}
+
+main "$@"
diff --git a/documentation/tools/opensuse_host_packages_docs.sh b/documentation/tools/opensuse_host_packages_docs.sh
index 90f52d576451ee0a7c481b31b7605e4a870496cd..18975bd8d2db93eaadc663fac738e9400fd11ffb 100644
--- a/documentation/tools/opensuse_host_packages_docs.sh
+++ b/documentation/tools/opensuse_host_packages_docs.sh
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-sudo zypper install git make python3-pip which inkscape texlive-fncychap
+sudo zypper --non-interactive install git make python3-pip which inkscape texlive-fncychap
 sudo pip3 install sphinx sphinx_rtd_theme pyyaml
diff --git a/documentation/tools/opensuse_host_packages_essential.sh b/documentation/tools/opensuse_host_packages_essential.sh
index ef24fcefd99c9ecc335c594965965bb36e43cd05..20d934c34b833f547463d2e635ee16db935de3dc 100644
--- a/documentation/tools/opensuse_host_packages_essential.sh
+++ b/documentation/tools/opensuse_host_packages_essential.sh
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-sudo zypper install python gcc gcc-c++ git chrpath make wget python-xml diffstat makeinfo python-curses patch socat python3 python3-curses tar python3-pip python3-pexpect xz which python3-Jinja2 rpcgen zstd lz4 bzip2 gzip hostname libacl1
+sudo zypper --non-interactive install python gcc gcc-c++ git chrpath make wget python-xml diffstat makeinfo python-curses patch socat python3 python3-curses tar python3-pip python3-pexpect xz which python3-Jinja2 rpcgen zstd lz4 bzip2 gzip hostname libacl1
 sudo pip3 install GitPython