diff --git a/pkg/generator/build_tmpl.go b/pkg/generator/build_tmpls.go
similarity index 50%
rename from pkg/generator/build_tmpl.go
rename to pkg/generator/build_tmpls.go
index 6d4924333c..7e80553198 100644
--- a/pkg/generator/build_tmpl.go
+++ b/pkg/generator/build_tmpls.go
@@ -19,3 +19,24 @@ BUILD_PATH="${REPO_PATH}/cmd/${PROJECT_NAME}"
 echo "building "${PROJECT_NAME}"..."
 GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 CGO_ENABLED=0 go build -o ${BIN_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME} $BUILD_PATH
 `
+
+const dockerBuildTmpl = `#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+if ! which docker > /dev/null; then
+	echo "docker needs to be installed"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+: ${IMAGE:?"Need to set IMAGE, e.g. gcr.io/<repo>/<your>-operator"}
+
+echo "building container ${IMAGE}..."
+docker build -t "${IMAGE}" -f tmp/build/Dockerfile .
+`
+
+const dockerFileTmpl = `FROM alpine:3.6
+
+ADD tmp/_output/bin/{{.ProjectName}} /usr/local/bin/{{.ProjectName}}
+
+RUN adduser -D {{.ProjectName}}
+USER {{.ProjectName}}
+`
diff --git a/pkg/generator/gen_build.go b/pkg/generator/gen_build.go
index c58951e329..c1f8ad16a6 100644
--- a/pkg/generator/gen_build.go
+++ b/pkg/generator/gen_build.go
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ type Build struct {
 	ProjectName string
 }
 
-// renderBuildFile generates the tmp/build.sh file given a repo path ("github.com/coreos/app-operator")
+// renderBuildFile generates the tmp/build/build.sh file given a repo path ("github.com/coreos/app-operator")
 // and projectName ("app-operator").
 func renderBuildFile(w io.Writer, repo, projectName string) error {
-	t := template.New("tmp/build.sh")
+	t := template.New("tmp/build/build.sh")
 	t, err := t.Parse(buildTmpl)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -27,3 +27,29 @@ func renderBuildFile(w io.Writer, repo, projectName string) error {
 	}
 	return t.Execute(w, m)
 }
+
+// renderDockerBuildFile generates the docker_build.sh script which builds the docker image for this operator.
+func renderDockerBuildFile(w io.Writer) error {
+	_, err := w.Write([]byte(dockerBuildTmpl))
+	return err
+}
+
+// DockerFile contains all the customized data needed to generate tmp/build/Dockerfie
+// for a new operator when pairing with dockerFileTmpl template.
+type DockerFile struct {
+	ProjectName string
+}
+
+// renderDockerFile generates the tmp/build/Dockerfile file given the projectName ("app-operator").
+func renderDockerFile(w io.Writer, projectName string) error {
+	t := template.New("tmp/build/Dockerfile")
+	t, err := t.Parse(dockerFileTmpl)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	df := DockerFile{
+		ProjectName: projectName,
+	}
+	return t.Execute(w, df)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/generator/generator.go b/pkg/generator/generator.go
index 6aa9051ed3..c106ff98bc 100644
--- a/pkg/generator/generator.go
+++ b/pkg/generator/generator.go
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ const (
 	register        = "register.go"
 	types           = "types.go"
 	build           = "build.sh"
+	dockerBuild     = "docker_build.sh"
+	dockerfile      = "Dockerfile"
 	boilerplate     = "boilerplate.go.txt"
 	updateGenerated = "update-generated.sh"
 )
@@ -142,7 +144,23 @@ func renderBuildFiles(buildDir, repoPath, projectName string) error {
 	if err := renderBuildFile(buf, repoPath, projectName); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(buildDir, build), buf.Bytes(), defaultExecFileMode)
+	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(buildDir, build), buf.Bytes(), defaultExecFileMode); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	buf = &bytes.Buffer{}
+	if err := renderDockerBuildFile(buf); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(buildDir, dockerBuild), buf.Bytes(), defaultExecFileMode); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	buf = &bytes.Buffer{}
+	if err := renderDockerFile(buf, projectName); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(buildDir, dockerfile), buf.Bytes(), defaultFileMode)
 }
 
 func renderCodegenFiles(codegenDir, repoPath, apiDirName, version, projectName string) error {
diff --git a/pkg/generator/generator_test.go b/pkg/generator/generator_test.go
index a965a8677a..2a2c8d4f62 100644
--- a/pkg/generator/generator_test.go
+++ b/pkg/generator/generator_test.go
@@ -166,15 +166,42 @@ echo "building "${PROJECT_NAME}"..."
 GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 CGO_ENABLED=0 go build -o ${BIN_DIR}/${PROJECT_NAME} $BUILD_PATH
 `
 
+const dockerFileExp = `FROM alpine:3.6
+
+ADD tmp/_output/bin/play /usr/local/bin/play
+
+RUN adduser -D play
+USER play
+`
+
 func TestGenBuild(t *testing.T) {
 	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
-	if err := renderBuildFile(buf, "github.com/coreos/play", "play"); err != nil {
+	projectName := "play"
+	if err := renderBuildFile(buf, "github.com/coreos/play", projectName); err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 		return
 	}
 	if buildExp != buf.String() {
 		t.Errorf("want %v, got %v", buildExp, buf.String())
 	}
+
+	buf = &bytes.Buffer{}
+	if err := renderDockerBuildFile(buf); err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	if dockerBuildTmpl != buf.String() {
+		t.Errorf("want %v, got %v", dockerBuildTmpl, buf.String())
+	}
+
+	buf = &bytes.Buffer{}
+	if err := renderDockerFile(buf, projectName); err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	if dockerFileExp != buf.String() {
+		t.Errorf("want %v, got %v", dockerFileExp, buf.String())
+	}
 }
 
 const boilerplateExp = `/*