diff --git a/internal/cli/config.go b/internal/cli/config.go
index 41fe3bb6..8c739554 100644
--- a/internal/cli/config.go
+++ b/internal/cli/config.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 var name, bucket string
-var dev bool
+var dev, rootless bool
 
 var configCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "config",
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ var configCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			cfg.Cli.Dev = false
 			cfg.Container.Image = "controlplane/simulator:latest"
 		}
+
+		cfg.Container.Rootless = rootless
 	},
 }
 
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ func init() {
 	configCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&name, "name", "simulator", "the name for the infrastructure")
 	configCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&bucket, "bucket", "", "the s3 bucket used for storage")
 	configCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&dev, "dev", false, "developer mode")
+	configCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&rootless, "rootless", false, "docker running in rootless mode")
 
 	simulatorCmd.AddCommand(configCmd)
 }
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index fcec4e90..33ce1edc 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	} `yaml:"cli,omitempty"`
 
 	Container struct {
-		Image string `yaml:"image"`
+		Image    string `yaml:"image"`
+		Rootless bool   `yaml:"rootless,omitempty"`
 	} `yaml:"container"`
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/container/runner.go b/internal/container/runner.go
index 6f2a9bed..5d54e974 100644
--- a/internal/container/runner.go
+++ b/internal/container/runner.go
@@ -92,15 +92,22 @@ func (r simulator) Run(ctx context.Context, command []string) error {
 		}...)
 	}
 
+	containerConfig := &container.Config{
+		Image:        r.Config.Container.Image,
+		Env:          aws.Env,
+		Cmd:          command,
+		Tty:          true,
+		AttachStdout: true,
+		AttachStderr: true,
+	}
+
+	if r.Config.Container.Rootless {
+		// map to host user for directory access
+		containerConfig.User = "0:0"
+	}
+
 	cont, err := cli.ContainerCreate(ctx,
-		&container.Config{
-			Image:        r.Config.Container.Image,
-			Env:          aws.Env,
-			Cmd:          command,
-			Tty:          true,
-			AttachStdout: true,
-			AttachStderr: true,
-		},
+		containerConfig,
 		&container.HostConfig{
 			Mounts: mounts,
 		},
@@ -137,7 +144,7 @@ func (r simulator) Run(ctx context.Context, command []string) error {
 
 	err = cli.ContainerStart(ctx, cont.ID, types.ContainerStartOptions{})
 	if err != nil {
-		return StartFailed
+		return errors.Join(StartFailed, err)
 	}
 
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup