diff --git a/HISTORY.rst b/HISTORY.rst
index 02a0217af..767e7f044 100644
--- a/HISTORY.rst
+++ b/HISTORY.rst
@@ -16,11 +16,15 @@ History
 * Added ValueEvent class for returning a value with the event
 * Added methods for waiting on a function to return True
 * Refactored multitasking classes to use __slots__ for improved memory performance
+* Added tools for building yggdrasil docker containers
 
 TODO
 ....
 
 * Add tutorial on setting up a service
+* Add docs on Docker building
+* Add docker tool for creating an executable
+* Disable cloning Git repositories based on YAML for services
 
 
 1.7.0 (2021-08-26) Support for MPI communicators, MPI execution, and pika >= 1.0.0
diff --git a/docs/source/docker.rst b/docs/source/docker.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..82967b436
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/source/docker.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+.. _docker_rst:
+
+
+Docker Containers
+=================
+
+For convenience, |yggdrasil| provides `Docker <https://www.docker.com/>`_ images and tools for building Docker images. To get started using these images, you will need to do a few things first.
+
+#. **Download and install docker** from `here <https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/>`_.
+#. **Sign-up for DockerHub** `here <https://hub.docker.com/>`_, start docker, and sign-in using your docker hub credentials (either via the desktop app or the `command line <https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/commandline/login/>`_).
+
+Release Images
+--------------
+
+For each tagged release of |yggdrasil|, a Docker image will be published to the ``cropsinsilico/yggdrasil`` `DockerHub repository <https://hub.docker.com/repository/docker/cropsinsilico/yggdrasil>`_.
+
+After installing Docker, you can pull the latest release image by running::
+
+  $ docker pull cropsinsilico/yggdrasil
+
+or if you need a specific version, ``[VER]``::
+
+  $ docker pull cropsinsilico/yggdrasil:v[VER]
+
+You can then run the image as an interactive container::
+
+  $ docker run -it cropsinsilico/yggdrasil
+
+If you pulled a specific version, include the version tag in the run command (e.g. ``docker run -it cropsinsilico/yggdrasil:v[VER]``).
+
+This will start a container using the image and will open a command prompt with container access. You can run |yggdrasil| commands from this prompt. If you would like to run an integration that uses models from your local machine, you will need to mount the model directory as a volume when you launch the container. For example, if you have a model contained in the directory ``/path/to/model``, then you can mount the model as a volume in the container under the directory ``/model_vol`` via::
+
+  $ docker run -it --volume=/path/to/model:/model_vol cropsinsilico/yggdrasil
+
+You will then be able to access the model from inside the container and can run integrations using that model.
+  
+
+Executable Images
+-----------------
+
+In addition to release images, an executable image will be published for each tagged release of |yggdrasil|. Executable images will be published to the ``cropsinsilico/yggdrasil-executable`` `DockerHub repository <https://hub.docker.com/repository/docker/cropsinsilico/yggdrasil-executable>`_ and can be pulled via::
+
+  $  docker pull cropsinsilico/yggdrasil-executable
+
+Executable images are different than the release images in that they are meant to be treated as an executable and can be used to run integrations using |yggdrasil| without opening the container command line.
+
+TODO
+
+
+Development Images
+------------------
+
+Occasionally during development it may be necessary for the |yggdrasil| team to create images for specific commits. These will be published to the ``cropsinsilico/yggdrasil-dev`` `DockerHub repository <https://hub.docker.com/repository/docker/cropsinsilico/yggdrasil-dev>`_. If you know that such an image exists for a commit with the ID string ``[COMMIT]``, you can pull it via::
+
+  $ docker pull cropsinsilico/yggdrasil-dev:[COMMIT]
+
+Such images operate in the same fashion as the release images described above and can be run in the same manner.
+
+
+Building New Images
+-------------------
+
+The ``utils/build_docker.py`` from the |yggdrasil| repository can be used to build/push new Docker images.
+
+
+To build a new Docker image containing the tagged release, ``RELEASE``, run::
+
+  $ python utils/build_docker.py release RELEASE
+
+To build a new Docker image containing commit, ``COMMIT``, run::
+
+  $ python utils/build_docker.py commit COMMIT
+
+If you add the ``--push`` flag to either of these commands, the image will be pushed to DockerHub after it is built. If you add the ``--executable`` flag, the image will be built such that it exposes the |yggdrasil| CLI and can be used as an executable image in the way described above.
diff --git a/docs/source/index.rst b/docs/source/index.rst
index eb95f2cd9..a2263bc5b 100644
--- a/docs/source/index.rst
+++ b/docs/source/index.rst
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ Welcome to yggdrasil's documentation!
    units
    hpc
    remote
+   docker
    c_format_strings
    debugging
    threading
diff --git a/utils/build_docker.py b/utils/build_docker.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0f98f0377
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/build_docker.py
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+import os
+import argparse
+import subprocess
+_utils_dir = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+
+
+def build(dockerfile, tag, flags=[], repo='cropsinsilico/yggdrasil',
+          context='.'):
+    r"""Build a docker image.
+
+    Args:
+        dockerfile (str): Full path to the docker file that should be used.
+        tag (str): Tag that should be added to the image.
+        flags (list, optional): Additional flags that should be passed to
+            the build command. Defaults to [].
+        repo (str, optional): DockerHub repository that the image will be
+            pushed to. Defaults to 'cropsinsilico/yggdrasil'.
+        context (str, optional): Directory that should be provided as the
+            context for the image. Defaults to '.'.
+
+    """
+    args = ['docker', 'build', '-t', f'{repo}:{tag}', '-f', dockerfile] + flags
+    args.append(context)
+    subprocess.call(args)
+
+
+def push_image(tag, repo='cropsinsilico/yggdrasil'):
+    r"""Push a docker image to DockerHub.
+
+    Args:
+        tag (str): Tag that should be added to the image.
+        repo (str, optional): DockerHub repository that the image will be
+            pushed to. Defaults to 'cropsinsilico/yggdrasil'.
+
+    """
+    args = ['docker', 'push', f'{repo}:{tag}']
+    subprocess.call(args)
+
+
+def params_release(version):
+    r"""Build a docker image containing an yggdrasil release.
+
+    Args:
+        version (str): Release version to install in the image.
+
+    Returns:
+        dict: Docker build parameters.
+
+    """
+    dockerfile = os.path.join(_utils_dir, 'commit.Docker')
+    # dockerfile = os.path.join(_utils_dir, 'release.Docker')
+    tag = f'v{version}'
+    flags = ['--build-arg', f'commit=tags/v{version}']
+    # flags = ['--build-arg', f'version={version}']
+    repo = 'cropsinsilico/yggdrasil'
+    return dict(dockerfile=dockerfile, tag=tag, flags=flags, repo=repo)
+
+
+def params_commit(commit):
+    r"""Build a docker image containing a version of yggdrasil specific to a
+    commit.
+
+    Args:
+        commit (str): ID for commit to install from the yggdrasil git repo.
+
+    Returns:
+        dict: Docker build parameters.
+
+    """
+    dockerfile = os.path.join(_utils_dir, 'commit.Docker')
+    tag = commit
+    flags = ['--build-arg', f'commit={commit}']
+    repo = 'cropsinsilico/yggdrasil-dev'
+    return dict(dockerfile=dockerfile, tag=tag, flags=flags, repo=repo)
+
+
+def build_executable(params):
+    r"""Build a docker image containing a version of yggdrasil specific to a
+    commit or tagged release that can be used as an executable.
+
+    Args:
+        params (dict): Docker build parameters set based on the base type.
+
+    Returns:
+        dict: Docker build parameters.
+
+    """
+    dockerfile = os.path.join(_utils_dir, 'executable.Docker')
+    repo = params["tag"]
+    tag = params["tag"]
+    flags = ['--build-arg', f'base_image={repo}:{tag}']
+    repo = repo.replace('yggdrasil', 'yggdrasil-executable')
+    return dict(dockerfile=dockerfile, tag=tag, flags=flags, repo=repo)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        "Build a docker image containing a version of yggdrasil.")
+    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(
+        dest="type",
+        help="Type of docker image that should be built.")
+    parser_rel = subparsers.add_parser(
+        "release", help="Build a docker image containing tagged release.")
+    parser_rel.add_argument(
+        "version", type=str,
+        help="Release version that should be installed in the image.")
+    parser_com = subparsers.add_parser(
+        "commit", help="Build a docker image containing a specific commit.")
+    parser_com.add_argument(
+        "commit", type=str,
+        help="Commit ID that should be installed in the image.")
+    joint_args = [
+        (("--push", ),
+         {"action": "store_true",
+          "help": ("After successfully building the image, push it to "
+                   "DockerHub.")}),
+        (("--executable", ),
+         {"action": "store_true",
+          "help": ("Build the image so that it can be used as an "
+                   "executable.")})]
+    for iparser in [parser_rel, parser_com]:
+        for ia, ik in joint_args:
+            iparser.add_argument(*ia, **ik)
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    if args.type == 'release':
+        params = params_release(args.version)
+    elif args.type == 'commit':
+        params = params_commit(args.commit)
+    if args.executable:
+        params = build_executable(params)
+    dockerfile = params.pop('dockerfile')
+    tag = params.pop('tag')
+    build(dockerfile, tag, **params)
+    if args.push:
+        push_image(tag, repo=params['repo'])
diff --git a/utils/commit.Docker b/utils/commit.Docker
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a83dd2f41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/commit.Docker
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+FROM continuumio/miniconda3
+SHELL ["/bin/bash", "--login", "-c"]
+ARG commit
+# RUN apt-get --allow-releaseinfo-change update
+RUN apt-get update -y
+RUN source /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && \
+    conda config --add channels conda-forge && \
+    conda config --set channel_priority strict
+
+RUN git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/cropsinsilico/yggdrasil.git && \
+    cd yggdrasil && \
+    git checkout $commit
+WORKDIR /yggdrasil
+RUN source /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && \
+    python utils/setup_test_env.py env --env-name=env conda 3.9
+RUN source /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && \
+    conda activate env && \
+    python utils/setup_test_env.py install conda-dev --always-yes --no-sudo --install-mpi --install-rmq --install-docs --install-sbml --install-omp --python-only
+
+# Required so that gcc & g++ are available as paths in OpenSimRoot make
+RUN source /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && \
+    conda activate env && \
+    # cp $CC $(dirname $CC)/gcc && \
+    cp $CXX $(dirname $CXX)/g++
+RUN source /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && \
+    conda activate env && \
+    yggconfig && \
+    ygginfo --verbose
+RUN source /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && \
+    conda activate env && \
+    yggcompile
+RUN echo "conda activate env" > ~/.bashrc
+
+CMD ["/bin/bash", "--login"]
diff --git a/utils/executable.Docker b/utils/executable.Docker
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9998f4586
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/executable.Docker
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+ARG base_image
+FROM $base_image
+
+ENTRYPOINT ["yggdrasil"]
+
+CMD ["-h"]
diff --git a/utils/release.Docker b/utils/release.Docker
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..51c3be96b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/release.Docker
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+FROM continuumio/miniconda3
+SHELL ["/bin/bash", "--login", "-c"]
+ARG version
+RUN source /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && \
+    conda config --add channels conda-forge && \
+    conda config --set channel_priority strict
+
+RUN source /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && \
+    conda create -n env python=3.9 yggdrasil=$version
+
+# Required so that gcc & g++ are available as paths in OpenSimRoot make
+RUN source /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && \
+    conda activate env && \
+    cp $CC $(dirname $CC)/gcc && \
+    cp $CXX $(dirname $CXX)/g++
+RUN source /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && \
+    conda activate env && \
+    yggconfig && \
+    ygginfo --verbose
+RUN source /opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh && \
+    conda activate env && \
+    yggcompile
+RUN echo "conda activate env" > ~/.bashrc
+
+CMD ["/bin/bash", "--login"]
diff --git a/yggdrasil/multitasking.py b/yggdrasil/multitasking.py
index e0c6c69c7..191fe8bb0 100644
--- a/yggdrasil/multitasking.py
+++ b/yggdrasil/multitasking.py
@@ -413,10 +413,7 @@ def __setstate__(self, state):
     @classmethod
     def get_base_class(cls, context):
         r"""Get instance of base class that will be represented."""
-        if cls._base_class_name is None:
-            name = cls.__name__
-        else:
-            name = cls._base_class_name
+        name = cls._base_class_name
         context.check_for_base(name)
         return getattr(context._base, name)
 
diff --git a/yggdrasil/services.py b/yggdrasil/services.py
index 05b308402..1fe41333d 100644
--- a/yggdrasil/services.py
+++ b/yggdrasil/services.py
@@ -652,8 +652,8 @@ def send_request(self, name=None, yamls=None, action='start', **kwargs):
                 yamls = [yamls]
             if name is None:
                 name = yamls
-            request = dict(kwargs, name=name, yamls=yamls, action=action,
-                           client_id=self.client_id)
+            request = dict(kwargs, name=name, yamls=yamls, action=action)
+            request.setdefault('client_id', self.client_id)
             wait_for_complete = ((action in ['start', 'stop', 'shutdown'])
                                  and (service_type != RMQService))
             out = super(IntegrationServiceManager, self).send_request(request)
@@ -817,13 +817,18 @@ def integration_info(self, client_id, x):
         @property
         def is_running(self):
             r"""bool: True if the server is running."""
-            if not super(IntegrationServiceManager, self).is_running:  # pragma: debug
-                return False
-            try:
-                response = self.send_request(action='ping')
-                return response['status'] == 'running'
-            except ClientError:
+            if not super(IntegrationServiceManager, self).is_running:
                 return False
+            if self.for_request:
+                try:
+                    response = self.send_request(action='ping')
+                    return response['status'] == 'running'
+                except ClientError:
+                    return False
+            else:  # pragma: debug
+                # This would only occur if a server calls is_running while it
+                # is running (perhaps in a future callback?)
+                return True
 
         def respond(self, request, **kwargs):
             r"""Create a response to the request.
diff --git a/yggdrasil/tests/test_services.py b/yggdrasil/tests/test_services.py
index f78f5404f..904c2d8f1 100644
--- a/yggdrasil/tests/test_services.py
+++ b/yggdrasil/tests/test_services.py
@@ -97,8 +97,11 @@ def running_service(service_type, partial_commtype=None, with_coverage=False):
         if partial_commtype is not None:
             lines[-1] += f'commtype=\'{partial_commtype}\''
         lines[-1] += ')'
-        lines += [f'srv.start_server(with_coverage={with_coverage},',
-                  f'                 log_level={log_level})']
+        lines += ['remote_url = srv.address.rstrip(\'/\')',
+                  'assert(not srv.is_running)',
+                  f'srv.start_server(with_coverage={with_coverage},',
+                  f'                 log_level={log_level},',
+                  '                 remote_url=remote_url)']
         with open(script_path, 'w') as fd:
             fd.write('\n'.join(lines))
         args = [sys.executable, script_path]
@@ -233,6 +236,7 @@ def test_integration_service(self, running_service):
             r = requests.get(cli.address)
             r.raise_for_status()
         cli.send_request(test_yml, action='status')
+        cli.send_request(action='status', client_id=None)
         cli.send_request(test_yml, yamls=test_yml, action='stop')
         assert_raises(ServerError, cli.send_request,
                       ['invalid'], action='stop')
diff --git a/yggdrasil/tests/test_tools.py b/yggdrasil/tests/test_tools.py
index 5ac56ebf4..834c2db07 100644
--- a/yggdrasil/tests/test_tools.py
+++ b/yggdrasil/tests/test_tools.py
@@ -100,6 +100,12 @@ def test_str2bytes():
         assert_equal(tools.str2bytes(x, recurse=True), exp)
 
 
+def test_timer_context():
+    r"""Test timer_context."""
+    with tools.timer_context("Test timeout: {elapsed}"):
+        print("timer context body")
+
+
 def test_display_source():
     r"""Test display_source."""
     fname = os.path.abspath(__file__)