diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 5a759f4..72bf981 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -470,6 +470,11 @@ RUN install-ubuntu-packages \
 COPY ./certs/ /usr/local/share/ca-certificates
 RUN update-ca-certificates
 
+# copy environment initialization script into container
+# and make sure the default profile will call it as well
+COPY ./env-init.sh /etc/
+RUN printf "\n. /etc/env-init.sh\n" >> /etc/skel/.profile
+
 #run environment setup when docker container is launched and decide what to do from there
 #   will require the environment variable LDMX_BASE defined
 COPY ./entry.sh /etc/
diff --git a/entry.sh b/entry.sh
index 557b710..8eab71e 100755
--- a/entry.sh
+++ b/entry.sh
@@ -2,101 +2,15 @@
 
 set -e
 
-###############################################################################
-# Entry point for the ldmx development container
-#   The basic idea is that we want to go into the container,
-#   setup the ldmx-sw working environment, and then
-#   run whatever executable the user wants.
-#
-#   A lot of executables require us to be in a specific location,
-#   so the first argument is required to be a directory we can go to.
-#   The rest of the arguments are passed to `eval` to be run as one command.
-#
-#   All of the aliases that are defined in the ldmx-env script will
-#   have $(pwd) be the first argument to the entrypoint.
-#   This means, before executing anything on the container,
-#   we will go to the mounted location that the user is running from.
-#
-#   Assumptions:
-#   - The installation location of ldmx-sw is defined in LDMX_SW_INSTALL
-#     or it is located at LDMX_BASE/ldmx-sw/install.
-###############################################################################
-
-# add ldmx-sw and ldmx-analysis installs to the various paths
-if [ -z "${LDMX_SW_INSTALL}" ]; then
-  export LDMX_SW_INSTALL=$LDMX_BASE/ldmx-sw/install
-fi
-export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LDMX_SW_INSTALL/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
-export PYTHONPATH=$LDMX_SW_INSTALL/python:$LDMX_SW_INSTALL/lib:$PYTHONPATH
-export PATH=$LDMX_SW_INSTALL/bin:$PATH
-
-#add what we need for GENIE 
-export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$GENIE/lib:/usr/local/pythia6:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
-export PATH=$GENIE/bin:$PATH
-
-# add externals installed along side ldmx-sw
-# WARNING: No check to see if there is anything in this directory
-for _external_path in $LDMX_SW_INSTALL/external/*/lib
-do
-  export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$_external_path
-done
-unset _external_path
-
+source /etc/env-init.sh
 
 # puts a config/cache directory for matplotlib to use
+# does /not/ need to be in the env-init.sh script since denv-based
+# interactions with the image define LDMX_BASE as HOME for us anyways
 export MPLCONFIGDIR=$LDMX_BASE/.config/matplotlib
 
 # go to first argument
 cd "$1"
 
-# Developer option: If a custom geant4 install is to be used, source the
-# environment script from that install
-#
-# Note: Use with care!
-# 
-# The custom Geant4 install still needs to have been built with the same
-# container environment
-if [ -n "$LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4" ]; then
-    # Overly obnoxious warning to make sure this feature isn't used accidentally
-    # Also detail how to set custom Geant4 data directories
-    if [ -z "$LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4_CONFIRM_DEV" ]; then
-        echo "Warning: You are relying on a non-container version of Geant4. This mode of operation can come with some reproducibility concerns if you aren't careful. "
-        echo "Define the environment variable LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4_CONFIRM_DEV in the container environment to suppress this message"
-        echo "If using the standard ldmx-env.sh shell script, use 'ldmx setenv' to set environment variables within the container environment"
-        echo "You may also want to define LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4_DATA_DIR if you are using a version of Geant4 different from 10.2.3 and the Geant4 build you intend to use has the data directory in an non-standard location (i.e. one that isn't picked up by the geant4.sh script) "
-    fi
-    # First: Unset the container-specific versions of the Geant4 data directories
-    unset G4NEUTRONHPDATA
-    unset G4LEDATA
-    unset G4LEVELGAMMADATA
-    unset G4RADIOACTIVEDATA
-    unset G4PARTICLEXSDATA
-    unset G4PIIDATA
-    unset G4REALSURFACEDATA
-    unset G4SAIDXSDATA
-    unset G4ABLADATA
-    unset G4INCLDATA
-    unset G4ENSDFSTATEDATA
-    unset G4NEUTRONXSDATA
-    # If explicitly requested, use a custom location for Geant4's data directories
-    if [ -n "$LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4_DATA_DIR"]; then
-        export GEANT4_DATA_DIR=$LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4_DATA_DIR
-    fi 
-    # Source the custom geant's environment script
-    source $LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4/bin/geant4.sh
-    # Prioritize the cmake config in the Geant4 installation over the container location (/usr/local)
-    export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4/lib/cmake:/usr/local/:$CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH
-
-    # If no directory was found by the geant4.sh script and the user didn't
-    # explicitly ask for a location (e.g. for a debug build):
-    #
-    # Assume we are using 10.2.3 (container provided) data
-    if [ -z "$GEANT4_DATA_DIR" ]; then
-        export GEANT4_DATA_DIR=${G4DATADIR}
-    fi
-else
-    # Tell CMake to look for configuration files in the container location by default
-    export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=/usr/local/:$LDMX_SW_INSTALL
-fi
 # execute the rest as a one-liner command
 eval "${@:2}"
diff --git a/env-init.sh b/env-init.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6904f2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/env-init.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+#!/bin/bash 
+
+###############################################################################
+# Environment initialization for LDMX SW container images
+#   Assumptions:
+#   - The installation location of ldmx-sw is defined in LDMX_SW_INSTALL
+#     or it is located at LDMX_BASE/ldmx-sw/install.
+###############################################################################
+
+# add ldmx-sw and ldmx-analysis installs to the various paths
+# LDMX_SW_INSTALL is defined when building the production image or users
+# can use it to specify a non-normal install location
+if [ -z "${LDMX_SW_INSTALL}" ]; then
+  export LDMX_SW_INSTALL=$LDMX_BASE/ldmx-sw/install
+fi
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LDMX_SW_INSTALL/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+export PYTHONPATH=$LDMX_SW_INSTALL/python:$LDMX_SW_INSTALL/lib:$PYTHONPATH
+export PATH=$LDMX_SW_INSTALL/bin:$PATH
+
+#add what we need for GENIE 
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$GENIE/lib:/usr/local/pythia6:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+export PATH=$GENIE/bin:$PATH
+
+# add externals installed along side ldmx-sw
+# WARNING: No check to see if there is anything in this directory
+for _external_path in $LDMX_SW_INSTALL/external/*/lib
+do
+  export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$_external_path
+done
+unset _external_path
+
+# Developer option: If a custom geant4 install is to be used, source the
+# environment script from that install
+#
+# Note: Use with care!
+# 
+# The custom Geant4 install still needs to have been built with the same
+# container environment
+if [ -n "${LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4+x}" ]; then
+    # Overly obnoxious warning to make sure this feature isn't used accidentally
+    # Also detail how to set custom Geant4 data directories
+    if [ -z "${LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4_CONFIRM_DEV+x}" ]; then
+        echo "Warning: You are relying on a non-container version of Geant4. This mode of operation can come with some reproducibility concerns if you aren't careful. "
+        echo "Define the environment variable LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4_CONFIRM_DEV in the container environment to suppress this message"
+        echo "If using the standard ldmx-env.sh shell script, use 'ldmx setenv' to set environment variables within the container environment"
+        echo "You may also want to define LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4_DATA_DIR if you are using a version of Geant4 different from 10.2.3 and the Geant4 build you intend to use has the data directory in an non-standard location (i.e. one that isn't picked up by the geant4.sh script) "
+    fi
+    # First: Unset the container-specific versions of the Geant4 data directories
+    unset G4NEUTRONHPDATA
+    unset G4LEDATA
+    unset G4LEVELGAMMADATA
+    unset G4RADIOACTIVEDATA
+    unset G4PARTICLEXSDATA
+    unset G4PIIDATA
+    unset G4REALSURFACEDATA
+    unset G4SAIDXSDATA
+    unset G4ABLADATA
+    unset G4INCLDATA
+    unset G4ENSDFSTATEDATA
+    unset G4NEUTRONXSDATA
+    # If explicitly requested, use a custom location for Geant4's data directories
+    if [ -n "${LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4_DATA_DIR+x}" ]; then
+        export GEANT4_DATA_DIR=$LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4_DATA_DIR
+    fi 
+    # Source the custom geant's environment script
+    source $LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4/bin/geant4.sh
+    # Prioritize the cmake config in the Geant4 installation over the container location (/usr/local)
+    export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$LDMX_CUSTOM_GEANT4/lib/cmake:/usr/local/:$CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH
+
+    # If no directory was found by the geant4.sh script and the user didn't
+    # explicitly ask for a location (e.g. for a debug build):
+    #
+    # Assume we are using 10.2.3 (container provided) data
+    if [ -z "$GEANT4_DATA_DIR" ]; then
+        export GEANT4_DATA_DIR=${G4DATADIR}
+    fi
+else
+    # Tell CMake to look for configuration files in the container location by default
+    export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=/usr/local/:$LDMX_SW_INSTALL
+fi