diff --git a/src/modules/containers.nix b/src/modules/containers.nix
index 2837e3e7e..09dea6fb3 100644
--- a/src/modules/containers.nix
+++ b/src/modules/containers.nix
@@ -101,11 +101,11 @@ let
     nix2container.nix2container.buildImage {
       name = cfg.name;
       tag = cfg.version;
-      initializeNixDatabase = true;
+      initializeNixDatabase = cfg.isDev;
       nixUid = lib.toInt uid;
       nixGid = lib.toInt gid;
 
-      copyToRoot = [
+      copyToRoot = lib.lists.optionals cfg.isDev [
         (pkgs.buildEnv {
           name = "devenv-container-root";
           paths =
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ let
         })
       ];
 
-      perms = [{
+      perms = lib.lists.optionals cfg.isDev [{
         path = mkTmp;
         regex = "/tmp";
         mode = "1777";
@@ -135,14 +135,19 @@ let
         gname = "root";
       }];
 
-      config = {
-        Entrypoint = cfg.entrypoint;
-        User = "${user}";
-        WorkingDir = "${homeDir}";
-        Env = lib.mapAttrsToList (name: value: "${name}=${toString value}")
-          config.env ++ [ "HOME=${homeDir}" "USER=${user}" ];
-        Cmd = [ cfg.startupCommand ];
-      };
+      config = lib.attrsets.mergeAttrsList [
+        {
+          User = "${user}";
+          WorkingDir = "${homeDir}";
+        }
+        (if cfg.isDev then {
+          Env = lib.mapAttrsToList (name: value: "${name}=${toString value}")
+            config.env ++ [ "HOME=${homeDir}" "USER=${user}" ];
+          Entrypoint = cfg.entrypoint;
+          Cmd = [ cfg.startupCommand ];
+        } else
+          { })
+      ];
     };
 
   # <registry> <args>
@@ -243,6 +248,12 @@ let
           "Set to true when the environment is building this container.";
       };
 
+      isDev = lib.mkOption {
+        type = types.bool;
+        default = true;
+        description = "Is a development containers (add tools).";
+      };
+
       derivation = lib.mkOption {
         type = types.package;
         internal = true;