diff --git a/docs/CHEATSHEET.md b/docs/CHEATSHEET.md
index 4b2f37d..d08f399 100644
--- a/docs/CHEATSHEET.md
+++ b/docs/CHEATSHEET.md
@@ -53,14 +53,21 @@ format = "json"    # JSONL output (default: "text")
 ## Container
 
 ```bash
-make build            # Build image (only for dep changes)
-make up               # Start (podman-compose)
-make down             # Stop
-make logs             # Follow logs
+tools/build              # Build image
+tools/build --no-cache   # Rebuild from scratch
+tools/start              # Start (builds if no image)
+tools/stop               # Stop and remove container
+tools/restart            # Stop + rebuild + start
+tools/restart --no-cache # Full clean restart
+tools/logs               # Tail logs (default 30 lines)
+tools/logs 100           # Tail last 100 lines
+tools/status             # Container, image, mount state
+tools/nuke               # Full teardown (container + image)
 ```
 
 Code, plugins, config, and data are bind-mounted. No rebuild needed for
 code changes -- restart the container or use `!reload` for plugins.
+Rebuild only when `requirements.txt` or `Containerfile` change.
 
 ## Bot Commands
 
diff --git a/tools/_common.sh b/tools/_common.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f25e94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/_common.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Shared helpers for derp container tools.
+# Sourced, not executed.
+# shellcheck disable=SC2034
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[1]}")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_DIR="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/.." && pwd)"
+
+# Compose command detection
+if podman compose version &>/dev/null; then
+    COMPOSE="podman compose"
+elif command -v podman-compose &>/dev/null; then
+    COMPOSE="podman-compose"
+else
+    echo "error: podman compose or podman-compose required" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+CONTAINER_NAME="derp"
+# podman-compose names images <project>_<service>
+IMAGE_NAME="derp_derp"
+
+# Colors (suppressed if NO_COLOR is set or stdout isn't a tty)
+if [[ -z "${NO_COLOR:-}" ]] && [[ -t 1 ]]; then
+    GRN='\e[38;5;108m'
+    RED='\e[38;5;131m'
+    BLU='\e[38;5;110m'
+    DIM='\e[2m'
+    RST='\e[0m'
+else
+    GRN='' RED='' BLU='' DIM='' RST=''
+fi
+
+info()  { printf "${GRN}%s${RST} %s\n" "✓" "$*"; }
+err()   { printf "${RED}%s${RST} %s\n" "✗" "$*" >&2; }
+dim()   { printf "${DIM}  %s${RST}\n" "$*"; }
diff --git a/tools/build b/tools/build
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3d480f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/build
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Build or rebuild the derp container image.
+# Usage: tools/build [--no-cache]
+
+# shellcheck source=tools/_common.sh
+source "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/_common.sh"
+cd "$PROJECT_DIR" || exit 1
+
+args=()
+[[ "${1:-}" == "--no-cache" ]] && args+=(--no-cache)
+
+dim "Building image..."
+$COMPOSE build "${args[@]}"
+
+size=$(podman image inspect "$IMAGE_NAME" --format '{{.Size}}' 2>/dev/null || true)
+if [[ -n "$size" ]]; then
+    human=$(numfmt --to=iec-i --suffix=B "$size" 2>/dev/null || echo "${size} bytes")
+    info "Image built ($human)"
+else
+    info "Image built"
+fi
diff --git a/tools/logs b/tools/logs
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..33c401f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/logs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Tail container logs.
+# Usage: tools/logs [N]
+
+# shellcheck source=tools/_common.sh
+source "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/_common.sh"
+
+tail_n="${1:-30}"
+podman logs -f --tail "$tail_n" "$CONTAINER_NAME"
diff --git a/tools/nuke b/tools/nuke
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a93b161
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/nuke
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Full teardown: stop container and remove image.
+# Usage: tools/nuke
+
+# shellcheck source=tools/_common.sh
+source "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/_common.sh"
+cd "$PROJECT_DIR" || exit 1
+
+dim "Stopping container..."
+$COMPOSE down 2>/dev/null || true
+
+before=$(podman system df --format '{{.Size}}' 2>/dev/null | head -1 || true)
+
+dim "Removing image..."
+podman rmi "$IMAGE_NAME" 2>/dev/null || true
+# Also remove any dangling derp images
+podman images --filter "reference=*derp*" --format '{{.ID}}' 2>/dev/null | \
+    xargs -r podman rmi 2>/dev/null || true
+
+after=$(podman system df --format '{{.Size}}' 2>/dev/null | head -1 || true)
+
+if [[ -n "$before" && -n "$after" ]]; then
+    info "Teardown complete (images: $before -> $after)"
+else
+    info "Teardown complete"
+fi
diff --git a/tools/restart b/tools/restart
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..205d544
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/restart
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Stop, rebuild, and start the derp container.
+# Usage: tools/restart [--no-cache]
+
+# shellcheck source=tools/_common.sh
+source "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/_common.sh"
+
+args=()
+[[ "${1:-}" == "--no-cache" ]] && args+=("--no-cache")
+
+"$SCRIPT_DIR/stop"
+echo
+"$SCRIPT_DIR/build" "${args[@]}"
+echo
+"$SCRIPT_DIR/start"
diff --git a/tools/start b/tools/start
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..22a9c14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/start
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Start the derp container.
+# Usage: tools/start
+
+# shellcheck source=tools/_common.sh
+source "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/_common.sh"
+cd "$PROJECT_DIR" || exit 1
+
+# Build first if no image exists
+if ! podman image exists "$IMAGE_NAME" 2>/dev/null; then
+    dim "No image found, building..."
+    "$SCRIPT_DIR/build"
+    echo
+fi
+
+dim "Starting container..."
+$COMPOSE up -d
+
+sleep 3
+dim "Recent logs:"
+podman logs --tail 15 "$CONTAINER_NAME" 2>&1 || true
+echo
+info "Container started"
diff --git a/tools/status b/tools/status
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d6cf976
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/status
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Show container and image state.
+# Usage: tools/status
+
+# shellcheck source=tools/_common.sh
+source "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/_common.sh"
+
+# -- Container ----------------------------------------------------------------
+printf '%b%s%b\n' "$BLU" "Container" "$RST"
+state=$(podman inspect "$CONTAINER_NAME" --format '{{.State.Status}}' 2>/dev/null || true)
+if [[ -z "$state" ]]; then
+    dim "absent"
+elif [[ "$state" == "running" ]]; then
+    uptime=$(podman inspect "$CONTAINER_NAME" --format '{{.State.StartedAt}}' 2>/dev/null || true)
+    info "running (since ${uptime%.*})"
+else
+    info "$state"
+fi
+
+echo
+
+# -- Image --------------------------------------------------------------------
+printf '%b%s%b\n' "$BLU" "Image" "$RST"
+if podman image exists "$IMAGE_NAME" 2>/dev/null; then
+    img_info=$(podman image inspect "$IMAGE_NAME" --format '{{.Created}} {{.Size}}' 2>/dev/null || true)
+    created="${img_info%% *}"
+    size="${img_info##* }"
+    human=$(numfmt --to=iec-i --suffix=B "$size" 2>/dev/null || echo "${size}B")
+    info "$IMAGE_NAME ($human, ${created%T*})"
+else
+    dim "no image"
+fi
+
+echo
+
+# -- Volumes ------------------------------------------------------------------
+printf '%b%s%b\n' "$BLU" "Mounts" "$RST"
+mounts=(src plugins config/derp.toml data secrets)
+for m in "${mounts[@]}"; do
+    path="$PROJECT_DIR/$m"
+    if [[ -e "$path" ]]; then
+        info "$m"
+    else
+        err "$m (missing)"
+    fi
+done
diff --git a/tools/stop b/tools/stop
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5c7ce95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/stop
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Stop and remove the derp container.
+# Usage: tools/stop
+
+# shellcheck source=tools/_common.sh
+source "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/_common.sh"
+cd "$PROJECT_DIR" || exit 1
+
+dim "Stopping container..."
+$COMPOSE down
+info "Container stopped"