diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.md b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
index 78b1a7e15..3fbab978a 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # WebGoat release notes 
 
+## Unreleased
+
+### New functionality
+
+- Update the Docker startup script, it is now possible to pass `skip-nginx` or set `SKIP_NGINX` as environment variable.
+
 ## Version 8.2.2
 
 ### New functionality
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 83fd7470d..11ee7f65d 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ COPY --chown=webgoat index.html /usr/share/nginx/html/
 COPY --chown=webgoat target/webgoat-server-*.jar /home/webgoat/webgoat.jar
 COPY --chown=webgoat target/webwolf-*.jar /home/webgoat/webwolf.jar
 COPY --chown=webgoat start.sh /home/webgoat
+RUN chmod +x /home/webgoat/start.sh
 
 EXPOSE 8080
 EXPOSE 9090
 
 WORKDIR /home/webgoat
-ENTRYPOINT /bin/bash start.sh
+ENTRYPOINT ["./start.sh"]
diff --git a/docker/start.sh b/docker/start.sh
index 3a37439a6..d25b00214 100755
--- a/docker/start.sh
+++ b/docker/start.sh
@@ -1,26 +1,72 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 cd /home/webgoat 
-service nginx start
-sleep 1
-echo "Starting WebGoat...."
 
-java \
- -Duser.home=/home/webgoat \
- -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \
- --add-opens java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED \
- --add-opens java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED \
- --add-opens java.base/java.lang.reflect=ALL-UNNAMED \
- --add-opens java.base/java.text=ALL-UNNAMED \
- --add-opens java.desktop/java.beans=ALL-UNNAMED \
- --add-opens java.desktop/java.awt.font=ALL-UNNAMED \
- --add-opens java.base/sun.nio.ch=ALL-UNNAMED \
- --add-opens java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED \
- -jar webgoat.jar --server.address=0.0.0.0 > webgoat.log &
+function should_start_nginx() {
+  if [[ -v "${SKIP_NGINX}" ]]; then
+    return 1
+  else
+    for i in "${commandline_args[@]}" ; do [[ $i == "skip-nginx" ]] && return 1 ; done
+  fi
+  return 0
+}
+
+function nginx() {
+  if should_start_nginx; then
+    echo "Starting nginx..."
+    service nginx start
+  fi
+}
+
+function webgoat() {
+  echo "Starting WebGoat...."
+  java \
+   -Duser.home=/home/webgoat \
+   -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \
+   --add-opens java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED \
+   --add-opens java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED \
+   --add-opens java.base/java.lang.reflect=ALL-UNNAMED \
+   --add-opens java.base/java.text=ALL-UNNAMED \
+   --add-opens java.desktop/java.beans=ALL-UNNAMED \
+   --add-opens java.desktop/java.awt.font=ALL-UNNAMED \
+   --add-opens java.base/sun.nio.ch=ALL-UNNAMED \
+   --add-opens java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED \
+   -jar webgoat.jar --server.address=0.0.0.0 > webgoat.log
+}
+
+function webwolf() {
+  echo "Starting WebWolf..."
+  java -Duser.home=/home/webgoat -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -jar webwolf.jar --server.address=0.0.0.0 > webwolf.log
+}
+
+function write_start_message() {
+  until $(curl --output /dev/null --silent --head --fail http://0.0.0.0:8080/WebGoat/health); do
+    sleep 2
+  done
+  echo "
+    __          __       _        _____                   _
+    \ \        / /      | |      / ____|                 | |
+     \ \  /\  / /  ___  | |__   | |  __    ___     __ _  | |_
+      \ \/  \/ /  / _ \ | '_ \  | | |_ |  / _ \   / _' | | __|
+       \  /\  /  |  __/ | |_) | | |__| | | (_) | | (_| | | |_
+        \/  \/    \___| |_.__/   \_____|  \___/   \__,_|  \__|
+  " >> webgoat.log
+  echo "WebGoat and WebWolf successfully started..." >> webgoat.log
+  pidof nginx >/dev/null && echo "Browse to http://localhost to get started" >> webgoat.log ||  echo "Browse to http://localhost:8080/WebGoat or http://localhost:9090/WebWolf to get started" >> webgoat.log
+}
+
+function tail_log_file() {
+  touch webgoat.log
+  tail -300f webgoat.log
+}
+
+commandline_args=("$@")
+
+nginx
+webgoat &
+webwolf &
+write_start_message &
+tail_log_file
 
-echo "Starting WebWolf..."
-java -Duser.home=/home/webgoat -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -jar webwolf.jar --server.address=0.0.0.0 > webwolf.log &
 
-echo "Browse to http://localhost to get started" >> webgoat.log
 
-exec tail -300f webgoat.log