diff --git a/backend/build-docker.sh b/backend/build-docker.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 1151d05..6243f9a
--- a/backend/build-docker.sh
+++ b/backend/build-docker.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-$HOME/.rustup/toolchains/stable-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu/bin/cargo build --release
+echo "--- Rust version info ---"
+rustup --version
+rustc --version
+cargo --version
+
+echo "--- Building plugin backend ---"
+cargo build --release
 mkdir -p out
-cp target/release/fantastic-rs out/backend
\ No newline at end of file
+cp target/release/fantastic-rs out/backend
+
+echo " --- Cleaning up ---"
+# remove root-owned target folder
+cargo clean
diff --git a/backend/build.sh b/backend/build.sh
index c939bde..7883d7e 100755
--- a/backend/build.sh
+++ b/backend/build.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-cross build --release
-mkdir out
-cp ./target/release/fantastic-rs out/backend
+cargo build --target x86_64-unknown-linux-musl --release
+mkdir -p ../bin
+cp ./target/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/release/fantastic-rs ../bin/backend
diff --git a/backend/create_docker_img.sh b/backend/create_docker_img.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a996f24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/create_docker_img.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# build docker container locally (for testing)
+
+docker build -t fantastic_backend .
diff --git a/backend/run_docker_img.sh b/backend/run_docker_img.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..bceb128
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/run_docker_img.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# run docker container locally (for testing)
+# assumes you're running in the backend/ dir of the project
+
+docker run -i --entrypoint /backend/entrypoint.sh -v $PWD:/backend fantastic_backend
+mkdir -p ../bin
+cp ./out/backend ../bin