diff --git a/.devcontainer/Dockerfile b/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b4decb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# --- base image ---
+FROM postgres:17-bookworm AS base
+
+ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+
+RUN apt-get update \
+    && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends ca-certificates curl \
+    && update-ca-certificates \
+    && sh /usr/share/postgresql-common/pgdg/apt.postgresql.org.sh -y \
+    && apt-get update
+
+# --- pgrx builder base image
+FROM base AS pgrx_builder_base
+
+ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+ENV PG_MAJOR=17
+
+RUN apt-get -qy install curl gnupg apt-transport-https \
+    libreadline-dev zlib1g-dev flex bison libxml2-dev libxslt-dev \
+    libssl-dev libxml2-utils xsltproc ccache \
+    build-essential git pkg-config libssl-dev clang libclang-dev \
+    postgresql-server-dev-$PG_MAJOR postgresql-common \
+    postgresql-common-dev protobuf-compiler libprotobuf-dev \
+    && curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh -s -- -y
+
+# --- etcd_fdw image ---
+FROM pgrx_builder_base AS etcd_fdw_builder
+
+ENV CARGO_PGRX_VERSION=0.16.1
+ENV PATH="/root/.cargo/bin:${PATH}"
+
+RUN . $HOME/.cargo/env \
+    && rustup component add clippy rustfmt rust-src \
+    && cargo install --force --locked cargo-pgrx@"${CARGO_PGRX_VERSION}" \
+    && cargo pgrx init --pg$PG_MAJOR $(which pg_config)
diff --git a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3365e43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{
+    "name": "rust-dev",
+    "build": {
+        "dockerfile": "Dockerfile"
+    },
+    "features": {
+        "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/common-utils:2": {},
+        "git": "latest"
+    },
+    "customizations": {
+        "vscode": {
+            "settings": {
+                "terminal.integrated.shell.linux": "/bin/bash"
+            },            
+            "extensions": [
+                "rust-lang.rust-analyzer",
+                "serayuzgur.crates"
+            ]
+        }
+    },
+    "mounts": [
+        "source=cargo-home,target=/usr/local/cargo,type=volume",
+        "source=cargo-registry,target=/usr/local/cargo/registry,type=volume",
+        "source=cargo-target,target=/workspace/target,type=volume"
+    ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 067c22b..744bdf7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,7 +2,27 @@
 
 A foreign data wrapper around etcd for postgres
 
-## Setup
+## Development Setup
+
+### Option 1: Using DevContainer
+
+The easiest way to get started is using the provided DevContainer configuration:
+
+1. **Prerequisites**
+   - [Docker Desktop](https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/) or Docker Engine
+   - [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) with the [Dev Containers extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers)
+
+2. **Open in DevContainer**
+   - Open this project in VS Code
+   - Press `F1` and select "Dev Containers: Reopen in Container"
+   - Wait for the container to build (~4 minutes first time)
+
+3. **Start Developing**
+   - All dependencies are pre-installed (Rust, cargo-pgrx, PostgreSQL 17, protobuf)
+   - Cargo cache volumes ensure fast rebuilds
+   - Run `cargo pgrx run` to build and test
+
+### Option 2: Manual Setup
 
 - Install pgrx on your machine `cargo install --locked cargo-pgrx --version 0.16.1`
 - Setup pgrx `cargo pgrx init`