diff --git a/.devcontainer/Dockerfile b/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
index 05f75a083c..f8904eaddf 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
+++ b/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
-# Installs Ruby 3.2.2. When human-essentials moves to a newer version of ruby,
+# Installs Ruby 3.4. When human-essentials moves to a newer version of ruby,
 # it will be more efficient to change the image.
 # See https://github.com/devcontainers/images/blob/main/src/ruby/history/
-FROM mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/ruby:dev-3.2
+#
+# See devcontainers/features#1431 for why we include the `-bookworm`
+# suffix. Once that issue is resolved, we can remove the suffix, which
+# will let us follow the debian upgrade to trixie.
+FROM mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/ruby:dev-3.4-bookworm
 RUN export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get -y install vim curl gpg postgresql postgresql-contrib
 RUN cd /tmp
diff --git a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
index 27e89fdc40..20b31e3dd4 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
@@ -5,12 +5,8 @@
   "features": {
     "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/desktop-lite:1": {}
   },
-  "forwardPorts": [3000, 5432, 6080],
+  "forwardPorts": [5432, 6080],
   "portsAttributes": {
-    "3000": {
-      "label": "Application",
-      "onAutoForward": "silent"
-    },
     "5432": {
       "label": "Database",
       "onAutoForward": "silent"
@@ -26,6 +22,8 @@
     "vscode": {
       "extensions": ["Shopify.ruby-extensions-pack"],
       "settings": {
+        // This doesn't seem to work. Not sure if we actually
+        // install+configure rvm.
         "rubyLsp.rubyVersionManager": {
           "identifier": "rvm"
         }
diff --git a/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml b/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml
index d04b16f23d..6acf7f2bbc 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ services:
     command: sleep infinity
 
     # Runs app on the same network as the database container, allows "forwardPorts" in devcontainer.json function.
+    # (Although we're not sure if our port forwarding is actually doing any good)
     network_mode: service:postgres
 
   postgres:
diff --git a/.devcontainer/post-create.sh b/.devcontainer/post-create.sh
index d456de720d..e57a3c0e06 100755
--- a/.devcontainer/post-create.sh
+++ b/.devcontainer/post-create.sh
@@ -1,28 +1,26 @@
-RUBY_VERSION="$(cat .ruby-version | tr -d '\n')"
-
 # copy the file only if it doesn't already exist
 echo "*** Creating initial .env and vscode settings, if needed"
 cp -n .devcontainer/.env.codespaces .env
 mkdir -p .vscode && cp -n .devcontainer/launch.json.codespaces .vscode/launch.json
 
-# If the project's required ruby version changes from 3.2.2, this command
-# will download and compile the correct version, but it will take a long time.
-if [ "$RUBY_VERSION" != "3.2.2" ]; then
-  echo "*** Installing Ruby $RUBY_VERSION (this may take a while)"
-  rvm install $RUBY_VERSION
-  rvm use $RUBY_VERSION
-  echo "Ruby $RUBY_VERSION installed"
-fi
-
 echo "*** Setting up node"
-nvm install node
+nvm install node &
 
 echo "*** Setting up ruby environment"
-rbenv init bash
-rbenv init zsh
+rbenv init bash &
+rbenv init fish &
+rbenv init zsh &
 
 # echo "*** Forcing platform version of nokogiri"
 # gem install nokogiri -v 1.18.1 --platform=ruby -- --use-system-libraries
 
+# If the project's required ruby version (specified in .ruby-version)
+# changes from 3.4.3, this command will download and compile the correct
+# version, but it will take a long time.
+echo "*** Installing rbenv-able Ruby ***"
+rbenv install --skip-existing &
+
+wait
+
 echo "*** Running project bin/setup"
 bin/setup
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index dec566bb12..6476dd4b70 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -134,19 +134,22 @@ You might also want to try VSCode with [this WSL extension](https://marketplace.
   ```
 </details>
 
-## Codespaces and Dev Container - EXPERIMENTAL 🛠️
+## One-click in-the-cloud env via Codespaces and Dev Container - EXPERIMENTAL 🛠️
 
-[![Open in GitHub Codespaces](https://github.com/codespaces/badge.svg)](https://codespaces.new/rubyforgood/human-essentials/tree/main?quickstart=1)
-
-[![Clone and open in VSCode Dev Container](https://img.shields.io/static/v1?label=Dev%20Containers&message=Clone%20and%20Open%20in%20VSCode&color=blue&logo=visualstudiocode)](https://vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode://ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/cloneInVolume?url=https://github.com/rubyforgood/human-essentials)
+[![Open in GitHub Codespaces](https://github.com/codespaces/badge.svg)](https://codespaces.new/rubyforgood/human-essentials/tree/fix-devcontainers?quickstart=1)
 
 1. Create the container:
     - To run the container on a Github VM, follow the Codespace link above. You can connect to the Codespace using VSCode or the VSCode web editor.
     - Or follow instructions to [create a new Codespace.](https://docs.github.com/en/codespaces/developing-in-a-codespace/creating-a-codespace-for-a-repository)
     - To clone this repo and run the container locally, follow instructions to [install VSCode and Docker](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/devcontainers/containers). Click the Dev Container link above. Don't forget to add a git remote pointing to your fork once the container is setup and you want to push changes.
 2. Wait for the container to start. This will take a few (10-15) minutes since Ruby needs to be installed, the database needs to be created, and the `bin/setup` script needs to run
-3. Run `bin/start`. On the Ports tab, visit the forwarded port 3000 URL marked as Application to see the human essentials page.
-4. Login as a sample user with the default [credentials](#credentials).
+3. Run `bin/start`.
+4. On the Ports tab, visit the forwarded port 3000 URL marked as Application to see the human essentials page.
+5. Login as a sample user with the default [credentials](#credentials).
+
+### Further experimental option—local dev container
+
+[![Clone and open in VSCode Dev Container](https://img.shields.io/static/v1?label=Dev%20Containers&message=Clone%20and%20Open%20in%20VSCode&color=blue&logo=visualstudiocode)](https://vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode://ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/cloneInVolume?url=https://github.com/rubyforgood/human-essentials)
 
 ## Troubleshooting 👷🏼‍♀️