diff --git a/docker/base/Dockerfile b/docker/base/Dockerfile
index 3c83313d..bc71897e 100644
--- a/docker/base/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/base/Dockerfile
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ RUN ln -s /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-musl/libc.so /lib/libc.musl-x86_64.so.1
 # install git-lfs
 RUN curl -s https://packagecloud.io/install/repositories/github/git-lfs/script.deb.sh | sudo bash && sudo apt-get install git-lfs=2.8.0
 
+# Add Tini
+ENV TINI_VERSION v0.18.0
+ADD https://github.com/krallin/tini/releases/download/${TINI_VERSION}/tini /tini
+RUN chmod +x /tini
+
 # switch to the notebook user
 USER $NB_USER
 
@@ -71,4 +76,7 @@ RUN echo "$NB_USER ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL" >> /etc/sudoers && \
     rm -rf /wheels
 USER $NB_USER
 
+COPY entrypoint.sh /entrypoint.sh
+ENTRYPOINT [ "/tini", "--", "/entrypoint.sh" ]
+
 CMD '/usr/local/bin/start-singleuser.sh'
diff --git a/docker/base/entrypoint.sh b/docker/base/entrypoint.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..9a1ff22b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/base/entrypoint.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Setup git user
+if [ -z "$(git config --global --get user.name)" ]; then
+    git config --global user.name "$GIT_AUTHOR_NAME"
+fi
+if [ -z "$(git config --global --get user.email)" ]; then
+    git config --global user.email "$EMAIL"
+fi
+
+#
+# copy the environment from renku-env repo
+#
+
+# clone the repo
+proto=$(echo $GITLAB_URL | sed -e's,^\(.*://\).*,\1,g')
+url=$(echo ${GITLAB_URL/$proto/})
+user=$(echo ${CI_REPOSITORY_URL/$proto/} | grep @ | cut -d@ -f1)
+
+git clone --depth 1 ${proto}${user}@${url}/${JUPYTERHUB_USER}/renku-env.git /tmp/renku-env || true
+
+# append the contents of all the files to same files in ${HOME}
+find /tmp/renku-env -not -path '*.git*' -type f -print0 | xargs --null -I{} sh -c 'cat {} >> ${HOME}/$(basename "{}")' || true
+
+# run the command
+$@
diff --git a/docker/r/entrypoint.sh b/docker/r/entrypoint.sh
index dc884771..9fc1e666 100755
--- a/docker/r/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/r/entrypoint.sh
@@ -19,6 +19,19 @@ fi
 # add a symlink to the project directory in /home/rstudio
 [ -n "$CI_PROJECT" ] && ln -s /work/${CI_PROJECT} /home/rstudio
 
+#
+# copy the environment from renku-env repo
+#
+
+# clone the repo
+proto=$(echo $GITLAB_URL | sed -e's,^\(.*://\).*,\1,g')
+url=$(echo ${GITLAB_URL/$proto/})
+user=$(echo ${CI_REPOSITORY_URL/$proto/} | grep @ | cut -d@ -f1)
+
+git clone --depth 1 ${proto}${user}@${url}/${JUPYTERHUB_USER}/renku-env.git /tmp/renku-env || true
+
+# append the contents of all the files to same files in ${HOME}
+find /tmp/renku-env -not -path '*.git*' -type f -print0 | xargs --null -I{} sh -c 'cat {} >> ${HOME}/$(basename "{}")' || true
 
 # run the command
 $@