diff --git a/core/docker/README.md b/core/docker/README.md
index ce9a53829c03..14ed3137e37d 100644
--- a/core/docker/README.md
+++ b/core/docker/README.md
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ To launch it, execute the following:
 docker run -p 8080:8080 --name trino trinodb/trino
 ```
 
-Wait for the following message log line:
+When Trino finishes starting up, the container will report its status as healthy.
+You can check it in the output of `docker ps`, or wait for the following message
+log line:
 ```
 INFO	main	io.trino.server.Server	======== SERVER STARTED ========
 ```
@@ -62,6 +64,15 @@ The default configuration uses `/data/trino` as the default for
 `node.data-dir`. Thus if using the default configuration and a mounted volume
 is desired for the data directory it should be mounted to `/data/trino`.
 
+## Disabling plugins
+
+On startup, Trino loads all plugins found in `/usr/lib/trino/plugin`. To avoid
+loading unused plugins, set the `TRINO_DISABLE_PLUGINS` to a comma separated
+list of plugin names. Set the `TRINO_ENABLE_PLUGINS` to only enable selected plugins:
+```bash
+docker run -p 8080:8080 --name trino -e TRINO_ENABLE_PLUGINS=hive,jmx trinodb/trino
+```
+
 ## Building a custom Docker image
 
 To build an image for a locally modified version of Trino, run the Maven
diff --git a/core/docker/bin/run-trino b/core/docker/bin/run-trino
index db3337ad82ca..1fb141ea4d8b 100755
--- a/core/docker/bin/run-trino
+++ b/core/docker/bin/run-trino
@@ -2,14 +2,39 @@
 
 set -xeuo pipefail
 
-set +e
-grep -s -q 'node.id' /etc/trino/node.properties
-NODE_ID_EXISTS=$?
-set -e
-
 NODE_ID=""
-if [[ ${NODE_ID_EXISTS} != 0 ]] ; then
+if ! grep -s -q 'node.id' /etc/trino/node.properties; then
     NODE_ID="-Dnode.id=${HOSTNAME}"
 fi
 
-exec /usr/lib/trino/bin/launcher run --etc-dir /etc/trino ${NODE_ID} "$@"
+base=/usr/lib/trino
+if [ -n "${TRINO_ENABLE_PLUGINS:-}" ] && [ -n "${TRINO_DISABLE_PLUGINS:-}" ]; then
+    echo >&2 "Cannot set both \$TRINO_DISABLE_PLUGINS and \$TRINO_ENABLE_PLUGINS"
+    exit 1
+elif [ -n "${TRINO_ENABLE_PLUGINS:-}" ]; then
+    if [ -n "${TRINO_DISABLE_PLUGINS:-}" ]; then
+        echo >&2 "Cannot set both \$TRINO_DISABLE_PLUGINS and \$TRINO_ENABLE_PLUGINS"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    mv "$base/plugin" "$base/plugin.disabled"
+    mv "/etc/trino/catalog" "/etc/trino/catalog.disabled"
+    mkdir -p "$base/plugin" /etc/trino/catalog
+    IFS=, read -ra names <<< "$TRINO_ENABLE_PLUGINS"
+    for name in "${names[@]}"; do
+        mv "$base/plugin.disabled/$name" "$base/plugin/$name"
+        if [ -f "/etc/trino/catalog.disabled/$name.properties" ]; then
+            mv "/etc/trino/catalog.disabled/$name.properties" "/etc/trino/catalog/$name.properties"
+        fi
+    done
+elif [ -n "${TRINO_DISABLE_PLUGINS:-}" ]; then
+    mkdir -p "$base/plugin.disabled" /etc/trino/catalog.disabled
+    IFS=, read -ra names <<< "$TRINO_DISABLE_PLUGINS"
+    for name in "${names[@]}"; do
+        mv "$base/plugin/$name" "$base/plugin.disabled/$name"
+        if [ -f "/etc/trino/catalog/$name.properties" ]; then
+            mv "/etc/trino/catalog/$name.properties" "/etc/trino/catalog.disabled/$name.properties"
+        fi
+    done
+fi
+
+exec /usr/lib/trino/bin/launcher run --etc-dir /etc/trino "${NODE_ID}" "$@"
diff --git a/core/docker/container-test.sh b/core/docker/container-test.sh
index 1ff5f4ec2fd3..5e9d815447d4 100644
--- a/core/docker/container-test.sh
+++ b/core/docker/container-test.sh
@@ -13,10 +13,8 @@ function test_trino_starts {
     CONTAINER_ID=
     trap cleanup EXIT
 
-    local CONTAINER_NAME=$1
-    local PLATFORM=$2
     # We aren't passing --rm here to make sure container is available for inspection in case of failures
-    CONTAINER_ID=$(docker run -d --platform "${PLATFORM}" "${CONTAINER_NAME}")
+    CONTAINER_ID=$(docker run -d "$@")
 
     set +e
     I=0
@@ -41,6 +39,15 @@ function test_trino_starts {
     [[ ${RESULT} == '"success"' ]]
 }
 
+function test_trino_fails {
+    if ! timeout 10 docker run --rm "$@"; then
+        if [ $? == 124 ]; then
+            echo >&2 "Command expected to fail but did not: docker run --rm $*"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+    fi
+}
+
 function test_javahome {
     local CONTAINER_NAME=$1
     local PLATFORM=$2
@@ -56,6 +63,8 @@ function test_container {
     local PLATFORM=$2
     echo "🐢 Validating ${CONTAINER_NAME} on platform ${PLATFORM}..."
     test_javahome "${CONTAINER_NAME}" "${PLATFORM}"
-    test_trino_starts "${CONTAINER_NAME}" "${PLATFORM}"
+    test_trino_starts -e TRINO_ENABLE_PLUGINS=jmx,memory --platform "${PLATFORM}" "${CONTAINER_NAME}"
+    test_trino_starts -e TRINO_DISABLE_PLUGINS=tpch,tpcds --platform "${PLATFORM}" "${CONTAINER_NAME}"
+    test_trino_fails -e TRINO_ENABLE_PLUGINS=jmx,memory -e TRINO_DISABLE_PLUGINS=tpch,tpcds "${CONTAINER_NAME}"
     echo "🎉 Validated ${CONTAINER_NAME} on platform ${PLATFORM}"
 }