diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index af4382f..f2299ba
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ ARG PUID=845
 ARG PGID=845
 ARG BOX64_VERSION=v0.2.4
 
+# optionally utilize a built-in map-gen-preset (see data/base/prototypes/map-gen-presets
+# if this is used, the preset will be used over any .json files supplied
+# vanilla factorio provides the following presets:
+# rich-resources, marathon, death-world, death-world-marathon, rail-world, ribbon-world, island
+# a modded factorio example for using this:
+# space-exploration
+ARG PRESET
+
 # version checksum of the archive to download
 ARG VERSION
 ARG SHA256
@@ -20,6 +28,7 @@ ENV PORT=34197 \
     VERSION=${VERSION} \
     SHA256=${SHA256} \
     SAVES=/factorio/saves \
+    PRESET="$PRESET" \
     CONFIG=/factorio/config \
     MODS=/factorio/mods \
     SCENARIOS=/factorio/scenarios \
diff --git a/docker/docker-compose.yml b/docker/docker-compose.yml
index 35d1778..eb59fdb 100644
--- a/docker/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker/docker-compose.yml
@@ -20,4 +20,5 @@ services:
 #      - USERNAME=FactorioUsername
 #      - TOKEN=FactorioToken
 #      - PORT=34198
+#      - PRESET=deathworld
 #      - ADDR=::1
diff --git a/docker/files/docker-entrypoint.sh b/docker/files/docker-entrypoint.sh
index bf18fb8..420bedd 100755
--- a/docker/files/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/files/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -eoux pipefail
-
 FACTORIO_VOL=/factorio
 LOAD_LATEST_SAVE="${LOAD_LATEST_SAVE:-true}"
 GENERATE_NEW_SAVE="${GENERATE_NEW_SAVE:-false}"
+PRESET="${PRESET:-""}"
 SAVE_NAME="${SAVE_NAME:-""}"
 BIND="${BIND:-""}"
 CONSOLE_LOG_LOCATION="${CONSOLE_LOG_LOCATION:-""}"
@@ -75,10 +75,18 @@ if [[ $GENERATE_NEW_SAVE == true ]]; then
     if [[ -f "$SAVES/$SAVE_NAME.zip" ]]; then
         echo "Map $SAVES/$SAVE_NAME.zip already exists, skipping map generation"
     else
-        $EXEC /opt/factorio/bin/x64/factorio \
-            --create "$SAVES/$SAVE_NAME.zip" \
-            --map-gen-settings "$CONFIG/map-gen-settings.json" \
-            --map-settings "$CONFIG/map-settings.json"
+        if [[ ! -z "$PRESET" ]]; then
+            $EXEC /opt/factorio/bin/x64/factorio \
+                --create "$SAVES/$SAVE_NAME.zip" \
+                --preset "$PRESET" \
+                --map-gen-settings "$CONFIG/map-gen-settings.json" \
+                --map-settings "$CONFIG/map-settings.json"
+        else
+            $EXEC /opt/factorio/bin/x64/factorio \
+                --create "$SAVES/$SAVE_NAME.zip" \
+                --map-gen-settings "$CONFIG/map-gen-settings.json" \
+                --map-settings "$CONFIG/map-settings.json"
+        fi
     fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/docker/files/scenario.sh b/docker/files/scenario.sh
index bafac0b..f108ca6 100755
--- a/docker/files/scenario.sh
+++ b/docker/files/scenario.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ if [[ -z ${1:-} ]]; then
 fi
 
 SERVER_SCENARIO="$1"
+PRESET="${PRESET:-""}"
+
 mkdir -p "$SAVES"
 mkdir -p "$CONFIG"
 mkdir -p "$MODS"
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ fi
 exec /opt/factorio/bin/x64/factorio \
   --port "$PORT" \
   --start-server-load-scenario "$SERVER_SCENARIO" \
+  --preset "$PRESET" \
   --map-gen-settings "$CONFIG/map-gen-settings.json" \
   --map-settings "$CONFIG/map-settings.json" \
   --server-settings "$CONFIG/server-settings.json" \