diff --git a/pyccc/engines/dockerengine.py b/pyccc/engines/dockerengine.py
index 175b247..d7120c3 100644
--- a/pyccc/engines/dockerengine.py
+++ b/pyccc/engines/dockerengine.py
@@ -89,31 +89,30 @@ def _generate_container_args(self, job):
         if job.env:
             container_args['environment'].update(job.env)
 
-        if job.engine_options:
-            volumes = []
-            binds = []
-
-            # mount the docker socket into the container
-            if job.engine_options.get('mount_docker_socket', False):
-                volumes.append('/var/run/docker.sock')
-                binds.append('/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:rw')
-
-            # handle other mounted volumes
-            for volume, mount in job.engine_options.get('volumes', {}).items():
-                if isinstance(mount, (list, tuple)):
-                    mountpoint, mode = mount
-                    bind = '%s:%s:%s' % (volume, mountpoint, mode)
-                else:
-                    mountpoint = mount
-                    mode = None
-                    bind = '%s:%s' % (volume, mountpoint)
-
-                volumes.append(mountpoint)
-                binds.append(bind)
-
-            if volumes or binds:
-                container_args['volumes'] = volumes
-                container_args['host_config'] = self.client.create_host_config(binds=binds)
+        volumes = []
+        binds = []
+
+        # mount the docker socket into the container (two ways to do this for backwards compat.)
+        if job.withdocker or job.engine_options.get('mount_docker_socket', False):
+            volumes.append('/var/run/docker.sock')
+            binds.append('/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:rw')
+
+        # handle other mounted volumes
+        for volume, mount in job.engine_options.get('volumes', {}).items():
+            if isinstance(mount, (list, tuple)):
+                mountpoint, mode = mount
+                bind = '%s:%s:%s' % (volume, mountpoint, mode)
+            else:
+                mountpoint = mount
+                mode = None
+                bind = '%s:%s' % (volume, mountpoint)
+
+            volumes.append(mountpoint)
+            binds.append(bind)
+
+        if volumes or binds:
+            container_args['volumes'] = volumes
+            container_args['host_config'] = self.client.create_host_config(binds=binds)
 
         return container_args
 
diff --git a/pyccc/job.py b/pyccc/job.py
index b86c566..1525bb6 100644
--- a/pyccc/job.py
+++ b/pyccc/job.py
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ class Job(object):
             contents (which can be either a FileContainer or just a string)
         on_status_update (callable): function that can be called as ``func(job)``; will be called
             locally whenever the job's status field is updated
+        withdocker (bool): whether this job needs access to a docker daemon
         when_finished (callable): function that can be called as ``func(job)``; will be called
             locally once, when this job completes
         numcpus (int): number of CPUs required (default:1)
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ def __init__(self, engine=None,
                  name='untitled',
                  submit=True,
                  inputs=None,
-                 requirements=None,
+                 withdocker=False,
                  numcpus=1,
                  runtime=3600,
                  on_status_update=None,
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ def __init__(self, engine=None,
         self.engine = engine
         self.image = image
         self.command = if_not_none(command, '')
-        self.engine_options = engine_options
+        self.engine_options = if_not_none(engine_options, {})
         self.workingdir = workingdir
         self.env = env
 
@@ -104,11 +105,11 @@ def __init__(self, engine=None,
                 else:
                     self.inputs[filename] = fileobj
 
-        self.requirements = if_not_none(requirements, {})
         self.on_status_update = on_status_update
         self.when_finished = when_finished
         self.numcpus = numcpus
         self.runtime = runtime
+        self.withdocker = withdocker
 
         self._reset()
 
diff --git a/pyccc/tests/test_job_types.py b/pyccc/tests/test_job_types.py
index c3d3660..f136b7a 100644
--- a/pyccc/tests/test_job_types.py
+++ b/pyccc/tests/test_job_types.py
@@ -347,9 +347,10 @@ def _runcall(fixture, request, function, *args, **kwargs):
     job.wait()
     return job.result
 
+
 @pytest.mark.skipif('CI_PROJECT_ID' in os.environ,
                     reason="Can't mount docker socket in codeship")
-def test_docker_socket_mount(local_docker_engine):
+def test_docker_socket_mount_with_engine_option(local_docker_engine):
     engine = local_docker_engine
 
     job = engine.launch(image='docker',
@@ -360,6 +361,19 @@ def test_docker_socket_mount(local_docker_engine):
     assert job.jobid in running
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif('CI_PROJECT_ID' in os.environ,
+                    reason="Can't mount docker socket in codeship")
+def test_docker_socket_mount_withdocker_option(local_docker_engine):
+    engine = local_docker_engine
+
+    job = engine.launch(image='docker',
+                        command='docker ps -q --no-trunc',
+                        withdocker=True)
+    job.wait()
+    running = job.stdout.strip().splitlines()
+    assert job.jobid in running
+
+
 def test_docker_volume_mount(local_docker_engine):
     """
     Note: