diff --git a/containers/ruby/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json b/containers/ruby/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
index 9d75e9bf4b..bae30e2731 100644
--- a/containers/ruby/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
+++ b/containers/ruby/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@
 		}
 	},
 
+	"containerEnv": {
+		"RBENV_ENABLED": "true",
+		"RVM_ENABLED": "true"
+	},
+
 	// Set *default* container specific settings.json values on container create.
 	"settings": {},
 
diff --git a/containers/ruby/.devcontainer/library-scripts/ruby-debian.sh b/containers/ruby/.devcontainer/library-scripts/ruby-debian.sh
index 9908510012..bb22596e65 100755
--- a/containers/ruby/.devcontainer/library-scripts/ruby-debian.sh
+++ b/containers/ruby/.devcontainer/library-scripts/ruby-debian.sh
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ else
     # Install rvm
     curl -sSL https://get.rvm.io | bash -s stable --ignore-dotfiles ${RVM_INSTALL_ARGS} --with-default-gems="${DEFAULT_GEMS}" 2>&1
     usermod -aG rvm ${USERNAME}
-    su ${USERNAME} -c ". /usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm && rvm fix-permissions system"
+    su ${USERNAME} -c "/usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm fix-permissions system"
     rm -rf ${GNUPGHOME}
 fi
 
@@ -233,11 +233,11 @@ if [ "${INSTALL_RUBY_TOOLS}" = "true" ]; then
     # Non-root user may not have "gem" in path when script is run and no ruby version
     # is installed by rvm, so handle this by using root's default gem in this case
     ROOT_GEM='$(which gem || echo "")'
-    su ${USERNAME} -c ". /usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm && \"$(which gem || echo ${ROOT_GEM})\" install ${DEFAULT_GEMS}"
+    su ${USERNAME} -c "\"$(which gem || echo ${ROOT_GEM})\" install ${DEFAULT_GEMS}"
 fi
 
 # VS Code server usually first in the path, so silence annoying rvm warning (that does not apply) and then source it
-updaterc "if ! grep rvm_silence_path_mismatch_check_flag \$HOME/.rvmrc > /dev/null 2>&1; then echo 'rvm_silence_path_mismatch_check_flag=1' >> \$HOME/.rvmrc; fi\nsource /usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm > /dev/null 2>&1"
+updaterc "if ! grep rvm_silence_path_mismatch_check_flag \$HOME/.rvmrc > /dev/null 2>&1; then echo 'rvm_silence_path_mismatch_check_flag=1' >> \$HOME/.rvmrc; fi"
 
 # Install rbenv/ruby-build for good measure
 git clone --depth=1 \
@@ -247,8 +247,7 @@ git clone --depth=1 \
     -c fetch.fsck.zeroPaddedFilemode=ignore \
     -c receive.fsck.zeroPaddedFilemode=ignore \
     https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv.git /usr/local/share/rbenv
-ln -s /usr/local/share/rbenv/bin/rbenv /usr/local/bin
-updaterc 'eval "$(rbenv init -)"'
+
 git clone --depth=1 \
     -c core.eol=lf \
     -c core.autocrlf=false \
@@ -256,16 +255,28 @@ git clone --depth=1 \
     -c fetch.fsck.zeroPaddedFilemode=ignore \
     -c receive.fsck.zeroPaddedFilemode=ignore \
     https://github.com/rbenv/ruby-build.git /usr/local/share/ruby-build
+
 mkdir -p /root/.rbenv/plugins
 ln -s /usr/local/share/ruby-build /root/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build
+
 if [ "${USERNAME}" != "root" ]; then
     mkdir -p /home/${USERNAME}/.rbenv/plugins
     chown -R ${USERNAME} /home/${USERNAME}/.rbenv
     ln -s /usr/local/share/ruby-build /home/${USERNAME}/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build
 fi
 
+# Update bashrc and zshrc with conditionals
+# We use "not false" so that the default state is true, i.e., enabled
+updaterc 'if [ "${RVM_ENABLED}" != "false" ]; then 
+    source /usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm 
+fi'
+
+updaterc 'if [ "${RBENV_ENABLED}" != "false" ]; then
+        export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/share/rbenv/bin
+        eval "$(rbenv init -)"
+    fi'
+
 # Clean up
-source /usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm
-rvm cleanup all 
+/usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm cleanup all
 gem cleanup
 echo "Done!"
diff --git a/containers/ruby/README.md b/containers/ruby/README.md
index 13f84bba4e..eee9af8a26 100644
--- a/containers/ruby/README.md
+++ b/containers/ruby/README.md
@@ -61,6 +61,33 @@ Given JavaScript front-end web client code written for use in conjunction with a
 }
 ```
 
+### Enabling and Disabling Ruby Version Managers (RVM and RBENV)
+
+This Dev Container comes pre-packaged with a `ruby-debian.sh` shell script which installs `rbenv` and `rvm`. Both tools and their configuration files are enabled in the devcontainer by default. If you want to use them, simply start the container as normal. You can test the `rbenv` installation by running:
+
+```bash
+rbenv -v
+```
+
+And the `rvm` installation by running:
+
+```bash
+rvm -v
+```
+
+These commands can be run in the integrated terminal.
+
+To disable these tools, change the `containerEnv` variables in `devcontainer.json`:
+
+```jsonc
+"containerEnv": {
+   "RBENV_ENABLED": "false",
+   "RVM_ENABLED": "false"
+},
+```
+
+These variables need to be explicitly set to `false` for the tools to be disabled. Any other input will result in `rvm` and `rbenv` being enabled for the container.
+
 ### Adding the definition to your folder
 
 1. If this is your first time using a development container, please see getting started information on [setting up](https://aka.ms/vscode-remote/containers/getting-started) Remote-Containers or [creating a codespace](https://aka.ms/ghcs-open-codespace) using GitHub Codespaces.
diff --git a/script-library/ruby-debian.sh b/script-library/ruby-debian.sh
index 9908510012..bb22596e65 100755
--- a/script-library/ruby-debian.sh
+++ b/script-library/ruby-debian.sh
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ else
     # Install rvm
     curl -sSL https://get.rvm.io | bash -s stable --ignore-dotfiles ${RVM_INSTALL_ARGS} --with-default-gems="${DEFAULT_GEMS}" 2>&1
     usermod -aG rvm ${USERNAME}
-    su ${USERNAME} -c ". /usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm && rvm fix-permissions system"
+    su ${USERNAME} -c "/usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm fix-permissions system"
     rm -rf ${GNUPGHOME}
 fi
 
@@ -233,11 +233,11 @@ if [ "${INSTALL_RUBY_TOOLS}" = "true" ]; then
     # Non-root user may not have "gem" in path when script is run and no ruby version
     # is installed by rvm, so handle this by using root's default gem in this case
     ROOT_GEM='$(which gem || echo "")'
-    su ${USERNAME} -c ". /usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm && \"$(which gem || echo ${ROOT_GEM})\" install ${DEFAULT_GEMS}"
+    su ${USERNAME} -c "\"$(which gem || echo ${ROOT_GEM})\" install ${DEFAULT_GEMS}"
 fi
 
 # VS Code server usually first in the path, so silence annoying rvm warning (that does not apply) and then source it
-updaterc "if ! grep rvm_silence_path_mismatch_check_flag \$HOME/.rvmrc > /dev/null 2>&1; then echo 'rvm_silence_path_mismatch_check_flag=1' >> \$HOME/.rvmrc; fi\nsource /usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm > /dev/null 2>&1"
+updaterc "if ! grep rvm_silence_path_mismatch_check_flag \$HOME/.rvmrc > /dev/null 2>&1; then echo 'rvm_silence_path_mismatch_check_flag=1' >> \$HOME/.rvmrc; fi"
 
 # Install rbenv/ruby-build for good measure
 git clone --depth=1 \
@@ -247,8 +247,7 @@ git clone --depth=1 \
     -c fetch.fsck.zeroPaddedFilemode=ignore \
     -c receive.fsck.zeroPaddedFilemode=ignore \
     https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv.git /usr/local/share/rbenv
-ln -s /usr/local/share/rbenv/bin/rbenv /usr/local/bin
-updaterc 'eval "$(rbenv init -)"'
+
 git clone --depth=1 \
     -c core.eol=lf \
     -c core.autocrlf=false \
@@ -256,16 +255,28 @@ git clone --depth=1 \
     -c fetch.fsck.zeroPaddedFilemode=ignore \
     -c receive.fsck.zeroPaddedFilemode=ignore \
     https://github.com/rbenv/ruby-build.git /usr/local/share/ruby-build
+
 mkdir -p /root/.rbenv/plugins
 ln -s /usr/local/share/ruby-build /root/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build
+
 if [ "${USERNAME}" != "root" ]; then
     mkdir -p /home/${USERNAME}/.rbenv/plugins
     chown -R ${USERNAME} /home/${USERNAME}/.rbenv
     ln -s /usr/local/share/ruby-build /home/${USERNAME}/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build
 fi
 
+# Update bashrc and zshrc with conditionals
+# We use "not false" so that the default state is true, i.e., enabled
+updaterc 'if [ "${RVM_ENABLED}" != "false" ]; then 
+    source /usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm 
+fi'
+
+updaterc 'if [ "${RBENV_ENABLED}" != "false" ]; then
+        export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/share/rbenv/bin
+        eval "$(rbenv init -)"
+    fi'
+
 # Clean up
-source /usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm
-rvm cleanup all 
+/usr/local/rvm/scripts/rvm cleanup all
 gem cleanup
 echo "Done!"