diff --git a/datalad_debian/__init__.py b/datalad_debian/__init__.py
index 0622faa..b661715 100644
--- a/datalad_debian/__init__.py
+++ b/datalad_debian/__init__.py
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@
             'deb-configure-builder',
             'deb_configure_builder',
         ),
+        (
+            'datalad_debian.bootstrap_builder',
+            'BootstrapBuilder',
+            'deb-bootstrap-builder',
+            'deb_bootstrap_builder',
+        ),
     ]
 )
 
diff --git a/datalad_debian/bootstrap_builder.py b/datalad_debian/bootstrap_builder.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4083e1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/datalad_debian/bootstrap_builder.py
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+import logging
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from datalad.distribution.dataset import (
+    EnsureDataset,
+    datasetmethod,
+    require_dataset,
+)
+from datalad.interface.base import (
+    Interface,
+    build_doc,
+)
+from datalad.interface.utils import (
+    eval_results,
+)
+from datalad.runner import (
+    Runner,
+    StdOutCapture,
+)
+from datalad.support.constraints import (
+    EnsureNone,
+)
+from datalad.support.param import Parameter
+
+lgr = logging.getLogger('datalad.debian.bootstrap_builder')
+
+
+@build_doc
+class BootstrapBuilder(Interface):
+    """Bootstrap a build environment
+    """
+    _params_ = dict(
+        dataset=Parameter(
+            args=("-d", "--dataset"),
+            doc="""specify a distribution dataset to add the package to""",
+            constraints=EnsureDataset() | EnsureNone()),
+    )
+
+    _examples_ = []
+
+    @staticmethod
+    @datasetmethod(name='deb_bootstrap_builder')
+    @eval_results
+    def __call__(*, dataset=None):
+        # TODO this could later by promoted to an option to support more than
+        # singularity
+        cfgtype = 'singularity'
+
+        builder_ds = require_dataset(dataset)
+
+        # figure out which architecture we will be building for
+        binarch = Runner().run(
+            ['dpkg-architecture', '-q', 'DEB_BUILD_ARCH'],
+            protocol=StdOutCapture)['stdout'].strip()
+
+        buildenv_name = f"{cfgtype}-{binarch}"
+
+        recipe = None
+        for p in (builder_ds.pathobj / 'recipes' / f"{cfgtype}-{binarch}",
+                  builder_ds.pathobj / 'recipes' / f"{cfgtype}-any"):
+            if p.exists():
+                recipe = p
+                break
+        if recipe is None:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                "Cannot locate build environment recipe for "
+                f"{cfgtype}({binarch})")
+
+        # TODO allow for other types of environments
+        buildenv = Path('envs', f"{buildenv_name}.sif")
+
+        yield from builder_ds.run(
+            # TODO allow for other means of privilege escalation
+            # TODO allow for other means to bootstrap
+            "sudo singularity build {outputs} {inputs}",
+            inputs=[str(recipe.relative_to(builder_ds.pathobj))],
+            outputs=[str(buildenv)],
+            result_renderer='disabled',
+            return_type='generator',
+            # give control flow to caller
+            on_failure='ignore',
+        )
+
+        buildenv_callfmt = \
+            'singularity run ' \
+            '--bind builder/cache/var/lib/apt:/var/lib/apt,builder/cache/var/cache/apt:/var/cache/apt,.:/pkg ' \
+            '--pwd /pkg ' \
+            '--fakeroot ' \
+            '--cleanenv ' \
+            '--containall ' \
+            '--writable ' \
+            '--no-home ' \
+            '{img} {cmd}'
+
+        # this is a fresh addition of the build env
+        yield from builder_ds.containers_add(
+            buildenv_name,
+            image=str(buildenv),
+            call_fmt=buildenv_callfmt,
+            # tolerate an already existing record
+            update=True,
+            result_renderer='disabled',
+            return_type='generator',
+            # give control flow to caller
+            on_failure='ignore',
+        )
diff --git a/docs/source/index.rst b/docs/source/index.rst
index e5a0ed3..acc2db8 100644
--- a/docs/source/index.rst
+++ b/docs/source/index.rst
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ High-level API commands
    :toctree: generated
 
    deb_new_distribution
-   deb_new_package
    deb_configure_builder
+   deb_bootstrap_builder
+   deb_new_package
 
 
 Command line reference
@@ -24,8 +25,9 @@ Command line reference
    :maxdepth: 1
 
    generated/man/datalad-deb-new-distribution
-   generated/man/datalad-deb-new-package
    generated/man/datalad-deb-configure-builder
+   generated/man/datalad-deb-bootstrap-builder
+   generated/man/datalad-deb-new-package
 
 
 Indices and tables
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 2391317..c90b199 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@ classifiers =
     Programming Language :: Python :: 3
 
 [options]
-python_requires = >= 3.6
+python_requires = >= 3.7
 install_requires =
-    datalad >= 0.14.0rc1
+    datalad >= 0.16
+    datalad-container
 packages = find:
 include_package_data = True