diff --git a/docker/dist/README.md b/docker/dist/README.md
index a61141745..6e9d8cb8d 100644
--- a/docker/dist/README.md
+++ b/docker/dist/README.md
@@ -20,3 +20,23 @@ make dist
 
 No `-march=native` and no metrics support.
 
+## Running a Medalla node
+
+With default options:
+
+```bash
+./run_medalla_node.sh
+```
+
+Change options implemented as shell variables inside the script:
+
+```bash
+LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG BASE_PORT=9100 ./run_medalla_node.sh
+```
+
+Add arbitrary `beacon_node` parameters (yes, you can combine this with env vars):
+
+```bash
+./run_medalla_node.sh --log-level=DEBUG --rpc-port=9290
+```
+
diff --git a/docker/dist/entry_point.sh b/docker/dist/entry_point.sh
index 3dd00a3f4..c62982865 100755
--- a/docker/dist/entry_point.sh
+++ b/docker/dist/entry_point.sh
@@ -8,16 +8,16 @@ PREFIX="nimbus-eth2_Linux_amd64_"
 GIT_COMMIT="$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"
 DIR="${PREFIX}${GIT_COMMIT}_$(date --utc +'%Y%m%d%H%M%S')"
 DIST_PATH="dist/${DIR}"
-BINARIES="beacon_node"
+BINARIES="beacon_node medalla_beacon_node"
 
 # delete old artefacts
-rm -rf "dist/${PREFIX}"*
+rm -rf "dist/${PREFIX}"*.tar.gz
 
 mkdir -p "${DIST_PATH}"
 
 # we need to build everything against libraries available inside this container, including the Nim compiler
 make clean
-make -j$(nproc) NIMFLAGS="-d:disableMarchNative" PARTIAL_STATIC_LINKING=1 ${BINARIES}
+make -j$(nproc) LOG_LEVEL="TRACE" NIMFLAGS="-d:disableMarchNative" PARTIAL_STATIC_LINKING=1 ${BINARIES}
 for BINARY in ${BINARIES}; do
   cp -a ./build/${BINARY} "${DIST_PATH}/"
   cd "${DIST_PATH}"
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ for BINARY in ${BINARIES}; do
   cd - >/dev/null
 done
 sed -e "s/GIT_COMMIT/${GIT_COMMIT}/" docker/dist/README.md > "${DIST_PATH}/README.md"
+cp -a scripts/makedir.sh docker/dist/run_medalla_node.sh "${DIST_PATH}/"
 
 # create the tarball
 cd dist
diff --git a/docker/dist/run_medalla_node.sh b/docker/dist/run_medalla_node.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..ee0fad627
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/dist/run_medalla_node.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Copyright (c) 2020 Status Research & Development GmbH. Licensed under
+# either of:
+# - Apache License, version 2.0
+# - MIT license
+# at your option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed except
+# according to those terms.
+
+set -e
+
+REL_PATH="$(dirname $0)"
+
+# Overridable from the environment.
+: ${LOG_LEVEL:="INFO"}
+: ${NODE_ID:=0}
+: ${NETWORK:="medalla"}
+: ${DATA_DIR:="shared_${NETWORK}_${NODE_ID}"}
+: ${BASE_PORT:=9000}
+: ${BASE_RPC_PORT:=9190}
+: ${GOERLI_WEB3_URL:="wss://goerli.infura.io/ws/v3/809a18497dd74102b5f37d25aae3c85a"}
+
+# Create the data directory with the proper permissions.
+"${REL_PATH}"/makedir.sh "${DATA_DIR}"
+
+# Run the beacon node.
+"${REL_PATH}"/${NETWORK}_beacon_node \
+  --network="${NETWORK}" \
+  --log-level="${LOG_LEVEL}" \
+  --log-file="${DATA_DIR}"/nbc_bn_$(date +"%Y%m%d%H%M%S").log \
+  --data-dir="${DATA_DIR}" \
+  --web3-url=${GOERLI_WEB3_URL} \
+  --tcp-port=$(( ${BASE_PORT} + ${NODE_ID} )) \
+  --udp-port=$(( ${BASE_PORT} + ${NODE_ID} )) \
+  --rpc \
+  --rpc-port=$(( ${BASE_RPC_PORT} +${NODE_ID} )) \
+  "$@"
+
diff --git a/scripts/makedir.sh b/scripts/makedir.sh
index 2a6ac0916..5420fe3bd 100755
--- a/scripts/makedir.sh
+++ b/scripts/makedir.sh
@@ -1,22 +1,30 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-# Copyright (c) 2018-2019 Status Research & Development GmbH. Licensed under
+# Copyright (c) 2018-2020 Status Research & Development GmbH. Licensed under
 # either of:
 # - Apache License, version 2.0
 # - MIT license
 # at your option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed except
 # according to those terms.
 
-if [[ $OS = "Windows_NT" ]]
-then
-  if [ ! -d "$1" ]; then
+[[ -z "$1" ]] && { echo "Usage: $(basename $0) path"; exit 1; }
+
+if uname | grep -qiE "mingw|msys"; then
+	ON_WINDOWS=1
+else
+	ON_WINDOWS=0
+fi
+
+if [[ "${ON_WINDOWS}" == "1" ]]; then
+  if [[ ! -d "$1" ]]; then
     # Create full path.
-    mkdir -p $1;
-    # Remove all inherited aces from path $1 ACL and grant full access rights
+    mkdir -p "$1";
+    # Remove all inherited access from path $1 ACL and grant full access rights
     # to current user only in $1 ACL.
-    icacls $1 /inheritance:r /grant:r $USERDOMAIN\\$USERNAME:\(OI\)\(CI\)\(F\)&>/dev/null;
+    icacls "$1" /inheritance:r /grant:r $USERDOMAIN\\$USERNAME:\(OI\)\(CI\)\(F\)&>/dev/null;
   fi
 else
   # Create full path with 0750 permissions.
-  mkdir -m 0750 -p $1
+  mkdir -m 0750 -p "$1"
 fi
+