diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 9ba56b0..3b8a490 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ RUN spack module tcl loads geant4 xerces-c clhep boost cmake nlohmann-json >> /e
 RUN rm -fr /opt/spack/share/spack/modules/$(spack arch)
 
 ENV ESI_DIR=/esi
+ENV HOME=$ESI_DIR
 ENV OPTIX_DIR=/usr/local/optix
 ENV OPTICKS_HOME=${ESI_DIR}/opticks
 ENV OPTICKS_PREFIX=/usr/local/opticks
@@ -80,5 +81,5 @@ COPY <<-"EOF" /etc/profile.d/z20_opticks.sh
 EOF
 
 RUN mkdir -p $OPTIX_DIR && ./NVIDIA-OptiX-SDK-7.6.0-linux64-x86_64.sh --skip-license --prefix=$OPTIX_DIR
-RUN HOME=$ESI_DIR opticks-full
+RUN opticks-full
 RUN rm -fr $OPTIX_DIR/* $ESI_DIR/NVIDIA-OptiX-SDK-7.6.0-linux64-x86_64.sh
diff --git a/esi-shell b/esi-shell
index 987d0c4..b2807ae 100755
--- a/esi-shell
+++ b/esi-shell
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ ohai "Using esi-shell image: ${IMG}"
 
 if [[ -n "${USABLE_DOCKER-}" ]]
 then
-  cmd="docker run --rm -dit --pull=always ${DOCKER_GPU-} ${DOCKER_PLATFORM-} ${DOCKER_BIND_VOLUME-} -e OPTICKS_OPTIX_PREFIX=$OPTIX_DIR -e HOME=$WORKDIR -w=$WORKDIR $IMG"
+  cmd="docker run --rm -dit ${DOCKER_GPU-} ${DOCKER_PLATFORM-} ${DOCKER_BIND_VOLUME-} -e OPTICKS_OPTIX_PREFIX=$OPTIX_DIR $IMG"
   CONTAINER_ID=$(exec $cmd)
 
   if [ $? -ne 0 ]