diff --git a/src/assets/templates/strands-http-python/Dockerfile.template b/src/assets/templates/strands-http-python/Dockerfile.template
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cb3569eff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/assets/templates/strands-http-python/Dockerfile.template
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+FROM public.ecr.aws/docker/library/python:3.12-slim-trixie
+
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir uv
+
+ARG UV_DEFAULT_INDEX
+ARG UV_INDEX
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+ENV UV_SYSTEM_PYTHON=1 \
+    UV_COMPILE_BYTECODE=1 \
+    UV_NO_PROGRESS=1 \
+    PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1 \
+    DOCKER_CONTAINER=1 \
+    UV_DEFAULT_INDEX=${UV_DEFAULT_INDEX} \
+    UV_INDEX=${UV_INDEX} \
+    PATH="/app/.venv/bin:$PATH"
+
+RUN useradd -m -u 1000 bedrock_agentcore
+
+COPY pyproject.toml uv.lock ./
+RUN uv sync --frozen --no-dev --no-install-project
+
+COPY --chown=bedrock_agentcore:bedrock_agentcore . .
+RUN uv sync --frozen --no-dev
+
+USER bedrock_agentcore
+
+# AgentCore Runtime service contract ports
+# https://docs.aws.amazon.com/bedrock-agentcore/latest/devguide/runtime-service-contract.html
+# 8080: HTTP Mode
+# 8000: MCP Mode
+# 9000: A2A Mode
+EXPOSE 8080 8000 9000
+
+{{#if enableOtel}}
+CMD ["opentelemetry-instrument", "python", "-m", "{{entrypoint}}"]
+{{else}}
+CMD ["python", "-m", "{{entrypoint}}"]
+{{/if}}
diff --git a/src/assets/templates/strands-http-python/dockerignore.template b/src/assets/templates/strands-http-python/dockerignore.template
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0c4eb658
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/assets/templates/strands-http-python/dockerignore.template
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Python
+__pycache__/
+*.py[cod]
+*.egg-info/
+.venv/
+dist/
+build/
+
+# IDE
+.vscode/
+.idea/
+
+# Testing
+.pytest_cache/
+.coverage
+htmlcov/
+
+# Secrets and environment files
+.env
+.env.*
+
+# Version control
+.git/
+
+# AgentCore build artifacts
+.agentcore/artifacts/
+*.zip
diff --git a/src/core/project/templates/runtime.ts b/src/core/project/templates/runtime.ts
index 6a15566d1..39e538393 100644
--- a/src/core/project/templates/runtime.ts
+++ b/src/core/project/templates/runtime.ts
@@ -78,9 +78,6 @@ const getTemplateResolvers = (assetSource: AssetSource, templateRenderer: Templa
     if (input.protocol !== undefined && input.protocol !== "HTTP")
       throw new InputValidationError("the strands-python template only supports HTTP");
 
-    if (input.scaffoldRuntimeInput.build !== "CodeZip")
-      throw new InputValidationError("the strands template only supports CodeZip builds");
-
     const filesystemConfigurations = input.filesystemConfigurations ?? [];
     const sessionStorageMountPath = filesystemConfigurations.flatMap((configuration) =>
       "sessionStorage" in configuration ? [configuration.sessionStorage.mountPath] : [],
@@ -115,14 +112,22 @@ const getTemplateResolvers = (assetSource: AssetSource, templateRenderer: Templa
       s3Mounts,
       needsOs: filesystemConfigurations.length > 0,
       hasConfigBundle: false,
+      enableOtel: true,
+      // entrypoint is only consumed on container path, where the docker file attempts to launch it as a module (without .py extension)
+      entrypoint: input.scaffoldRuntimeInput.entrypoint.replace(/\.py$/, ""),
     };
+    const isContainer = input.scaffoldRuntimeInput.build === "Container";
     const tree = await FsTreeNode.fromAssetSource(
       { assetSource },
       { assetDir: "templates/strands-http-python" },
       {
         rootDirName: input.name,
         transformContent: (raw) => templateRenderer.render(raw, context),
-        filter: (name, isDir) => memory !== undefined || !isDir || name !== "memory",
+        filter: (name, isDir) => {
+          if (isDir && name === "memory") return memory !== undefined;
+          if (name === "Dockerfile" || name === ".dockerignore") return isContainer;
+          return true;
+        },
       },
     );
     return {
diff --git a/src/handlers/project/add/runtime/index.test.ts b/src/handlers/project/add/runtime/index.test.ts
index e5c2f047f..59d52a83a 100644
--- a/src/handlers/project/add/runtime/index.test.ts
+++ b/src/handlers/project/add/runtime/index.test.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ describe("project add runtime", () => {
     "container template build override to CodeZip": {
       build: "CodeZip",
     },
+    "strands template overrides to Container": {
+      build: "Container",
+      dockerfile: "Dockerfile",
+    },
     "all infrastructure flags": {
       description: "Configured runtime",
       executionRoleArn: "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/MyRole",
@@ -155,6 +159,10 @@ describe("project add runtime", () => {
       "container template build override to CodeZip",
       ["--name", "my_agent", "--template", "hello-world-python-container", "--build", "CodeZip"],
     ],
+    [
+      "strands template overrides to Container",
+      ["--name", "my_agent", "--template", "strands-python", "--build", "Container"],
+    ],
     ["custom — all scaffolding flags", ["--name", "my_agent", ...allScaffoldingFlags]],
     [
       "custom — framework strands",
@@ -319,6 +327,10 @@ describe("project add runtime", () => {
         ? flags[buildFlagIndex + 1] === "Container"
         : flags.includes("hello-world-python-container");
     expect(runtime.runtimeVersion).toBe(isContainer ? undefined : "PYTHON_3_14");
+    expect(await Bun.file(join(projectRoot, "app", name, "Dockerfile")).exists()).toBe(isContainer);
+    expect(await Bun.file(join(projectRoot, "app", name, ".dockerignore")).exists()).toBe(
+      isContainer,
+    );
   });
 
   test.each([
@@ -386,10 +398,6 @@ describe("project add runtime", () => {
       "strands-python only supports HTTP",
       ["--name", "my_agent", "--template", "strands-python", "--protocol", "MCP"],
     ],
-    [
-      "strands-python only supports CodeZip builds",
-      ["--name", "my_agent", "--template", "strands-python", "--build", "Container"],
-    ],
     [
       "invalid JSON in --network-config",
       ["--name", "my_agent", ...template, "--network-config", "{bad}"],
diff --git a/src/handlers/project/project.test.ts b/src/handlers/project/project.test.ts
index 742a4965c..686289229 100644
--- a/src/handlers/project/project.test.ts
+++ b/src/handlers/project/project.test.ts
@@ -163,6 +163,51 @@ describe("project create", () => {
     expect(await Bun.file(join(projectRoot, "app", "custom_agent", "main.py")).exists()).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  test("scaffolds a Container agent from the strands template", async () => {
+    const directory = await inTempDirectory();
+    await run([
+      "create",
+      "--name",
+      "MyProject",
+      "--template",
+      "strands-python",
+      "--build",
+      "Container",
+      "--skip-install",
+      "--skip-git",
+    ]);
+
+    const projectRoot = join(directory, "MyProject");
+    const spec = await Bun.file(join(projectRoot, "agentcore", "agentcore.json")).json();
+    expect(spec.runtimes[0]).toMatchObject({
+      name: "strands_agent",
+      build: "Container",
+      codeLocation: "app/strands_agent",
+      dockerfile: "Dockerfile",
+    });
+    expect(spec.runtimes[0].runtimeVersion).toBeUndefined();
+    const runtimeRoot = join(projectRoot, "app", "strands_agent");
+    expect(await Bun.file(join(runtimeRoot, "Dockerfile")).exists()).toBe(true);
+    expect(await Bun.file(join(runtimeRoot, ".dockerignore")).exists()).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test("omits the Dockerfile from a CodeZip strands template", async () => {
+    const directory = await inTempDirectory();
+    await run([
+      "create",
+      "--name",
+      "MyProject",
+      "--template",
+      "strands-python",
+      "--skip-install",
+      "--skip-git",
+    ]);
+
+    const runtimeRoot = join(directory, "MyProject", "app", "strands_agent");
+    expect(await Bun.file(join(runtimeRoot, "Dockerfile")).exists()).toBe(false);
+    expect(await Bun.file(join(runtimeRoot, ".dockerignore")).exists()).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   test.each([
     ["default", [], ["SEMANTIC", "USER_PREFERENCE", "SUMMARIZATION", "EPISODIC"]],
     ["none", ["--memory", "none"], []],