diff --git a/makefiles/tools.mk b/makefiles/tools.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4aafcbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/tools.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# -*- makefile -*-
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Copyright 2017-2023 Open Networking Foundation (ONF) and the ONF Contributors
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.d
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+$(if $(DEBUG),$(warning ENTER))
+
+## Docker related -- are these ${shell vars} or $(make macros) ?
+DOCKER_TAG  			?= ${VERSION}
+DOCKER_REPOSITORY  		?=
+DOCKER_REGISTRY 		?=
+DOCKER_RUN_ARGS			?=
+DOCKER_PORTS			?= -p 50070:50070 -p 50060:50060 -p 50071:50071 -p 50072:50072 -p 50073:50073 -p 50074:50074 -p 50075:50075
+TYPE                            ?= minimal
+
+# tool containers
+VOLTHA_TOOLS_VERSION ?= 2.3.1
+
+docker-run     = docker run --rm --user $$(id -u):$$(id -g)#   # Docker command stem
+docker-run-app = $(docker-run) -v ${CURDIR}:/app#              # w/filesystem mount
+is-stdin       = $(shell test -t 0 && echo "-it")
+
+# Docker volume mounts: container:/app/release <=> localhost:{pwd}/release
+vee-golang     = -v gocache-${VOLTHA_TOOLS_VERSION}:/go/pkg
+vee-citools    = voltha/voltha-ci-tools:${VOLTHA_TOOLS_VERSION}
+
+GO                = $(docker-run-app) $(is-stdin) -v gocache:/.cache $(vee-golang) $(vee-citools)-golang go
+GO_SH             = $(docker-run-app) $(is-stdin) --env-file ./foobar -v gocache:/.cache $(vee-golang) $(vee-citools)-golang sh -c
+GO_JUNIT_REPORT   = $(docker-run-app) -i $(vee-citools)-go-junit-report go-junit-report
+GOCOVER_COBERTURA = $(docker-run) -v ${CURDIR}:/app/src/github.com/opencord/bbsim -i $(vee-citools)-gocover-cobertura gocover-cobertura
+GOLANGCI_LINT     = $(docker-run-app) $(is-stdin) -v gocache:/.cache $(vee-golang) $(vee-citools)-golangci-lint golangci-lint
+PROTOC            = $(docker-run-app) $(is-stdin) $(vee-golang) $(vee-citools)-protoc protoc
+
+$(if $(DEBUG),$(warning LEAVE))
+
+# [EOF]