diff --git a/.gitpod.yml b/.gitpod.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9e2544ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitpod.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# This configuration file was mainly inspired by ./doc/SETUP_DEVELOPMENT_DOCKER.md
+tasks:
+  - name: Docker
+    init: |
+      # init docker containers
+      docker-compose -f docker-compose-dev.yml pull
+      docker-compose -f docker-compose-dev.yml up -d mariadb
+      docker-compose -f docker-compose-dev.yml run --rm foodsoft bundle install
+      docker-compose -f docker-compose-dev.yml run --rm foodsoft bundle exec rake foodsoft:setup_development_docker
+      # setup test database
+      docker-compose -f docker-compose-dev.yml run --rm mariadb mariadb --host=mariadb --password=secret --execute="CREATE DATABASE test"
+      docker-compose -f docker-compose-dev.yml run --rm foodsoft bundle exec rake db:schema:load RAILS_ENV=test DATABASE_URL=mysql2://root:secret@mariadb/test?encoding=utf8mb4
+    command: |
+      # start docker containers
+      docker-compose -f docker-compose-dev.yml up
+      
+  - name: Rails
+    command: |
+      echo "The rails application is started in docker containers (see docker-compose-dev.yml)."
+      echo "For executing rails commands, open up a bash terminal inside the foodsoft container via 'docker-compose -f docker-compose-dev.yml exec foodsoft bash'"
+
+ports:
+  - port: 3000
+    onOpen: open-preview
+  - port: 2080
+    onOpen: notify
+  - port: 1080
+    onOpen: notify
+
+vscode:
+  extensions:
+    - ms-azuretools.vscode-docker
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9facbdac..e9f89f42 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ Get foodsoft [running locally](doc/SETUP_DEVELOPMENT.md),
 then visit our [Developing Guidelines](https://github.com/foodcoops/foodsoft/wiki/Developing-Guidelines)
 page on the wiki.
 
+Get a foodsoft dev-environment running in the browser with Gitpod
+
+[![Open in Gitpod](https://gitpod.io/button/open-in-gitpod.svg)](https://gitpod.io/#https://github.com/mob-programming-meetup/foodsoft)
+
+Follow these [instructions](doc/SETUP_DEVELOPMENT_GITPOD.md) to complete setup from within the Gitpod workspace. 
 
 Deploying
 ---------
diff --git a/doc/SETUP_DEVELOPMENT_GITPOD.md b/doc/SETUP_DEVELOPMENT_GITPOD.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9807be7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/SETUP_DEVELOPMENT_GITPOD.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+
+After opening the workspace, follow these steps to complete the setup:
+
+1. Login using the default credentials: `admin/secret`
+
+1. Change the admin password, just in case.
+
+1. Optionally, load an initial database (here seeded with `small.en`) by running
+
+```
+    docker-compose -f docker-compose-dev.yml run --rm foodsoft \
+      bundle exec rake db:schema:load db:seed:small.en
+```
+
+> Note: The gitpod env is setup to open the front-ends using a preview browser built into the workspace. You can also open these in browser tabs by clicking the icon next to address bar. Refer gitpod.io docs about [whitelisting workspaces](https://www.gitpod.io/docs/configure/browser-settings#browser-settings) to prevent pop-up blockers from blocking these tabs.
+
+The main configuration of the Gitpod workspace is in [/.gippod.yml](/.gitpod.yml). Check out https://www.gitpod.io/docs/config-gitpod-file for more information.