diff --git a/doc/source/docker_install.rst b/doc/source/docker_install.rst
index 13582a0ca..122383800 100644
--- a/doc/source/docker_install.rst
+++ b/doc/source/docker_install.rst
@@ -78,3 +78,17 @@ automatically if they do not exist:
 If these files exist, they are used as-is, and are not overwritten. You can add
 these files using e.g.
 `-v local-dragonflow-conf.ini:/etc/dragonflow/dragonflow.ini`.
+
+
+
+Running the container without the controller service
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+This enables you to run the container without running the container service.
+This is useful in order to create a standalone node for Dragonflow API,
+separated from the controller node.
+
+* Run the following commands:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+  docker run --name dragonflow --net $DRAGONFLOW_NET_NAME --ip ${DRAGONFLOW_ADDRESS} -e DF_NO_CONTROLLER=1 -i -t dragonflow:latest --dragonflow_address ${DRAGONFLOW_ADDRESS} --db_address ${NODE1}:2379
diff --git a/tools/run_dragonflow.sh b/tools/run_dragonflow.sh
index a353e7aed..2d46e942d 100755
--- a/tools/run_dragonflow.sh
+++ b/tools/run_dragonflow.sh
@@ -54,5 +54,8 @@ if [ -n "$DB_INIT" ]; then
   df-db init
 fi
 
-/usr/local/bin/df-local-controller --config-file /etc/dragonflow/dragonflow.ini
-
+if [ -z "$DF_NO_CONTROLLER" ]; then
+  /usr/local/bin/df-local-controller --config-file /etc/dragonflow/dragonflow.ini
+else
+  /bin/bash
+fi