diff --git a/generate-genesis.sh b/generate-genesis.sh
index 3faf484..85a31f9 100755
--- a/generate-genesis.sh
+++ b/generate-genesis.sh
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ VALIDATOR_CONFIG_FILE="$GENESIS_DIR/validator-config.yaml"
 SKIP_KEY_GEN="true"
 DEPLOYMENT_MODE="local"  # Default to local mode
 GENESIS_TIME_OFFSET=""   # Will be set based on mode or --offset flag
+DOCKER_CMD="docker"      # Set to "sudo docker" via --dockerWithSudo (hosts where the docker socket needs root)
 shift
 while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
     case "$1" in
@@ -128,6 +129,10 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
                 exit 1
             fi
             ;;
+        --dockerWithSudo)
+            DOCKER_CMD="sudo docker"
+            shift
+            ;;
         *)
             shift
             ;;
@@ -274,9 +279,9 @@ else
     CURRENT_GID=$(id -g)
 
     # Pull latest image first
-    docker pull "$HASH_SIG_CLI_IMAGE" || true
+    $DOCKER_CMD pull "$HASH_SIG_CLI_IMAGE" || true
 
-    docker run --rm --pull=never \
+    $DOCKER_CMD run --rm --pull=never \
       --user "$CURRENT_UID:$CURRENT_GID" \
       -v "$GENESIS_DIR_ABS:/genesis" \
       "$HASH_SIG_CLI_IMAGE" \
@@ -469,9 +474,9 @@ echo "   Executing docker command..."
 
 # Pull latest image first 
 echo "   Pulling latest image: $PK_DOCKER_IMAGE"
-docker pull "$PK_DOCKER_IMAGE" || true
+$DOCKER_CMD pull "$PK_DOCKER_IMAGE" || true
 
-docker run --rm --pull=never \
+$DOCKER_CMD run --rm --pull=never \
   --user "$CURRENT_UID:$CURRENT_GID" \
   -v "$PARENT_DIR_ABS:/data" \
   "$PK_DOCKER_IMAGE" \
diff --git a/parse-env.sh b/parse-env.sh
index 50fc46c..3aff399 100755
--- a/parse-env.sh
+++ b/parse-env.sh
@@ -134,6 +134,12 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
       enableLogs=true
       shift
       ;;
+    --detach)
+      # Run local docker nodes detached (-d --restart unless-stopped) and let
+      # spin-node.sh exit without tearing them down. Local docker mode only.
+      detachNodes=true
+      shift
+      ;;
     *)    # unknown option
       shift # past argument
       ;;
@@ -191,3 +197,4 @@ echo "dryRun = ${dryRun:-false}"
 echo "replaceWith = ${replaceWith:-<not set>}"
 echo "networkName = $networkName"
 echo "enableLogs = ${enableLogs:-false}"
+echo "detachNodes = ${detachNodes:-false}"
diff --git a/set-up.sh b/set-up.sh
index c9c3362..afec67c 100755
--- a/set-up.sh
+++ b/set-up.sh
@@ -33,8 +33,13 @@ if [ -n "$generateGenesis" ] || [ ! -f "$configDir/validators.yaml" ] || [ ! -f
     _validator_config_flag="--validator-config $validatorConfig"
   fi
 
+  # Forward the sudo preference so the genesis keygen/tool docker calls work on
+  # hosts where the docker socket needs root (user not in the docker group).
+  _docker_sudo_flag=""
+  [ -n "$dockerWithSudo" ] && _docker_sudo_flag="--dockerWithSudo"
+
   # Run the generator with deployment mode
-  if ! $genesis_generator "$configDir" --mode "$deployment_mode" $FORCE_KEYGEN_FLAG $_validator_config_flag; then
+  if ! $genesis_generator "$configDir" --mode "$deployment_mode" $FORCE_KEYGEN_FLAG $_validator_config_flag $_docker_sudo_flag; then
     echo "❌ Genesis generation failed!"
     exit 1
   fi
diff --git a/spin-node.sh b/spin-node.sh
index 7270190..901f696 100755
--- a/spin-node.sh
+++ b/spin-node.sh
@@ -908,6 +908,15 @@ for item in "${spin_nodes[@]}"; do
   echo "$sourceCmd"
   eval $sourceCmd
 
+  # --detach only supports docker nodes: it relies on `docker run -d
+  # --restart unless-stopped` to outlive this script. A binary has no such
+  # supervisor, so a detached binary would just run in the foreground here (or,
+  # if backgrounded, die when the script exits). Fail fast instead.
+  if [ "$detachNodes" == "true" ] && [ "$node_setup" == "binary" ]; then
+    echo "❌ --detach is only supported for docker nodes; '$item' is configured for binary mode."
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
   # spin nodes
   if [ "$node_setup" == "binary" ]
   then
@@ -927,7 +936,14 @@ for item in "${spin_nodes[@]}"; do
     else
       docker pull "$docker_image" || true
     fi
-    execCmd="docker run --rm --pull=never"
+    if [ "$detachNodes" == "true" ]; then
+      # Detached: run in the background with a restart policy so the devnet
+      # keeps running after spin-node.sh exits. No --rm, so the container is
+      # kept for `docker logs` inspection.
+      execCmd="docker run -d --restart unless-stopped --pull=never"
+    else
+      execCmd="docker run --rm --pull=never"
+    fi
     if [ -n "$dockerWithSudo" ]
     then
       execCmd="sudo $execCmd"
@@ -961,6 +977,13 @@ for item in "${spin_nodes[@]}"; do
   if [ "$dryRun" == "true" ]; then
     echo "[DRY RUN] Would execute: $execCmd"
     pid=0
+  elif [ "$detachNodes" == "true" ]; then
+    # Detached `docker run -d` returns immediately after printing the
+    # container id; logs are captured by the docker daemon (docker logs <node>).
+    # There is no foreground process to track, so record a placeholder pid.
+    echo "$execCmd"
+    eval "$execCmd"
+    pid=0
   else
     sed_remove_ansi='s/\x1b\[[0-9;]*[mJHG]//g'
     echo "$execCmd"
@@ -1066,17 +1089,37 @@ cleanup() {
 
 _print_deployment_summary
 
-trap "echo exit signal received;cleanup" SIGINT SIGTERM
-echo -e "\n\nwaiting for nodes to exit"
-printf '%*s' $(tput cols) | tr ' ' '-'
-echo "press Ctrl+C to exit and cleanup..."
-# Wait for background processes - use a compatible approach for all shells
-if [ ${#spinned_pids[@]} -gt 0 ]; then
-  for pid in "${spinned_pids[@]}"; do
-    wait $pid 2>/dev/null || true
-  done
+if [ "$detachNodes" == "true" ]; then
+  # Detached mode: leave the devnet running once spin-node.sh exits. Skip the
+  # trap/wait/cleanup entirely so the containers (started with
+  # --restart unless-stopped) survive independently of this script.
+  echo -e "\n\ndevnet started in detached mode; nodes keep running after this script exits"
+  printf '%*s' $(tput cols) | tr ' ' '-'
+  echo
+  # Mirror the sudo preference in the hints so copy-pasted commands work on
+  # hosts where the docker socket needs root (--dockerWithSudo).
+  _hint_docker="docker"
+  _hint_stop_flags=""
+  if [ -n "$dockerWithSudo" ]; then
+    _hint_docker="sudo docker"
+    _hint_stop_flags=" --dockerWithSudo"
+  fi
+  echo "  view logs:  $_hint_docker logs -f <node>      (e.g. $_hint_docker logs -f ${spin_nodes[0]})"
+  echo "  stop all:   NETWORK_DIR=$NETWORK_DIR $0 --node all --stop$_hint_stop_flags"
+  echo "  (or raw:    $_hint_docker rm -f $container_names)"
 else
-  # Fallback: wait for any background job
-  wait
+  trap "echo exit signal received;cleanup" SIGINT SIGTERM
+  echo -e "\n\nwaiting for nodes to exit"
+  printf '%*s' $(tput cols) | tr ' ' '-'
+  echo "press Ctrl+C to exit and cleanup..."
+  # Wait for background processes - use a compatible approach for all shells
+  if [ ${#spinned_pids[@]} -gt 0 ]; then
+    for pid in "${spinned_pids[@]}"; do
+      wait $pid 2>/dev/null || true
+    done
+  else
+    # Fallback: wait for any background job
+    wait
+  fi
+  cleanup
 fi
-cleanup