diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e8f97aa..85a57df 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -48,9 +48,7 @@ Finally two other components exist:
 # Technical Overview
 
 The go command is almost dependency free. 
-It expects that a basic debian system (in particular the `apt-get` command) is available.
-The command has been tested only under Debian 10, but may also work under older or newer versions.
-The command expects to be run as root, and will fail when this is not the case.
+It only expects that `docker` and `docker compose` are available.
 
 Each subcommand comes with documentation, which can be found in this readme (and the readme is always outdated), as well as via the command line when passing a `--help` flag.
 
diff --git a/cmd/bootstrap.go b/cmd/bootstrap.go
index 5713cfc..e4dc42d 100644
--- a/cmd/bootstrap.go
+++ b/cmd/bootstrap.go
@@ -193,7 +193,8 @@ func (bs cBootstrap) Run(context wisski_distillery.Context) error {
 	// Tell the user how to proceed
 	logging.LogMessage(context.IOStream, "Bootstrap is complete")
 	context.Printf("Adjust the configuration file at %s\n", envPath)
-	context.Printf("Then grab a GraphDB zipped source file and run:\n")
+	context.Printf("Then make sure 'docker compose' is installed.\n")
+	context.Printf("Finally grab a GraphDB zipped source file and run:\n")
 	context.Printf("%s system_update /path/to/graphdb.zip\n", wdcliPath)
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/cmd/system_update.go b/cmd/system_update.go
index c373897..ab5ccbc 100644
--- a/cmd/system_update.go
+++ b/cmd/system_update.go
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ import (
 var SystemUpdate wisski_distillery.Command = systemupdate{}
 
 type systemupdate struct {
-	SkipCoreUpdates bool `short:"s" long:"skip-core-updates" description:"Skip applying operating system and other core system updates"`
-	Positionals     struct {
+	InstallDocker bool `short:"a" long:"install-docker" description:"Try to automatically install docker. Assumes 'apt-get' as a package manager. "`
+	Positionals   struct {
 		GraphdbZip string `positional-arg-name:"PATH_TO_GRAPHDB_ZIP" required:"1-1" description:"path to the graphdb.zip file"`
 	} `positional-args:"true"`
 }
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func (si systemupdate) Run(context wisski_distillery.Context) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if !si.SkipCoreUpdates {
+	if si.InstallDocker {
 		// install system updates
 		logging.LogMessage(context.IOStream, "Updating Operating System Packages")
 		if err := si.mustExec(context, "", "apt-get", "update"); err != nil {
@@ -100,6 +100,16 @@ func (si systemupdate) Run(context wisski_distillery.Context) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	logging.LogMessage(context.IOStream, "Checking that 'docker' is installed")
+	if err := si.mustExec(context, "", "docker", "--version", dis.Config.DockerNetworkName); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	logging.LogMessage(context.IOStream, "Checking that 'docker compose' is available")
+	if err := si.mustExec(context, "", "docker", "compose", "version"); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// create the docker network
 	// TODO: Use docker API for this
 	logging.LogMessage(context.IOStream, "Updating Docker Configuration")