diff --git a/lib/create-container.js b/lib/create-container.js
index a14c7ab..d4a07b8 100644
--- a/lib/create-container.js
+++ b/lib/create-container.js
@@ -2,10 +2,45 @@ var stream = require('stream');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 var es = require('event-stream')
 var debug = require('debug')('strider-docker-runner:create-container')
-
+var async = require('async');
 var demuxer = require('./demuxer')
+var inspect = require('util').inspect;
 
-module.exports = function (createOptions, docker, config, done) {
+function isImageLocally(docker, image, done) {
+  var withoutTag = image.split(':')[0];
+  var fullname = image === withoutTag ?
+                  image + ':latest' :
+                  image;
+
+  docker.listImages({ filter: withoutTag }, function (err, images) {
+    if (err) return done(err);
+
+    var found = images.some(function (img) {
+      return ~img.RepoTags.indexOf(fullname);
+    });
+
+    done(null, found);
+  });
+}
+
+function pull (docker, image, done) {
+  docker.pull(image, function (err, streamc) {
+    if (err) return done(err)
+
+    streamc
+      .pipe(es.map(function (data, cb) {
+        cb(null, JSON.parse(data))
+      }))
+      .on('data', function (event) {
+        debug('pull event: ' + inspect(event));
+      })
+      .on('end', function () {
+        done();
+      });
+  });
+}
+
+function create (createOptions, docker, config, done) {
   docker.createContainer(createOptions, function (err, container) {
     if (err) return done(new Error(err));
     debug('[runner:docker] container id', container.id)
@@ -83,3 +118,20 @@ module.exports = function (createOptions, docker, config, done) {
     }
   })
 }
+
+module.exports = function (createOptions, docker, config, done) {
+  async.waterfall([
+    function (callback) {
+      isImageLocally(docker, createOptions.Image, callback);
+    }, function (isLocally, callback) {
+      if (isLocally) {
+        debug('image is already locally')
+        return callback();
+      }
+      debug('Unable to find image "%s" locally', createOptions.Image);
+      pull(docker, createOptions.Image, callback);
+    }, function () {
+      create(createOptions, docker, config, done)
+    }
+  ]);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6ff61d7..ec52990 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
   "author": "Jared Forsyth <jared@jaredforsyth.com>",
   "license": "MIT",
   "dependencies": {
+    "async": "~0.9.0",
     "debug": "^1.0.4",
     "dockerode": "^2.0.1",
     "dockerode-optionator": "^1.0.0",
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index 6ea8bbf..b8fcd33 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -25,16 +25,15 @@ function run(spawn, command, args, done) {
   })
 }
 
-init(null, null, function (err, docker) {
-  createSlave(docker, {}, function (err, spawn, kill) {
+init({}, function (err, docker) {
+  createSlave(docker, {
+    image: 'strider/strider-docker-slave'
+  }, function (err, spawn, kill) {
     if (err) {
       throw err
     }
     var command = 'git'
     var args = ['clone', 'https://github.com/notablemind/loco.git', '.']
-    var command = 'sh'
-    var args = ['-c', 'echo ho && sleep 30 && echo hi']
-    var args = ['-c', 'git clone https://github.com/notablemind/loco.git . && ls']
     run(spawn, command, args, function () {
       run(spawn, 'echo', ['hello'], function () {
         process.exit(0)