diff --git a/bootstrapvz/plugins/docker_daemon/__init__.py b/bootstrapvz/plugins/docker_daemon/__init__.py
index ef3b320..5be1baa 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/plugins/docker_daemon/__init__.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/plugins/docker_daemon/__init__.py
@@ -22,3 +22,4 @@ def resolve_tasks(taskset, manifest):
 	taskset.add(tasks.AddDockerBinary)
 	taskset.add(tasks.AddDockerInit)
 	taskset.add(tasks.EnableMemoryCgroup)
+	taskset.add(tasks.PullDockerImages)
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/plugins/docker_daemon/pull.py b/bootstrapvz/plugins/docker_daemon/pull.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed56169
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bootstrapvz/plugins/docker_daemon/pull.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import os
+import subprocess
+import time
+import logging
+
+
+def pull(info, images, retries=10):
+  if len(images) == 0:
+    return
+
+  bin_docker = os.path.join(info.root, 'usr/bin/docker')
+  graph_dir = os.path.join(info.root, 'var/lib/docker')
+  socket = 'unix://' + os.path.join(info.workspace, 'docker.sock')
+  pidfile = os.path.join(info.workspace, 'docker.pid')
+  try:
+    daemon = subprocess.Popen([bin_docker, '-d', '--graph', graph_dir, '-H', socket, '-p', pidfile])
+    for _ in range(retries):
+      if subprocess.call([bin_docker, '-H', socket, 'version']) == 0:
+        break
+      time.sleep(1)
+    for img in images:
+      if img.endswith('.tar.gz') or img.endswith('.tgz'):
+        cmd = [bin_docker, '-H', socket, 'load', '-i', img]
+        logging.debug(' '.join(cmd))
+        if subprocess.call(cmd) != 0:
+          msg = 'error loading docker image {img}.'.format(img=img)
+          raise Exception(msg)
+        continue
+      cmd = [bin_docker, '-H', socket, 'pull', img]
+      logging.debug('running: %s', ' '.join(cmd))
+      if subprocess.call(cmd) != 0:
+        msg = 'error pulling docker image {img}.'.format(img=img)
+        raise Exception(msg)
+  finally:
+    daemon.terminate()
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+  class Info(object):
+    root = '/tmp/bootstrap-vz/root'
+    workspace = '/tmp/bootstrap-vz/workspace'
+
+  pull_images = ['/usr/local/google/home/proppy/bootstrap-vz/busybox.tar.gz', 'golang:1.3']
+  pull(Info(), pull_images)
diff --git a/bootstrapvz/plugins/docker_daemon/tasks.py b/bootstrapvz/plugins/docker_daemon/tasks.py
index a27a2ca..c003880 100644
--- a/bootstrapvz/plugins/docker_daemon/tasks.py
+++ b/bootstrapvz/plugins/docker_daemon/tasks.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from bootstrapvz.common import phases
 from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import boot
 from bootstrapvz.common.tasks import initd
 from bootstrapvz.providers.gce.tasks import boot as gceboot
+from bootstrapvz.plugins.docker_daemon.pull import pull
 import os
 import os.path
 import shutil
@@ -65,3 +66,16 @@ class EnableMemoryCgroup(Task):
 		from bootstrapvz.common.tools import sed_i
 		grub_config = os.path.join(info.root, 'etc/default/grub')
 		sed_i(grub_config, r'^(GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX*=".*)"\s*$', r'\1 cgroup_enable=memory"')
+
+class PullDockerImages(Task):
+	description = 'Pull docker images'
+	phase = phases.system_modification
+	predecessors = [AddDockerBinary]
+
+	@classmethod
+	def run(cls, info):
+                pull_images = info.manifest.plugins['docker_daemon'].get('pull_images', [])
+                if len(pull_images) == 0:
+                  return
+                pull_images_retries = info.manifest.plugins['docker_daemon'].get('pull_images_retries', 10)
+                pull(info, pull_images, pull_images_retries)