diff --git a/compose/docker-compose-external-test.yml b/compose/docker-compose-external-test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9212531
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compose/docker-compose-external-test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+services:
+  test:
+    image: cerc/test-container:local
+    restart: always
+    environment:
+      CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG: ${CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG}
+      CERC_TEST_PARAM_1: ${CERC_TEST_PARAM_1:-FAILED}
+      CERC_TEST_PARAM_2: "CERC_TEST_PARAM_2_VALUE"
+      CERC_TEST_PARAM_3: ${CERC_TEST_PARAM_3:-FAILED}
+    volumes:
+      - test-data-bind:/data
+      - test-data-auto:/data2
+      - test-config:/config:ro
+    ports:
+      - "80"
+
+  external-test:
+    image: cerc/external-test-container:local
+    restart: always
+    environment:
+      CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG: ${CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG}
+      CERC_TEST_PARAM_1: ${CERC_TEST_PARAM_1:-FAILED}
+      CERC_TEST_PARAM_2: "CERC_TEST_PARAM_2_VALUE"
+      CERC_TEST_PARAM_3: ${CERC_TEST_PARAM_3:-FAILED}
+    volumes:
+      - test-data-bind:/data
+      - test-data-auto:/data2
+      - test-config:/config:ro
+    ports:
+      - "80"
+
+volumes:
+  test-data-bind:
+  test-data-auto:
+  test-config:
diff --git a/container-build/cerc-external-test-container/Dockerfile b/container-build/cerc-external-test-container/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f4ef550
--- /dev/null
+++ b/container-build/cerc-external-test-container/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+FROM ubuntu:latest
+
+RUN apt-get update && export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive && export DEBCONF_NOWARNINGS="yes" && \
+    apt-get install -y software-properties-common && \
+    apt-get install -y nginx && \
+    apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* /tmp/* /var/tmp/*
+
+EXPOSE 80
+
+COPY run.sh /app/run.sh
+
+ENTRYPOINT ["/app/run.sh"]
diff --git a/container-build/cerc-external-test-container/build.sh b/container-build/cerc-external-test-container/build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..bba7d5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/container-build/cerc-external-test-container/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Build cerc/test-container
+source ${CERC_CONTAINER_BASE_DIR}/build-base.sh
+SCRIPT_DIR=$( cd -- "$( dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" &> /dev/null && pwd )
+docker build -t cerc/external-test-container:local -f ${SCRIPT_DIR}/Dockerfile ${build_command_args} $SCRIPT_DIR
diff --git a/container-build/cerc-external-test-container/run.sh b/container-build/cerc-external-test-container/run.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5e5d1f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/container-build/cerc-external-test-container/run.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e
+
+if [ -n "$CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG" ]; then
+  set -x
+fi
+
+echo "Test container starting"
+
+DATA_DEVICE=$(df | grep "/data$" | awk '{ print $1 }')
+if [[ -n "$DATA_DEVICE" ]]; then
+  echo "/data: MOUNTED dev=${DATA_DEVICE}"
+else
+  echo "/data: not mounted"
+fi
+
+DATA2_DEVICE=$(df | grep "/data2$" | awk '{ print $1 }')
+if [[ -n "$DATA_DEVICE" ]]; then
+  echo "/data2: MOUNTED dev=${DATA2_DEVICE}"
+else
+  echo "/data2: not mounted"
+fi
+
+# Test if the container's filesystem is old (run previously) or new
+test_file_name="external-exists"
+for d in /data /data2; do
+  if [[ -f "$d/${test_file_name}" ]];
+  then
+      TIMESTAMP=`cat $d/${test_file_name}`
+      echo "$d filesystem is old, created: $TIMESTAMP"
+  else
+      echo "$d filesystem is fresh"
+      echo `date` > $d/${test_file_name}
+  fi
+done
+
+if [ -n "$CERC_TEST_PARAM_1" ]; then
+  echo "Test-param-1: ${CERC_TEST_PARAM_1}"
+fi
+if [ -n "$CERC_TEST_PARAM_2" ]; then
+  echo "Test-param-2: ${CERC_TEST_PARAM_2}"
+fi
+if [ -n "$CERC_TEST_PARAM_3" ]; then
+  echo "Test-param-3: ${CERC_TEST_PARAM_3}"
+fi
+if [ -n "$CERC_TEST_PARAM_4" ]; then
+  echo "Test-param-4: ${CERC_TEST_PARAM_4}"
+fi
+if [ -n "$CERC_TEST_PARAM_5" ]; then
+  echo "Test-param-5: ${CERC_TEST_PARAM_5}"
+fi
+
+if [ -d "/config" ]; then
+  echo "/config: EXISTS"
+  for f in /config/*; do
+    if [[ -f "$f" ]] || [[ -L "$f" ]]; then
+      echo "$f:"
+      cat "$f"
+      echo ""
+      echo ""
+    fi
+  done
+else
+  echo "/config: does NOT EXIST"
+fi
+
+# Run nginx which will block here forever
+/usr/sbin/nginx -g "daemon off;"
diff --git a/stacks/test-external-stack/README.md b/stacks/test-external-stack/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f33c34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stacks/test-external-stack/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# An external test stack
+
+Used to test stack orchestrator's support for external stacks.
+
diff --git a/stacks/test-external-stack/deploy/commands.py b/stacks/test-external-stack/deploy/commands.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6601ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stacks/test-external-stack/deploy/commands.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# Copyright © 2022, 2023 Vulcanize
+
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http:#www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+from stack_orchestrator.util import get_yaml
+from stack_orchestrator.deploy.deploy_types import DeployCommandContext
+from stack_orchestrator.deploy.stack_state import State
+from stack_orchestrator.deploy.deploy_util import VolumeMapping, run_container_command
+from pathlib import Path
+
+default_spec_file_content = """config:
+    test-variable-1: test-value-1
+"""
+
+
+# Output a known string to a know file in the bind mounted directory ./container-output-dir
+# for test purposes -- test checks that the file was written.
+def setup(command_context: DeployCommandContext, parameters, extra_args):
+    host_directory = "./container-output-dir"
+    host_directory_absolute = Path(extra_args[0]).absolute().joinpath(host_directory)
+    host_directory_absolute.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    mounts = [
+        VolumeMapping(host_directory_absolute, "/data")
+    ]
+    output, status = run_container_command(command_context, "test", "echo output-data > /data/output-file && echo success", mounts)
+
+
+def init(command_context: DeployCommandContext):
+    yaml = get_yaml()
+    return yaml.load(default_spec_file_content)
+
+
+def create(command_context: DeployCommandContext, extra_args):
+    data = "create-command-output-data"
+    output_file_path = command_context.deployment_dir.joinpath("create-file")
+    with open(output_file_path, 'w+') as output_file:
+        output_file.write(data)
+
+
+def get_state(command_context: DeployCommandContext):
+    print("Here we get state")
+    return State.CONFIGURED
+
+
+def change_state(command_context: DeployCommandContext):
+    pass
diff --git a/stacks/test-external-stack/stack.yml b/stacks/test-external-stack/stack.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8066e75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stacks/test-external-stack/stack.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+version: "1.0"
+name: external-test
+description: "An external test stack"
+repos:
+  - git.vdb.to/cerc-io/test-project@test-branch
+containers:
+  - cerc/test-container
+  - cerc/external-test-container
+pods:
+  - test
+  - external-test