diff --git a/webui/src/components/InstanceDialog.tsx b/webui/src/components/InstanceDialog.tsx
index 25d48a3..8711218 100644
--- a/webui/src/components/InstanceDialog.tsx
+++ b/webui/src/components/InstanceDialog.tsx
@@ -106,6 +106,14 @@ const InstanceDialog: React.FC<InstanceDialogProps> = ({
       return;
     }
 
+    // Validate docker_enabled and command_override relationship
+    if (formData.backend_type !== BackendType.MLX_LM) {
+      if (formData.docker_enabled === true && formData.command_override) {
+        setNameError("Command override cannot be set when Docker is enabled");
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+
     // Clean up undefined values to avoid sending empty fields
     const cleanOptions: CreateInstanceOptions = {} as CreateInstanceOptions;
     Object.entries(formData).forEach(([key, value]) => {
diff --git a/webui/src/components/instance/InstanceSettingsCard.tsx b/webui/src/components/instance/InstanceSettingsCard.tsx
index 7b853cb..d1ba4c0 100644
--- a/webui/src/components/instance/InstanceSettingsCard.tsx
+++ b/webui/src/components/instance/InstanceSettingsCard.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react'
-import type { CreateInstanceOptions } from '@/types/instance'
+import { BackendType, type CreateInstanceOptions } from '@/types/instance'
 import { Card, CardContent, CardHeader, CardTitle } from '@/components/ui/card'
 import { Label } from '@/components/ui/label'
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import NumberInput from '@/components/form/NumberInput'
 import CheckboxInput from '@/components/form/CheckboxInput'
 import EnvVarsInput from '@/components/form/EnvVarsInput'
 import SelectInput from '@/components/form/SelectInput'
+import TextInput from '@/components/form/TextInput'
 import { nodesApi, type NodesMap } from '@/lib/api'
 
 interface InstanceSettingsCardProps {
@@ -105,6 +106,48 @@ const InstanceSettingsCard: React.FC<InstanceSettingsCardProps> = ({
           />
         )}
 
+        {/* Execution Context */}
+        <div className="space-y-4">
+          <h3 className="text-lg font-medium">Execution Context</h3>
+
+          {/* Docker Mode Toggle - only for backends that support Docker */}
+          {formData.backend_type !== BackendType.MLX_LM && (
+            <CheckboxInput
+              id="docker_enabled"
+              label="Enable Docker"
+              value={formData.docker_enabled}
+              onChange={(value) => onChange('docker_enabled', value)}
+              description="Run backend in Docker container (overrides config default)"
+            />
+          )}
+
+          {/* Command Override - only shown when Docker is disabled or backend is MLX */}
+          {(formData.backend_type === BackendType.MLX_LM || formData.docker_enabled !== true) && (
+            <TextInput
+              id="command_override"
+              label="Command Override"
+              value={formData.command_override || ''}
+              onChange={(value) => onChange('command_override', value)}
+              placeholder={
+                formData.backend_type === BackendType.LLAMA_CPP
+                  ? "/usr/local/bin/llama-server"
+                  : formData.backend_type === BackendType.VLLM
+                  ? "/usr/local/bin/vllm"
+                  : "/usr/local/bin/mlx_lm.server"
+              }
+              description="Custom path to backend executable"
+            />
+          )}
+
+          <EnvVarsInput
+            id="environment"
+            label="Environment Variables"
+            value={formData.environment}
+            onChange={(value) => onChange('environment', value)}
+            description="Custom environment variables for the instance"
+          />
+        </div>
+
         {/* Auto Restart Configuration */}
         <AutoRestartConfiguration
           formData={formData}
@@ -131,14 +174,6 @@ const InstanceSettingsCard: React.FC<InstanceSettingsCardProps> = ({
             onChange={(value) => onChange('on_demand_start', value)}
             description="Start instance only when needed"
           />
-
-          <EnvVarsInput
-            id="environment"
-            label="Environment Variables"
-            value={formData.environment}
-            onChange={(value) => onChange('environment', value)}
-            description="Custom environment variables for the instance"
-          />
         </div>
       </CardContent>
     </Card>
diff --git a/webui/src/schemas/instanceOptions.ts b/webui/src/schemas/instanceOptions.ts
index 3cbf523..b7530e1 100644
--- a/webui/src/schemas/instanceOptions.ts
+++ b/webui/src/schemas/instanceOptions.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ export const CreateInstanceOptionsSchema = z.object({
   // Environment variables
   environment: z.record(z.string(), z.string()).optional(),
 
+  // Execution context overrides
+  docker_enabled: z.boolean().optional(),
+  command_override: z.string().optional(),
+
   // Backend configuration
   backend_type: z.enum([BackendType.LLAMA_CPP, BackendType.MLX_LM, BackendType.VLLM]).optional(),
   backend_options: BackendOptionsSchema.optional(),