diff --git a/lib/kamal/configuration.rb b/lib/kamal/configuration.rb
index 608e9f8ee..20902547f 100644
--- a/lib/kamal/configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/kamal/configuration.rb
@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@ def roles
     servers.roles
   end
 
+  def any_service_use_proxy_idle?
+    (roles + accessories).any? { |service| service.proxy&.idle? }
+  end
+
   def role(name)
     roles.detect { |r| r.name == name.to_s }
   end
diff --git a/lib/kamal/configuration/docs/proxy.yml b/lib/kamal/configuration/docs/proxy.yml
index 87e428e3c..ef85343fb 100644
--- a/lib/kamal/configuration/docs/proxy.yml
+++ b/lib/kamal/configuration/docs/proxy.yml
@@ -148,6 +148,19 @@ proxy:
       - X-Request-ID
       - X-Request-Start
 
+  # Idle
+  #
+  # Stop the application container after a period without requests and start it
+  # again when the next request arrives. Both values are in seconds.
+  #
+  # Enabling idle access automatically mounts the Docker socket into kamal-proxy
+  # and adds the socket's numeric group ID to the container. This grants the proxy
+  # control over Docker on the host, so only enable it in environments where the
+  # proxy container is trusted with that access.
+  idle:
+    timeout: 300        # Stop the container after 5 minutes without requests
+    wake_timeout: 30    # Maximum time to wait for the container to become healthy
+
   # Run configuration
   #
   # These options are used when booting the proxy container.
@@ -158,6 +171,7 @@ proxy:
     metrics_port: 9090             # Port for Prometheus metrics
     debug: true                    # Debug logging (default: false)
     log_max_size: "30m"            # Maximum log file size (default: "10m")
+    docker_socket: /var/run/docker.sock # Docker socket used by idle mode (default shown)
     publish: false                 # Publish ports to the host (default: true)
     bind_ips:                      # List of IPs to bind to when publishing ports
       - 0.0.0.0
diff --git a/lib/kamal/configuration/proxy.rb b/lib/kamal/configuration/proxy.rb
index 3f2d83fad..97fff4b00 100644
--- a/lib/kamal/configuration/proxy.rb
+++ b/lib/kamal/configuration/proxy.rb
@@ -14,13 +14,19 @@ def initialize(config:, proxy_config:, role_name: nil, secrets:, context: "proxy
     @role_name = role_name
     @secrets = secrets
     validate! @proxy_config, with: Kamal::Configuration::Validator::Proxy, context: context
-    @run = Kamal::Configuration::Proxy::Run.new(config, run_config: @proxy_config["run"], context: "#{context}/run") if @proxy_config && @proxy_config["run"].present?
+    if @proxy_config["run"].present? || idle?
+      @run = Kamal::Configuration::Proxy::Run.new(config, run_config: @proxy_config["run"] || {}, context: "#{context}/run")
+    end
   end
 
   def app_port
     proxy_config.fetch("app_port", 80)
   end
 
+  def idle?
+    proxy_config.dig("idle", "timeout").present?
+  end
+
   def ssl?
     proxy_config.fetch("ssl", false)
   end
@@ -90,6 +96,8 @@ def deploy_options
       "tls-redirect": proxy_config.dig("ssl_redirect"),
       "log-request-header": proxy_config.dig("logging", "request_headers") || DEFAULT_LOG_REQUEST_HEADERS,
       "log-response-header": proxy_config.dig("logging", "response_headers"),
+      "idle-timeout": seconds_duration(proxy_config.dig("idle", "timeout")),
+      "idle-wake-timeout": seconds_duration(proxy_config.dig("idle", "wake_timeout")),
       "error-pages": error_pages
     }.compact
   end
diff --git a/lib/kamal/configuration/proxy/run.rb b/lib/kamal/configuration/proxy/run.rb
index 2a1d8521d..314f26574 100644
--- a/lib/kamal/configuration/proxy/run.rb
+++ b/lib/kamal/configuration/proxy/run.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
+require "shellwords"
+
 class Kamal::Configuration::Proxy::Run
   MINIMUM_VERSION = "v0.9.2"
   DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT = 80
   DEFAULT_HTTPS_PORT = 443
   DEFAULT_LOG_MAX_SIZE = "10m"
+  DEFAULT_DOCKER_SOCKET = "/var/run/docker.sock"
 
   attr_reader :config, :run_config
   delegate :argumentize, :optionize, to: Kamal::Utils
@@ -88,12 +91,17 @@ def metrics_port
   end
 
   def run_command_options
-    { debug: debug? || nil, "metrics-port": metrics_port }.compact
+    { debug: debug? || nil, "metrics-port": metrics_port, "docker-socket": docker_socket }.compact
+  end
+
+  def docker_socket
+    run_config.fetch("docker_socket", DEFAULT_DOCKER_SOCKET) if config.any_service_use_proxy_idle?
   end
 
   def docker_options_args
     [
       *apps_volume_args,
+      *docker_socket_volume_args,
       *publish_args,
       *logging_args,
       *("--expose=#{metrics_port}" if metrics_port.present?),
@@ -123,6 +131,15 @@ def apps_volume_args
     [ apps_volume.docker_args ]
   end
 
+  def docker_socket_volume_args
+    if docker_socket
+      socket_mount = Shellwords.escape("#{docker_socket}:#{docker_socket}")
+      socket_path = Shellwords.escape(docker_socket)
+
+      [ "--volume=#{socket_mount}", "--group-add", %("$(stat -c %g #{socket_path})") ]
+    end
+  end
+
   def app_directory
     File.join apps_directory, config.service_and_destination
   end
diff --git a/lib/kamal/configuration/validator/proxy.rb b/lib/kamal/configuration/validator/proxy.rb
index 5dc3fd46b..3e025cb87 100644
--- a/lib/kamal/configuration/validator/proxy.rb
+++ b/lib/kamal/configuration/validator/proxy.rb
@@ -21,6 +21,18 @@ def validate!
         end
       end
 
+      if idle_config = config["idle"]
+        if idle_config["timeout"].blank?
+          error "Idle timeout is required"
+        elsif idle_config["timeout"] <= 0
+          error "Idle timeout must be greater than zero"
+        end
+
+        if idle_config["wake_timeout"].present? && idle_config["wake_timeout"] <= 0
+          error "Idle wake timeout must be greater than zero"
+        end
+      end
+
       if run_config = config["run"]
         if run_config["bind_ips"].present?
           ensure_valid_bind_ips(config["bind_ips"])
diff --git a/test/commands/app_test.rb b/test/commands/app_test.rb
index dac14ef50..99a5b3221 100644
--- a/test/commands/app_test.rb
+++ b/test/commands/app_test.rb
@@ -169,6 +169,14 @@ class CommandsAppTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       new_command.deploy(target: "172.1.0.2").join(" ")
   end
 
+  test "deploy with idle" do
+    @config[:proxy] = { "idle" => { "timeout" => 300, "wake_timeout" => 30 } }
+
+    assert_equal \
+      "docker exec kamal-proxy kamal-proxy deploy app-web --target=\"172.1.0.2:80\" --deploy-timeout=\"30s\" --drain-timeout=\"30s\" --buffer-requests --buffer-responses --log-request-header=\"Cache-Control\" --log-request-header=\"Last-Modified\" --log-request-header=\"User-Agent\" --idle-timeout=\"300s\" --idle-wake-timeout=\"30s\"",
+      new_command.deploy(target: "172.1.0.2").join(" ")
+  end
+
   test "remove" do
     assert_equal \
       "docker exec kamal-proxy kamal-proxy remove app-web",
diff --git a/test/commands/proxy_test.rb b/test/commands/proxy_test.rb
index 77e9a53ac..3174afdd5 100644
--- a/test/commands/proxy_test.rb
+++ b/test/commands/proxy_test.rb
@@ -221,6 +221,46 @@ class CommandsProxyTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       new_command.run.join(" ")
   end
 
+  test "idle mounts and configures the Docker socket" do
+    @config[:proxy] = { "idle" => { "timeout" => 300 } }
+
+    assert_equal \
+      "docker run --name kamal-proxy --network kamal --detach --restart unless-stopped --volume kamal-proxy-config:/home/kamal-proxy/.config/kamal-proxy --volume $PWD/.kamal/proxy/apps-config:/home/kamal-proxy/.apps-config --volume=/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock --group-add \"$(stat -c %g /var/run/docker.sock)\" --publish 80:80 --publish 443:443 --log-opt max-size=10m basecamp/kamal-proxy:v0.9.2 kamal-proxy run --docker-socket \"/var/run/docker.sock\"",
+      new_command.run.join(" ")
+  end
+
+  test "idle mounts, configures and looks up the group for a custom Docker socket" do
+    @config[:proxy] = {
+      "idle" => { "timeout" => 300 },
+      "run" => { "docker_socket" => "/run/user/1000/docker.sock" }
+    }
+
+    command = new_command.run.join(" ")
+    assert_includes command, "--volume=/run/user/1000/docker.sock:/run/user/1000/docker.sock"
+    assert_includes command, "--group-add \"$(stat -c %g /run/user/1000/docker.sock)\""
+    assert_includes command, "kamal-proxy run --docker-socket \"/run/user/1000/docker.sock\""
+  end
+
+  test "Docker socket path is shell escaped" do
+    @config[:proxy] = {
+      "idle" => { "timeout" => 300 },
+      "run" => { "docker_socket" => "/run/docker socket's.sock" }
+    }
+
+    command = new_command.run.join(" ")
+    assert_includes command, "--volume=/run/docker\\ socket\\'s.sock:/run/docker\\ socket\\'s.sock"
+    assert_includes command, "--group-add \"$(stat -c %g /run/docker\\ socket\\'s.sock)\""
+  end
+
+  test "Docker socket access is not added when idle is disabled" do
+    @config[:proxy] = { "run" => { "docker_socket" => "/run/user/1000/docker.sock" } }
+
+    command = new_command.run.join(" ")
+    assert_no_match(/--volume=.*docker\.sock/, command)
+    assert_no_match(/--group-add/, command)
+    assert_no_match(/--docker-socket/, command)
+  end
+
   private
     def new_command
       Kamal::Commands::Proxy.new(Kamal::Configuration.new(@config, version: "123"), host: "1.1.1.1")
diff --git a/test/configuration/proxy/run_test.rb b/test/configuration/proxy/run_test.rb
index d53836b2f..45c47b361 100644
--- a/test/configuration/proxy/run_test.rb
+++ b/test/configuration/proxy/run_test.rb
@@ -56,6 +56,40 @@ class ConfigurationProxyRunTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert config
   end
 
+  test "idle uses the default Docker socket" do
+    deploy = base_deploy.deep_merge(proxy: { "idle" => { "timeout" => 300 } })
+
+    assert_equal "/var/run/docker.sock", Kamal::Configuration.new(deploy).proxy.run.docker_socket
+  end
+
+  test "idle uses a custom Docker socket" do
+    deploy = base_deploy.deep_merge(
+      proxy: { "idle" => { "timeout" => 300 }, "run" => { "docker_socket" => "/run/user/1000/docker.sock" } }
+    )
+
+    assert_equal "/run/user/1000/docker.sock", Kamal::Configuration.new(deploy).proxy.run.docker_socket
+  end
+
+  test "accessory idle uses the default Docker socket" do
+    deploy = base_deploy.deep_merge(
+      accessories: {
+        "review" => {
+          "image" => "dhh/review",
+          "host" => "1.1.1.1",
+          "proxy" => { "host" => "review.example.com", "idle" => { "timeout" => 300 } }
+        }
+      }
+    )
+
+    assert_equal "/var/run/docker.sock", Kamal::Configuration.new(deploy).accessory(:review).proxy.run.docker_socket
+  end
+
+  test "Docker socket lifecycle is disabled without idle" do
+    deploy = base_deploy.deep_merge(proxy: { "run" => { "docker_socket" => "/run/user/1000/docker.sock" } })
+
+    assert_nil Kamal::Configuration.new(deploy).proxy.run.docker_socket
+  end
+
   private
     def base_deploy
       {
diff --git a/test/configuration/proxy_test.rb b/test/configuration/proxy_test.rb
index e0b328f3b..43814285e 100644
--- a/test/configuration/proxy_test.rb
+++ b/test/configuration/proxy_test.rb
@@ -105,6 +105,34 @@ class ConfigurationProxyTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     end
   end
 
+  test "idle configuration" do
+    @deploy[:proxy] = { "idle" => { "timeout" => 300, "wake_timeout" => 30 } }
+
+    assert_predicate config.proxy, :idle?
+    assert_equal "300s", config.proxy.deploy_options[:"idle-timeout"]
+    assert_equal "30s", config.proxy.deploy_options[:"idle-wake-timeout"]
+  end
+
+  test "idle configuration requires integer durations" do
+    @deploy[:proxy] = { "idle" => { "timeout" => "300" } }
+
+    assert_raises(Kamal::ConfigurationError) { config }
+  end
+
+  test "idle configuration requires positive durations" do
+    @deploy[:proxy] = { "idle" => { "timeout" => 0 } }
+
+    error = assert_raises(Kamal::ConfigurationError) { config }
+    assert_equal "proxy: Idle timeout must be greater than zero", error.message
+  end
+
+  test "idle configuration requires a timeout" do
+    @deploy[:proxy] = { "idle" => { "wake_timeout" => 30 } }
+
+    error = assert_raises(Kamal::ConfigurationError) { config }
+    assert_equal "proxy: Idle timeout is required", error.message
+  end
+
   private
     def config
       Kamal::Configuration.new(@deploy)