diff --git a/nix/localstack-up.nix b/nix/localstack-up.nix
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix/localstack-up.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{ lib
+, localstack
+, writeShellApplication
+}:
+
+# writeShellApplication is a "writer helper" which
+# will create a shellchecked executable shell script located in $out/bin/<name>
+# This shell script will be used to allow for impure+stateful actions
+writeShellApplication {
+  name = "localstack-up";
+  # Docker must be installed outside of the development shell, so only
+  # pass localstack to script
+  runtimeInputs = [ localstack ];
+  text = builtins.readFile ../scripts/localstack_up.sh;
+}
diff --git a/nix/overlay.nix b/nix/overlay.nix
--- a/nix/overlay.nix
+++ b/nix/overlay.nix
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
   devShells.default = final.callPackage ./dev-shell.nix { };
   devShell = final.devShells.default;
 
+  localstack-up = prev.callPackage ./localstack-up.nix { };
   # Make our version of mariadb the default everywhere
   mariadb = prev.mariadb_108;
 
diff --git a/scripts/localstack_up.sh b/scripts/localstack_up.sh
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/localstack_up.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Avoid localstack attempt to write in the nix store
+XDG_DATA_HOME=''${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}
+export FILESYSTEM_ROOT=''${XDG_DATA_HOME}/localstack/filesystem
+
+# Since docker is installed outside of nix, need to ensure that it was
+# installed impurely
+if ! command -v docker > /dev/null; then
+  echo "Please install docker in order to use localstack" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if ! command -v localstack > /dev/null; then
+  echo "Please install localstack cli in order to use localstack" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# The 'localstack status' command will poll foever if you have a newer
+# docker cli, so instead use docker ps + grep to determine running container
+if ! docker ps | grep localstack &> /dev/null; then
+  echo "Starting localstack..." >&2
+  localstack start \
+    --detached \
+    --docker \
+    --no-banner > /dev/null
+else
+  echo "localstack is already running, skipping localstack initialization"
+fi
+
+# Explicitly exit this script so the parent shell can determine
+# when it's safe to return control of terminal to user
+exit 0
+