diff --git a/.env.template b/.env.template
index c4a5ec72..479730e8 100644
--- a/.env.template
+++ b/.env.template
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 PINECONE_API_KEY=your-pinecone-api-key
 PINECONE_ENV=your-pinecone-region
 OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key
+TEMPERATURE=1
 ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=your-elevenlabs-api-key
 ELEVENLABS_VOICE_1_ID=your-voice-id
 ELEVENLABS_VOICE_2_ID=your-voice-id
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ FAST_LLM_MODEL=gpt-3.5-turbo
 GOOGLE_API_KEY=
 CUSTOM_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID=
 USE_AZURE=False
+EXECUTE_LOCAL_COMMANDS=False
 IMAGE_PROVIDER=dalle
 HUGGINGFACE_API_TOKEN=
 USE_MAC_OS_TTS=False
diff --git a/scripts/commands.py b/scripts/commands.py
index 92d46ae1..3966e86a 100644
--- a/scripts/commands.py
+++ b/scripts/commands.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import speak
 from config import Config
 import ai_functions as ai
 from file_operations import read_file, write_to_file, append_to_file, delete_file, search_files
-from execute_code import execute_python_file
+from execute_code import execute_python_file, execute_shell
 from json_parser import fix_and_parse_json
 from image_gen import generate_image
 from duckduckgo_search import ddg
@@ -103,6 +103,11 @@ def execute_command(command_name, arguments):
             return ai.write_tests(arguments["code"], arguments.get("focus"))
         elif command_name == "execute_python_file":  # Add this command
             return execute_python_file(arguments["file"])
+        elif command_name == "execute_shell":
+            if cfg.execute_local_commands:
+                return execute_shell(arguments["command_line"])
+            else:
+                return "You are not allowed to run local shell commands. To execute shell commands, EXECUTE_LOCAL_COMMANDS must be set to 'True' in your config. Do not attempt to bypass the restriction."
         elif command_name == "generate_image":
             return generate_image(arguments["prompt"])
         elif command_name == "do_nothing":
diff --git a/scripts/config.py b/scripts/config.py
index 77b06676..e4fa29ac 100644
--- a/scripts/config.py
+++ b/scripts/config.py
@@ -44,8 +44,11 @@ class Config(metaclass=Singleton):
         self.smart_token_limit = int(os.getenv("SMART_TOKEN_LIMIT", 8000))
 
         self.openai_api_key = os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY")
+        self.temperature = int(os.getenv("TEMPERATURE", "1"))
         self.use_azure = False
         self.use_azure = os.getenv("USE_AZURE") == 'True'
+        self.execute_local_commands = os.getenv('EXECUTE_LOCAL_COMMANDS', 'False') == 'True'
+
         if self.use_azure:
             self.load_azure_config()
             openai.api_type = "azure"
diff --git a/scripts/data/prompt.txt b/scripts/data/prompt.txt
index fc68f3ae..ffb9eb50 100644
--- a/scripts/data/prompt.txt
+++ b/scripts/data/prompt.txt
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ COMMANDS:
 16. Get Improved Code: "improve_code", args: "suggestions": "<list_of_suggestions>", "code": "<full_code_string>"
 17. Write Tests: "write_tests", args: "code": "<full_code_string>", "focus": "<list_of_focus_areas>"
 18. Execute Python File: "execute_python_file", args: "file": "<file>"
-19. Task Complete (Shutdown): "task_complete", args: "reason": "<reason>"
-20. Generate Image: "generate_image", args: "prompt": "<prompt>"
-21. Do Nothing: "do_nothing", args: ""
+19. Execute Shell Command, non-interactive commands only: "execute_shell", args: "command_line": "<command_line>".
+20. Task Complete (Shutdown): "task_complete", args: "reason": "<reason>"
+21. Generate Image: "generate_image", args: "prompt": "<prompt>"
+22. Do Nothing: "do_nothing", args: ""
 
 RESOURCES:
 
diff --git a/scripts/execute_code.py b/scripts/execute_code.py
index a8f90911..2c92903c 100644
--- a/scripts/execute_code.py
+++ b/scripts/execute_code.py
@@ -1,17 +1,20 @@
 import docker
 import os
+import subprocess
+
+
+WORKSPACE_FOLDER = "auto_gpt_workspace"
 
 
 def execute_python_file(file):
     """Execute a Python file in a Docker container and return the output"""
-    workspace_folder = "auto_gpt_workspace"
 
-    print (f"Executing file '{file}' in workspace '{workspace_folder}'")
+    print (f"Executing file '{file}' in workspace '{WORKSPACE_FOLDER}'")
 
     if not file.endswith(".py"):
         return "Error: Invalid file type. Only .py files are allowed."
 
-    file_path = os.path.join(workspace_folder, file)
+    file_path = os.path.join(WORKSPACE_FOLDER, file)
 
     if not os.path.isfile(file_path):
         return f"Error: File '{file}' does not exist."
@@ -19,14 +22,31 @@ def execute_python_file(file):
     try:
         client = docker.from_env()
 
+        image_name = 'python:3.10'
+        try:
+            client.images.get(image_name)
+            print(f"Image '{image_name}' found locally")
+        except docker.errors.ImageNotFound:
+            print(f"Image '{image_name}' not found locally, pulling from Docker Hub")
+            # Use the low-level API to stream the pull response
+            low_level_client = docker.APIClient()
+            for line in low_level_client.pull(image_name, stream=True, decode=True):
+                # Print the status and progress, if available
+                status = line.get('status')
+                progress = line.get('progress')
+                if status and progress:
+                    print(f"{status}: {progress}")
+                elif status:
+                    print(status)
+
         # You can replace 'python:3.8' with the desired Python image/version
         # You can find available Python images on Docker Hub:
         # https://hub.docker.com/_/python
         container = client.containers.run(
-            'python:3.10',
+            image_name,
             f'python {file}',
             volumes={
-                os.path.abspath(workspace_folder): {
+                os.path.abspath(WORKSPACE_FOLDER): {
                     'bind': '/workspace',
                     'mode': 'ro'}},
             working_dir='/workspace',
@@ -46,3 +66,22 @@ def execute_python_file(file):
 
     except Exception as e:
         return f"Error: {str(e)}"
+
+def execute_shell(command_line):
+
+    current_dir = os.getcwd()
+
+    if not WORKSPACE_FOLDER in current_dir: # Change dir into workspace if necessary
+        work_dir = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), WORKSPACE_FOLDER)
+        os.chdir(work_dir)
+
+    print (f"Executing command '{command_line}' in working directory '{os.getcwd()}'")
+
+    result = subprocess.run(command_line, capture_output=True, shell=True)
+    output = f"STDOUT:\n{result.stdout}\nSTDERR:\n{result.stderr}"
+
+    # Change back to whatever the prior working dir was
+
+    os.chdir(current_dir)
+
+    return output
diff --git a/scripts/llm_utils.py b/scripts/llm_utils.py
index c49aeb09..35cc5ce0 100644
--- a/scripts/llm_utils.py
+++ b/scripts/llm_utils.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ cfg = Config()
 openai.api_key = cfg.openai_api_key
 
 # Overly simple abstraction until we create something better
-def create_chat_completion(messages, model=None, temperature=None, max_tokens=None)->str:
+def create_chat_completion(messages, model=None, temperature=cfg.temperature, max_tokens=None)->str:
     """Create a chat completion using the OpenAI API"""
     if cfg.use_azure:
         response = openai.ChatCompletion.create(
diff --git a/scripts/main.py b/scripts/main.py
index 7a4a32d4..81f560b2 100644
--- a/scripts/main.py
+++ b/scripts/main.py
@@ -318,7 +318,6 @@ def parse_arguments():
 
 # TODO: fill in llm values here
 check_openai_api_key()
-cfg = Config()
 parse_arguments()
 logger.set_level(logging.DEBUG if cfg.debug_mode else logging.INFO)
 ai_name = ""