diff --git a/src/renderer/App.tsx b/src/renderer/App.tsx
index 932a6fb2d..44269447d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/App.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/App.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import { initialize as initializeIpcListeners } from './ipc';
 import NodeScreen from './NodeScreen';
 import DataRefresher from './DataRefresher';
 import electron from './electronGlobal';
-import Sidebar from './Presentational/Sidebar/Sidebar';
 import { SidebarWrapper } from './Presentational/SidebarWrapper/SidebarWrapper';
 import NNSplash from './Presentational/NNSplashScreen/NNSplashScreen';
 import { dragWindowContainer } from './app.css';
@@ -81,15 +80,7 @@ const MainScreen = () => {
               flex: 1,
             }}
           >
-            <SidebarWrapper>
-              {(sUserNodes) => (
-                <Sidebar
-                  offline={false}
-                  updateAvailable={false}
-                  sUserNodes={sUserNodes}
-                />
-              )}
-            </SidebarWrapper>
+            <SidebarWrapper />
 
             <NodeScreen />
           </div>
diff --git a/src/renderer/Generics/redesign/Banner/Banner.tsx b/src/renderer/Generics/redesign/Banner/Banner.tsx
index 67f6512b2..a117313e6 100644
--- a/src/renderer/Generics/redesign/Banner/Banner.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/Generics/redesign/Banner/Banner.tsx
@@ -12,21 +12,31 @@ export interface BannerProps {
   /**
    * Is it offline?
    */
-  offline: boolean;
+  offline?: boolean;
   /**
    * Is update available?
    */
-  updateAvailable: boolean;
+  updateAvailable?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Is docker not running?
+   */
+  dockerStopped?: boolean;
+  onClick?: () => void;
 }
 
 /**
  * Primary UI component for user interaction
  */
-export const Banner = ({ offline, updateAvailable }: BannerProps) => {
+export const Banner = ({
+  offline,
+  updateAvailable,
+  dockerStopped,
+  onClick,
+}: BannerProps) => {
   let iconId: IconId = 'blank';
   let title = '';
   let description = '';
-  let onClick = () => {};
+  let internalOnClick = () => {};
   if (offline) {
     iconId = 'boltstrike';
     title = 'Currently offline';
@@ -35,16 +45,30 @@ export const Banner = ({ offline, updateAvailable }: BannerProps) => {
     iconId = 'download1';
     title = 'Update available';
     description = 'New version ready to install';
-    onClick = () => {
+    internalOnClick = () => {
       console.log('update nice node!');
     };
+  } else if (dockerStopped) {
+    iconId = 'play';
+    title = 'Docker is not running';
+    description = 'Click to start Docker';
+    internalOnClick = () => {
+      console.log('Start Docker!');
+    };
   }
+  const onClickBanner = () => {
+    internalOnClick();
+    if (onClick) {
+      onClick();
+    }
+  };
+
   return (
     <div
-      style={updateAvailable ? { cursor: 'pointer' } : {}}
+      style={onClick ? { cursor: 'pointer' } : {}}
       className={container}
-      onClick={onClick}
-      onKeyDown={onClick}
+      onClick={onClickBanner}
+      onKeyDown={onClickBanner}
       role="button"
       tabIndex={0}
     >
diff --git a/src/renderer/Presentational/DockerInstallation/StartDockerBanner.tsx b/src/renderer/Presentational/DockerInstallation/StartDockerBanner.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5de3b1173
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/Presentational/DockerInstallation/StartDockerBanner.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import electron from '../../electronGlobal';
+import { Banner } from '../../Generics/redesign/Banner/Banner';
+import { useGetIsDockerRunningQuery } from '../../state/settingsService';
+
+export const DockerStoppedBanner = () => {
+  const qIsDockerRunning = useGetIsDockerRunningQuery(null, {
+    pollingInterval: 15000,
+  });
+
+  const onClickStartDocker = async () => {
+    await electron.startDocker();
+    // todo: verify it is started and changed banner for 5 secs?
+    qIsDockerRunning.refetch();
+    // console.log('installDocker finished. Install result: ', installResult);
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <Banner dockerStopped onClick={onClickStartDocker} />
+    // <div
+    //   style={updateAvailable ? { cursor: 'pointer' } : {}}
+    //   className={container}
+    //   onClick={onClick}
+    //   onKeyDown={onClick}
+    //   role="button"
+    //   tabIndex={0}
+    // >
+    //   <div className={innerContainer}>
+    //     <Icon iconId={iconId} />
+    //     <div className={textContainer}>
+    //       <div className={titleStyle}>{title}</div>
+    //       <div className={descriptionStyle}>{description}</div>
+    //     </div>
+    //   </div>
+    // </div>
+  );
+};
diff --git a/src/renderer/Presentational/Sidebar/Sidebar.tsx b/src/renderer/Presentational/Sidebar/Sidebar.tsx
index 073056e17..8af0e5e7b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/Presentational/Sidebar/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/Presentational/Sidebar/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { IconId } from '../../assets/images/icons';
 import { Modal } from '../../Generics/redesign/Modal/Modal';
 import AddNodeStepper from '../AddNodeStepper/AddNodeStepper';
 import PreferencesWrapper from '../PreferencesModal/PreferencesWrapper';
+import { DockerStoppedBanner } from '../DockerInstallation/StartDockerBanner';
 
 export interface SidebarProps {
   /**
@@ -25,7 +26,11 @@ export interface SidebarProps {
    * Nice Node update available?
    */
   updateAvailable: boolean;
-  sUserNodes: UserNodes;
+  /**
+   * Is docker not running?
+   */
+  dockerStopped: boolean;
+  sUserNodes?: UserNodes;
 }
 
 const itemListData: { iconId: IconId; label: string; count?: number }[] = [
@@ -62,7 +67,12 @@ const NODE_SIDEBAR_STATUS_MAP: Record<NodeStatus, SidebarNodeStatus> = {
   unknown: 'error',
 };
 
-const Sidebar = ({ sUserNodes, updateAvailable, offline }: SidebarProps) => {
+const Sidebar = ({
+  sUserNodes,
+  updateAvailable,
+  offline,
+  dockerStopped,
+}: SidebarProps) => {
   const dispatch = useAppDispatch();
   const [sIsModalOpenAddNode, setIsModalOpenAddNode] = useState<boolean>();
   const [sIsModalOpenSettings, setIsModalOpenSettings] =
@@ -115,6 +125,7 @@ const Sidebar = ({ sUserNodes, updateAvailable, offline }: SidebarProps) => {
 
   return (
     <div className={container}>
+      {dockerStopped && <DockerStoppedBanner />}
       {renderBanners()}
       <div className={nodeList}>
         <div className={titleItem}>
diff --git a/src/renderer/Presentational/SidebarWrapper/SidebarWrapper.tsx b/src/renderer/Presentational/SidebarWrapper/SidebarWrapper.tsx
index 0266d021a..5f73654af 100644
--- a/src/renderer/Presentational/SidebarWrapper/SidebarWrapper.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/Presentational/SidebarWrapper/SidebarWrapper.tsx
@@ -1,23 +1,31 @@
-import React, { ReactElement, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { ReactElement, useEffect } from 'react';
 import { useAppDispatch, useAppSelector } from '../../state/hooks';
 import {
   selectSelectedNodeId,
   selectUserNodes,
   updateSelectedNodeId,
 } from '../../state/node';
+import { useGetIsDockerRunningQuery } from '../../state/settingsService';
+import Sidebar from '../Sidebar/Sidebar';
 
 export interface SidebarWrapperProps {
   children: ReactElement;
 }
 
-export const SidebarWrapper = ({
-  children,
-}: {
-  children: (sUserNodes: any) => React.ReactNode;
-}) => {
+export const SidebarWrapper = () => {
   const sSelectedNodeId = useAppSelector(selectSelectedNodeId);
   const sUserNodes = useAppSelector(selectUserNodes);
   const dispatch = useAppDispatch();
+  // todo: implement a back-off polling strategy which can be "reset"
+  const qIsDockerRunning = useGetIsDockerRunningQuery(null, {
+    pollingInterval: 15000,
+  });
+  // default to docker is running while data is being fetched, so
+  //  the user isn't falsely warned
+  let isDockerRunning = true;
+  if (qIsDockerRunning && !qIsDockerRunning.fetching) {
+    isDockerRunning = qIsDockerRunning.data;
+  }
 
   // Default selected node to be the first node
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -31,5 +39,12 @@ export const SidebarWrapper = ({
     }
   }, [sSelectedNodeId, sUserNodes, dispatch]);
 
-  return <>{children(sUserNodes)}</>;
+  return (
+    <Sidebar
+      offline={false}
+      updateAvailable={false}
+      dockerStopped={!isDockerRunning}
+      sUserNodes={sUserNodes}
+    />
+  );
 };