diff --git a/seafile/start.py b/seafile/start.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d3ce47c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/seafile/start.py
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+#coding: UTF-8
+
+"""
+Starts the seafile/seahub server and watches the controller process. It is
+the entrypoint command of the docker container.
+"""
+
+import json
+import os
+from os.path import abspath, basename, exists, dirname, join, isdir
+import shutil
+import sys
+import time
+
+from utils import (
+    call, get_conf, get_install_dir, get_script, get_command_output,
+    render_template, wait_for_mysql, setup_logging
+)
+from upgrade import check_upgrade
+from bootstrap import init_seafile_server, is_https, init_letsencrypt, generate_local_nginx_conf
+
+
+shared_seafiledir = '/shared/seafile'
+ssl_dir = '/shared/ssl'
+generated_dir = '/bootstrap/generated'
+installdir = get_install_dir()
+topdir = dirname(installdir)
+
+def watch_controller():
+    maxretry = 4
+    retry = 0
+    while retry < maxretry:
+        controller_pid = get_command_output('ps aux | grep seafile-controller | grep -v grep || true').strip()
+        garbage_collector_pid = get_command_output('ps aux | grep /scripts/gc.sh | grep -v grep || true').strip()
+        if not controller_pid and not garbage_collector_pid:
+            retry += 1
+        else:
+            retry = 0
+        time.sleep(5)
+    print('seafile controller exited unexpectedly.')
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+def main():
+    if not exists(shared_seafiledir):
+        os.mkdir(shared_seafiledir)
+    if not exists(generated_dir):
+        os.makedirs(generated_dir)
+
+    if is_https():
+        init_letsencrypt()
+    generate_local_nginx_conf()
+    call('nginx -s reload')
+
+    wait_for_mysql()
+    init_seafile_server()
+
+    check_upgrade()
+    os.chdir(installdir)
+
+    admin_pw = {
+        'email': get_conf('SEAFILE_ADMIN_EMAIL', 'me@example.com'),
+        'password': get_conf('SEAFILE_ADMIN_PASSWORD', 'asecret'),
+    }
+    password_file = join(topdir, 'conf', 'admin.txt')
+    with open(password_file, 'w') as fp:
+        json.dump(admin_pw, fp)
+
+
+    try:
+        call('{} start'.format(get_script('seafile.sh')))
+        call('{} start'.format(get_script('seahub.sh')))
+        call('{} start /seafile-fuse'.format(get_script('seaf-fuse.sh')))
+    finally:
+        if exists(password_file):
+            os.unlink(password_file)
+
+    print('seafile server is running now.')
+    try:
+        watch_controller()
+    except KeyboardInterrupt:
+        print('Stopping seafile server.')
+        sys.exit(0)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    setup_logging()
+    main()
+