diff --git a/src/ibek/__main__.py b/src/ibek/__main__.py
index bad3e937e..b2645ee83 100644
--- a/src/ibek/__main__.py
+++ b/src/ibek/__main__.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from ruamel.yaml import YAML
 
 from ibek._version import __version__
+from ibek.dev_cmds.commands import dev_cli
 from ibek.globals import NaturalOrderGroup
 from ibek.ioc_cmds.commands import ioc_cli
 from ibek.runtime_cmds.commands import runtime_cli
@@ -26,6 +27,11 @@
     name="runtime",
     help="Commands for building IOC instance startup files at container runtime",
 )
+cli.add_typer(
+    dev_cli,
+    name="dev",
+    help="Commands for working inside Generic IOC development containers",
+)
 
 yaml = YAML()
 
diff --git a/src/ibek/dev_cmds/__init__.py b/src/ibek/dev_cmds/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/src/ibek/dev_cmds/commands.py b/src/ibek/dev_cmds/commands.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..65f77dec8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ibek/dev_cmds/commands.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import logging
+import shutil
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import typer
+
+from ibek.globals import CONFIG_DIR_NAME, IOC_DIR_NAME, IOC_FOLDER, NaturalOrderGroup
+from ibek.ioc_cmds.assets import get_ioc_source
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+dev_cli = typer.Typer(cls=NaturalOrderGroup)
+
+
+@dev_cli.command()
+def instance(
+    instance: Path = typer.Argument(
+        ..., help="The filepath to the ioc instance entity file"
+    ),
+):
+    """
+    Symlink an IOC instance config folder into /epics/ioc/config.
+
+    Used in the devcontainer to allow the IOC instance to be run using
+    /epics/ioc/starts.sh. Changes made to the config will be immediately
+    available and also under version control.
+
+    e.g. if instance is /repos/bl38p/iocs/bl38p-mo-panda-01 then we need:
+    - /epics/ioc -> /epics/ioc-pandablocks/ioc
+    - /epics/ioc/config -> /repos/bl38p/iocs/bl38p-mo-panda-01/config
+    """
+    # validate the instance folder has a config folder
+
+    generic_root = get_ioc_source()
+    ioc_folder = generic_root / IOC_DIR_NAME
+    config_folder = ioc_folder / CONFIG_DIR_NAME
+    instance_config = instance / CONFIG_DIR_NAME
+
+    if not instance_config.exists():
+        log.error(f"Could not find config folder {instance_config}")
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+    # First make sure there is an ioc folder in the generic IOC source root
+    # and that it is symlinked from /epics/ioc, remove any existing config.
+    if not ioc_folder.exists():
+        ioc_folder.mkdir()
+
+    # remove any existing config folder and ioc symlink from /epics/ioc
+    for folder in [config_folder, IOC_FOLDER]:
+        if folder.is_symlink():
+            folder.unlink()
+        if folder.exists():
+            shutil.rmtree(folder)
+
+    IOC_FOLDER.symlink_to(ioc_folder)
+
+    # Now symlink the instance config folder into the generic IOC source root
+    config_folder.symlink_to(instance_config)
+
+
+@dev_cli.command()
+def support(
+    module: Path = typer.Argument(
+        ..., help="The filepath to the support module to work on"
+    ),
+):
+    """
+    enable a support module for development.
+    """
+
+    raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/src/ibek/globals.py b/src/ibek/globals.py
index 735beca2e..5b05e8ab7 100644
--- a/src/ibek/globals.py
+++ b/src/ibek/globals.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 EPICS_ROOT = Path(os.getenv("EPICS_ROOT", "/epics/"))
 IOC_FOLDER = Path(os.getenv("IOC", "/epics/ioc"))
 SUPPORT = Path(os.getenv("SUPPORT", "/epics/support"))
+CONFIG_DIR_NAME = "config"
+IOC_DIR_NAME = "ioc"
 
 # the global RELEASE file which lists all support modules
 RELEASE = SUPPORT / "configure/RELEASE"
diff --git a/src/ibek/ioc_cmds/assets.py b/src/ibek/ioc_cmds/assets.py
index 76c494fd9..0393d5821 100644
--- a/src/ibek/ioc_cmds/assets.py
+++ b/src/ibek/ioc_cmds/assets.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import logging
 import os
 import shutil
 import subprocess
@@ -8,6 +9,8 @@
 
 from ibek.globals import EPICS_ROOT, IBEK_DEFS, IOC_FOLDER, PVI_DEFS
 
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 def get_ioc_source() -> Path:
     """
@@ -19,17 +22,22 @@ def get_ioc_source() -> Path:
     Functions that use this should provide an override variable that allows
     the ibek caller to specify the location.
     """
-    try:
-        ibek_support = (
-            list(EPICS_ROOT.glob("*/ibek-support"))
-            or list(Path("..").glob("/**/ibek-support"))
-        )[0]
-    except IndexError:
-        raise RuntimeError(
-            "Could NOT find a suitable location for the IOC source folder. "
+    ibek_supports = list(EPICS_ROOT.glob("*/ibek-support"))
+
+    if len(ibek_supports) > 1:
+        log.error(
+            "Found more than one ibek-support folder. "
+            "ibek must be run in a container a single generic IOC source folder"
+        )
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+    elif len(ibek_supports) == 0:
+        log.error(
+            "Could NOT find a generic IOC source folder containing ibek-support. "
             "ibek must be run in a container with the generic IOC source folder"
         )
-    return (ibek_support / "..").resolve()
+        raise typer.Exit(1)
+
+    return (ibek_supports[0] / "..").resolve()
 
 
 def move_file(src: Path, dest: Path, binary: List[str]):
diff --git a/src/ibek/ioc_cmds/commands.py b/src/ibek/ioc_cmds/commands.py
index 8e8331c27..853af9515 100644
--- a/src/ibek/ioc_cmds/commands.py
+++ b/src/ibek/ioc_cmds/commands.py
@@ -124,10 +124,14 @@ def make_source_template(
     if destination is None:
         destination = get_ioc_source() / "ioc"
 
-    if not destination.exists():
+    # use a known file to check if the destination is already an IOC
+    # because an empty folder can be created by 'ibek dev instance'
+    dest_release = destination / "configure" / "RELEASE"
+
+    if not dest_release.exists():
         if destination.is_symlink():
             destination.unlink()
-        shutil.copytree(TEMPLATES / "ioc", destination)
+        shutil.copytree(TEMPLATES / "ioc", destination, dirs_exist_ok=True)
 
     # make a symlink to the ioc folder in the root of the epics folder
     # this becomes the standard place for code to look for the IOC