diff --git a/docs/docs/env-vars.md b/docs/docs/env-vars.md
index 58561f6c..ac04c7f8 100644
--- a/docs/docs/env-vars.md
+++ b/docs/docs/env-vars.md
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ CodeRoad has a number of configurations:
 
 - `CODEROAD_WEBHOOK_TOKEN` - an optional token for authenticating/authorizing webhook endpoints. Passed to the webhook endpoint in a `CodeRoad-User-Token` header.
 
+- `CODEROAD_SESSION_STORAGE_PATH` - the path to a directory for writing session storage to files. Helps preserves state across containers. Example: `../tmp`.
+
 ## How to Use Variables
 
 ### Local
diff --git a/src/actions/onStartup.ts b/src/actions/onStartup.ts
index 09cc97a3..98235536 100644
--- a/src/actions/onStartup.ts
+++ b/src/actions/onStartup.ts
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ const onStartup = async (context: Context): Promise<void> => {
 
     // NEW: no stored tutorial, must start new tutorial
     if (!tutorial || !tutorial.id) {
-      if (!!TUTORIAL_URL) {
-        // NEW_FROM_URL
+      if (TUTORIAL_URL) {
+        // if a tutorial URL is added, launch on startup
         try {
           const tutorialRes = await fetch(TUTORIAL_URL)
           const tutorial = await tutorialRes.json()
diff --git a/src/environment.ts b/src/environment.ts
index 59077d61..8073609b 100644
--- a/src/environment.ts
+++ b/src/environment.ts
@@ -46,3 +46,6 @@ export const CONTENT_SECURITY_POLICY_EXEMPTIONS: string | null =
 
 // optional token for authorization/authentication of webhook calls
 export const WEBHOOK_TOKEN = process.env.CODEROAD_WEBHOOK_TOKEN || null
+
+// a path to write session state to a file. Useful for maintaining session across containers
+export const SESSION_STORAGE_PATH = process.env.CODEROAD_SESSION_STORAGE_PATH || null
diff --git a/src/services/context/state/Position.ts b/src/services/context/state/Position.ts
index 50c649f0..fe90d2da 100644
--- a/src/services/context/state/Position.ts
+++ b/src/services/context/state/Position.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ class Position {
   setTutorial(workspaceState: vscode.Memento, tutorial: TT.Tutorial): void {
     this.storage = new Storage<T.Position>({
       key: `coderoad:position:${tutorial.id}:${tutorial.version}`,
+      filePath: 'coderoad_position',
       storage: workspaceState,
       defaultValue,
     })
diff --git a/src/services/context/state/Tutorial.ts b/src/services/context/state/Tutorial.ts
index 1195e7bf..40ecc48c 100644
--- a/src/services/context/state/Tutorial.ts
+++ b/src/services/context/state/Tutorial.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ class Tutorial {
   constructor(workspaceState: vscode.Memento) {
     this.storage = new Storage<TT.Tutorial | null>({
       key: 'coderoad:currentTutorial',
+      filePath: 'coderoad_tutorial',
       storage: workspaceState,
       defaultValue: null,
     })
diff --git a/src/services/node/index.ts b/src/services/node/index.ts
index a90dd208..78bfac20 100644
--- a/src/services/node/index.ts
+++ b/src/services/node/index.ts
@@ -7,25 +7,41 @@ import { WORKSPACE_ROOT } from '../../environment'
 const asyncExec = promisify(cpExec)
 const asyncRemoveFile = promisify(fs.unlink)
 const asyncReadFile = promisify(fs.readFile)
+const asyncWriteFile = promisify(fs.writeFile)
 
 interface ExecParams {
   command: string
   dir?: string
 }
 
+// correct paths to be from workspace root rather than extension folder
+const getWorkspacePath = (...paths: string[]) => {
+  return join(WORKSPACE_ROOT, ...paths)
+}
+
 export const exec = (params: ExecParams): Promise<{ stdout: string; stderr: string }> | never => {
   const cwd = join(WORKSPACE_ROOT, params.dir || '')
   return asyncExec(params.command, { cwd })
 }
 
 export const exists = (...paths: string[]): boolean | never => {
-  return fs.existsSync(join(WORKSPACE_ROOT, ...paths))
+  return fs.existsSync(getWorkspacePath(...paths))
 }
 
 export const removeFile = (...paths: string[]) => {
-  return asyncRemoveFile(join(WORKSPACE_ROOT, ...paths))
+  return asyncRemoveFile(getWorkspacePath(...paths))
+}
+
+export const readFile = (...paths: string[]): Promise<string | void> => {
+  const filePath = getWorkspacePath(...paths)
+  return asyncReadFile(getWorkspacePath(...paths), 'utf8').catch((err) => {
+    console.warn(`Failed to read from ${filePath}: ${err.message}`)
+  })
 }
 
-export const readFile = (...paths: string[]) => {
-  return asyncReadFile(join(...paths))
+export const writeFile = (data: any, ...paths: string[]): Promise<void> => {
+  const filePath = getWorkspacePath(...paths)
+  return asyncWriteFile(filePath, data).catch((err) => {
+    console.warn(`Failed to write to ${filePath}: ${err.message}`)
+  })
 }
diff --git a/src/services/storage/index.ts b/src/services/storage/index.ts
index 8a64cceb..db7ebe34 100644
--- a/src/services/storage/index.ts
+++ b/src/services/storage/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import * as vscode from 'vscode'
+import { readFile, writeFile } from '../node'
+import { SESSION_STORAGE_PATH } from '../../environment'
 
 // NOTE: localStorage is not available on client
 // and must be stored in editor
@@ -8,23 +10,55 @@ import * as vscode from 'vscode'
 // forcing it to be passed in through activation and down to other tools
 class Storage<T> {
   private key: string
+  private filePath: string
   private storage: vscode.Memento
   private defaultValue: T
-  constructor({ key, storage, defaultValue }: { key: string; storage: vscode.Memento; defaultValue: T }) {
+  constructor({
+    key,
+    filePath,
+    storage,
+    defaultValue,
+  }: {
+    key: string
+    filePath: string
+    storage: vscode.Memento
+    defaultValue: T
+  }) {
     this.storage = storage
     this.key = key
+    this.filePath = filePath
     this.defaultValue = defaultValue
   }
   public get = async (): Promise<T> => {
     const value: string | undefined = await this.storage.get(this.key)
     if (value) {
       return JSON.parse(value)
+    } else if (SESSION_STORAGE_PATH) {
+      try {
+        // optionally read from file as a fallback to local storage
+        const sessionFile = await readFile(SESSION_STORAGE_PATH, `${this.filePath}.json`)
+        if (!sessionFile) {
+          throw new Error('No session file found')
+        }
+        const data: T = JSON.parse(sessionFile)
+
+        if (data) {
+          // validate session
+          const keys = Object.keys(data)
+          if (keys.length) {
+            return data
+          }
+        }
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.warn(`Failed to read or parse session file: ${SESSION_STORAGE_PATH}/${this.filePath}.json`)
+      }
     }
     return this.defaultValue
   }
   public set = (value: T): void => {
     const stringValue = JSON.stringify(value)
     this.storage.update(this.key, stringValue)
+    this.writeToSessionFile(stringValue)
   }
   public update = async (value: T): Promise<void> => {
     const current = await this.get()
@@ -32,7 +66,19 @@ class Storage<T> {
       ...current,
       ...value,
     })
-    this.storage.update(this.key, next)
+    await this.storage.update(this.key, next)
+
+    this.writeToSessionFile(next)
+  }
+  public writeToSessionFile(data: string) {
+    // optionally write state to file, useful when state cannot be controlled across containers
+    if (SESSION_STORAGE_PATH) {
+      try {
+        writeFile(data, SESSION_STORAGE_PATH, `${this.filePath}.json`)
+      } catch (err: any) {
+        console.warn(`Failed to write coderoad session to path: ${SESSION_STORAGE_PATH}/${this.filePath}.json`)
+      }
+    }
   }
   public reset = () => {
     this.set(this.defaultValue)