diff --git a/plugins/techdocs-backend/package.json b/plugins/techdocs-backend/package.json
index 476b321e1e..b9c2953d28 100644
--- a/plugins/techdocs-backend/package.json
+++ b/plugins/techdocs-backend/package.json
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     "@backstage/config": "^0.1.1-alpha.21",
     "@types/dockerode": "^2.5.34",
     "@types/express": "^4.17.6",
+    "command-exists-promise": "^2.0.2",
     "default-branch": "^1.0.8",
     "dockerode": "^3.2.1",
     "express": "^4.17.1",
diff --git a/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/techdocs/stages/generate/helpers.ts b/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/techdocs/stages/generate/helpers.ts
index 9f33823444..d68bb74aa6 100644
--- a/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/techdocs/stages/generate/helpers.ts
+++ b/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/techdocs/stages/generate/helpers.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { Entity } from '@backstage/catalog-model';
 import { Writable, PassThrough } from 'stream';
 import Docker from 'dockerode';
 import { SupportedGeneratorKey } from './types';
+import { spawn } from 'child_process';
 
 // TODO: Implement proper support for more generators.
 export function getGeneratorKey(entity: Entity): SupportedGeneratorKey {
@@ -38,6 +39,13 @@ type RunDockerContainerOptions = {
   createOptions?: Docker.ContainerCreateOptions;
 };
 
+export type RunCommandOptions = {
+  command: string;
+  args: string[];
+  options: object;
+  logStream?: Writable;
+};
+
 export async function runDockerContainer({
   imageName,
   args,
@@ -96,3 +104,41 @@ export async function runDockerContainer({
 
   return { error, statusCode };
 }
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @param options the options object
+ * @param options.command the command to run
+ * @param options.args the arguments to pass the command
+ * @param options.options options used in spawn
+ * @param options.logStream the log streamer to capture log messages
+ */
+export const runCommand = async ({
+  command,
+  args,
+  options,
+  logStream = new PassThrough(),
+}: RunCommandOptions) => {
+  await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const process = spawn(command, args, options);
+
+    process.stdout.on('data', stream => {
+      logStream.write(stream);
+    });
+
+    process.stderr.on('data', stream => {
+      logStream.write(stream);
+    });
+
+    process.on('error', error => {
+      return reject(error);
+    });
+
+    process.on('close', code => {
+      if (code !== 0) {
+        return reject(`Command ${command} failed, exit code: ${code}`);
+      }
+      return resolve();
+    });
+  });
+};
diff --git a/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/techdocs/stages/generate/techdocs.ts b/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/techdocs/stages/generate/techdocs.ts
index 40cd7590b6..cb89b42e38 100644
--- a/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/techdocs/stages/generate/techdocs.ts
+++ b/plugins/techdocs-backend/src/techdocs/stages/generate/techdocs.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ import {
   GeneratorRunOptions,
   GeneratorRunResult,
 } from './types';
-import { runDockerContainer } from './helpers';
+import { runDockerContainer, runCommand } from './helpers';
+
+const commandExists = require('command-exists-promise');
 
 export class TechdocsGenerator implements GeneratorBase {
   private readonly logger: Logger;
@@ -46,17 +48,29 @@ export class TechdocsGenerator implements GeneratorBase {
     );
 
     try {
-      await runDockerContainer({
-        imageName: 'spotify/techdocs',
-        args: ['build', '-d', '/result'],
-        logStream,
-        docsDir: directory,
-        resultDir,
-        dockerClient,
-      });
-      this.logger.info(
-        `[TechDocs]: Successfully generated docs from ${directory} into ${resultDir}`,
-      );
+      const mkdocsInstalled = await commandExists('mkdocs');
+      if (mkdocsInstalled) {
+        await runCommand({
+          command: 'mkdocs',
+          args: ['build', '-d', resultDir, '-v'],
+          options: {
+            cwd: directory,
+          },
+          logStream,
+        });
+      } else {
+        await runDockerContainer({
+          imageName: 'spotify/techdocs',
+          args: ['build', '-d', '/result'],
+          logStream,
+          docsDir: directory,
+          resultDir,
+          dockerClient,
+        });
+        this.logger.info(
+          `[TechDocs]: Successfully generated docs from ${directory} into ${resultDir}`,
+        );
+      }
     } catch (error) {
       this.logger.debug(
         `[TechDocs]: Failed to generate docs from ${directory} into ${resultDir}`,