diff --git a/.devcontainer/.gitignore b/.devcontainer/.gitignore
index d48d420e9214f..527cd9f666444 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/.gitignore
+++ b/.devcontainer/.gitignore
@@ -1,13 +1,21 @@
 *
 
 !/assets/
+!/assets/screenshots/
 !/bind-mounts/
+!/conf/
+!/conf/etc/
+!/conf/etc/stack/
 !/ghc-*/
 !/scripts/
+!/scripts/usr/
+!/scripts/usr/local/
+!/scripts/usr/local/bin/
 
-!/assets/manageHLS.png
+!/assets/screenshots/manageHLS.png
+!/conf/etc/stack/config.yaml
 !/ghc-*/devcontainer.json
-!/scripts/*.sh
+!/scripts/usr/local/bin/*.sh
 
 !/devcontainer.json
 !/GHC.Dockerfile
diff --git a/.devcontainer/GHC.Dockerfile b/.devcontainer/GHC.Dockerfile
index b517d68dc9794..42e745845a636 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/GHC.Dockerfile
+++ b/.devcontainer/GHC.Dockerfile
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@ ARG STACK_VERSION_OVERRIDE=${STACK_VERSION:-none}
 
 FROM ${BUILD_ON_IMAGE}:${GHC_VERSION} as files
 
-RUN mkdir -p /files/usr/local/bin
+RUN mkdir /files
 
-COPY scripts /files/usr/local/bin
+COPY conf /files
+COPY scripts /files
 
 ## Ensure file modes are correct
 RUN find /files -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \; \
diff --git a/.devcontainer/README.md b/.devcontainer/README.md
index 4e98cc00244d8..d05036f14a00c 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/README.md
+++ b/.devcontainer/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Dev Containers
 
 These Dev Containers are based on the same docker images that are used to build
-the amd64 and arm64 binary releases of pandoc.
+the *statically linked* Linux amd64 and arm64 binary releases of pandoc.
 
 Those multi-arch (`linux/amd64`, `linux/arm64/v8`) docker images themselves are
 based on Alpine Linux and contain *unofficial* builds of GHC.
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ Only use the GHC available in the Dev Containers, because
 1. the *official* GHC bindists for Alpine Linux (`x86_64`) are just too buggy.
 2. there are currently (2023-08-28) no bindists for Alpine Linux (`AArch64`).
 
-Therefore, always use options `--no-install-ghc --system-ghc` with stack.
+Therefore, flags `--system-ghc` and `--no-install-ghc` are set system-wide in
+`/etc/stack/config.yaml`.
 
 ## Usage
 
@@ -21,22 +22,35 @@ For use with Github Codespaces, please follow the instruction at
 For local/'remote host' usage with VS Code, please follow the instructions at
 [Developing inside a Container](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/devcontainers/containers).
 
-:information_source: Choose `Manually via PATH` when asked the following
-question:
+## Install pandoc
 
-<img width="520" alt="manageHLS" src="assets/manageHLS.png">
-
-## Installing pandoc
-
-Addendum to [Installing pandoc &gt; Compiling from source &gt; Quick stack method](../INSTALL.md#quick-stack-method):
-
-Use `stack install --no-install-ghc --system-ghc pandoc-cli` without first
-running `stack setup` when building within the Dev Container (for use with
-Stack).
+### Using cabal
 
 Addendum to [Installing pandoc &gt; Compiling from source &gt; Quick cabal method](../INSTALL.md#quick-cabal-method):
 
 Use
-`cabal build --enable-executable-static --ghc-option=-optl=-pthread pandoc-cli`
-to build a *statically linked* `pandoc` executable that can run on any Linux
+`cabal build --ghc-options '-static -optl-static -optl-pthread' pandoc-cli` to
+build a *statically linked* `pandoc` executable that can run on any Linux
 machine of the same architecture.
+
+### Using stack
+
+See [Installing pandoc &gt; Compiling from source &gt; Quick stack method](../INSTALL.md#quick-stack-method)
+
+You may try
+`stack build --ghc-options '-static -optl-static -optl-pthread' pandoc-cli` to
+build a *statically linked* `pandoc` executable.  
+:information_source: This works on Alpine Linux/AArch64 but not x86_64[^1].
+
+[^1]: Most likely due to a bug in the GCC toolchain on Linux/x86_64 that was
+never fixed. See  
+[Bug #640734 “crtbeginT.o needs to be recompiled with -fPIC” : Bugs : gcc-4.4 package : Ubuntu](https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gcc-4.4/+bug/640734)  
+and  
+[gcc - Haskell Stack Static Binary relocation R_X86_64_32 against `TMC_END' can not be used when making a shared object - Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/41419102/haskell-stack-static-binary-relocation-r-x86-64-32-against-tmc-end-can-not/41427067)  
+for more information.
+
+## Haskell Language Server (HLS)
+
+Choose `Manually via PATH` when asked the following question:
+
+<img width="520" alt="manageHLS" src="assets/screenshots/manageHLS.png">
diff --git a/.devcontainer/assets/manageHLS.png b/.devcontainer/assets/screenshots/manageHLS.png
similarity index 100%
rename from .devcontainer/assets/manageHLS.png
rename to .devcontainer/assets/screenshots/manageHLS.png
diff --git a/.devcontainer/conf/etc/stack/config.yaml b/.devcontainer/conf/etc/stack/config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..37c999c3d6e1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.devcontainer/conf/etc/stack/config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# Use only the GHC available on the PATH
+system-ghc: true
+# Do not automatically install GHC when necessary
+install-ghc: false
diff --git a/.devcontainer/scripts/fix-chsh.sh b/.devcontainer/scripts/usr/local/bin/fix-chsh.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from .devcontainer/scripts/fix-chsh.sh
rename to .devcontainer/scripts/usr/local/bin/fix-chsh.sh
diff --git a/.devcontainer/scripts/onCreateCommand.sh b/.devcontainer/scripts/usr/local/bin/onCreateCommand.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from .devcontainer/scripts/onCreateCommand.sh
rename to .devcontainer/scripts/usr/local/bin/onCreateCommand.sh