diff --git a/repo2docker/app.py b/repo2docker/app.py
index b938b817..ddad7c8e 100755
--- a/repo2docker/app.py
+++ b/repo2docker/app.py
@@ -576,7 +576,6 @@ class Repo2Docker(Application):
         run_kwargs = dict(
             publish_all_ports=self.all_ports,
             ports=ports,
-            detach=True,
             command=run_cmd,
             volumes=container_volumes,
             environment=self.environment,
diff --git a/repo2docker/buildpacks/base.py b/repo2docker/buildpacks/base.py
index 145d2964..46a407ad 100644
--- a/repo2docker/buildpacks/base.py
+++ b/repo2docker/buildpacks/base.py
@@ -607,9 +607,6 @@ class BuildPack:
             tag=image_spec,
             custom_context=True,
             buildargs=build_args,
-            decode=True,
-            forcerm=True,
-            rm=True,
             container_limits=limits,
             cache_from=cache_from,
         )
diff --git a/repo2docker/buildpacks/docker.py b/repo2docker/buildpacks/docker.py
index 5a098165..8326aecf 100644
--- a/repo2docker/buildpacks/docker.py
+++ b/repo2docker/buildpacks/docker.py
@@ -50,9 +50,6 @@ class DockerBuildPack(BuildPack):
             dockerfile=self.binder_path(self.dockerfile),
             tag=image_spec,
             buildargs=build_args,
-            decode=True,
-            forcerm=True,
-            rm=True,
             container_limits=limits,
             cache_from=cache_from,
         )
diff --git a/repo2docker/docker.py b/repo2docker/docker.py
index 04edb6f4..8e3fbbc8 100644
--- a/repo2docker/docker.py
+++ b/repo2docker/docker.py
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@ class DockerEngine(ContainerEngine):
         buildargs=None,
         cache_from=None,
         container_limits=None,
-        forcerm=False,
-        rm=False,
+        # forcerm=False,
+        # rm=False,
         tag="",
         custom_context=False,
-        decode=False,
+        # decode=False,
         dockerfile="",
         fileobj=None,
         path="",
@@ -67,11 +67,11 @@ class DockerEngine(ContainerEngine):
             buildargs=buildargs,
             cache_from=cache_from,
             container_limits=container_limits,
-            forcerm=forcerm,
-            rm=rm,
+            forcerm=True,
+            rm=True,
             tag=tag,
             custom_context=custom_context,
-            decode=decode,
+            decode=True,
             dockerfile=dockerfile,
             fileobj=fileobj,
             path=path,
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class DockerEngine(ContainerEngine):
         *,
         command=None,
         environment=None,
-        detach=False,
+        # detach=False,
         ports=None,
         publish_all_ports=False,
         remove=False,
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class DockerEngine(ContainerEngine):
             image_spec,
             command=command,
             environment=(environment or []),
-            detach=detach,
+            detach=True,
             ports=(ports or {}),
             publish_all_ports=publish_all_ports,
             remove=remove,
diff --git a/repo2docker/engine.py b/repo2docker/engine.py
index 0d667af0..0d818c7f 100644
--- a/repo2docker/engine.py
+++ b/repo2docker/engine.py
@@ -100,11 +100,11 @@ class ContainerEngine(ABC):
         buildargs={},
         cache_from=[],
         container_limits={},
-        forcerm=False,
-        rm=False,
+        # forcerm=False,
+        # rm=False,
         tag="",
         custom_context=False,
-        decode=False,
+        # decode=False,
         dockerfile="",
         fileobj=None,
         path="",
@@ -124,19 +124,22 @@ class ContainerEngine(ABC):
               - `cpushares`
               - `memory`
               - `memswap`
-        forcerm : bool
-            Always remove containers including unsuccessful builds
-        rm : bool
-            Remove intermediate containers
+        # forcerm : bool
+        #     Always remove containers including unsuccessful builds
+        # always True
+        # rm : bool
+        #     Remove intermediate containers
+        # always True
         tag : str
             Tag to add to the image
 
         custom_context : bool
             If `True` fileobj is a Tar file object containing the build context
             TODO: Specific to Docker
-        decode : bool
-            If `True` decode responses into dicts
-            TODO: repo2docker sets this to True but it's not clear what other clients should return
+        # decode : bool
+        #     If `True` decode responses into dicts
+        #     TODO: repo2docker sets this to True but it's not clear what other clients should return
+        # always True
         dockerfile : str
             Path to Dockerfile within the build context
         fileobj : tarfile
@@ -192,7 +195,7 @@ class ContainerEngine(ABC):
         *,
         command=[],
         environment=[],
-        detach=False,
+        # detach=False,
         ports={},
         publish_all_ports=False,
         remove=False,
@@ -209,8 +212,9 @@ class ContainerEngine(ABC):
             The command to run
         environment : list[str]
             List of environment variables in the form `ENVVAR=value`
-        detach : bool
-            If `True` run container in background
+        # detach : bool
+        #     If `True` run container in background
+        # always True
         ports : dict
             Container port bindings in the format expected by the engine
             TODO: Should we use a fixed format and convert to whatever's required by the engine?