diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 3044749854..381c83f925 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -21,22 +21,30 @@
 #
 FROM alpine
 
-MAINTAINER www.evennia.com
+LABEL maintainer="www.evennia.com"
 
 # install compilation environment
-RUN apk update && apk add python py-pip python-dev py-setuptools gcc \
-musl-dev jpeg-dev zlib-dev bash py2-openssl procps
+RUN apk update && apk add bash gcc jpeg-dev musl-dev procps py-pip \
+py-setuptools py2-openssl python python-dev zlib-dev
 
-# add the project source
-ADD . /usr/src/evennia
+# add the files required for pip installation
+COPY ./setup.py /usr/src/evennia/
+COPY ./requirements.txt /usr/src/evennia/
+COPY ./evennia/VERSION.txt /usr/src/evennia/evennia/
+COPY ./bin /usr/src/evennia/bin/
 
 # install dependencies
 RUN pip install --upgrade pip && pip install -e /usr/src/evennia --trusted-host pypi.python.org
 RUN pip install cryptography pyasn1 service_identity
 
+# add the project source; this should always be done after all
+# expensive operations have completed to avoid prematurely
+# invalidating the build cache.
+COPY . /usr/src/evennia
+
 # add the game source when rebuilding a new docker image from inside
 # a game dir
-ONBUILD ADD . /usr/src/game
+ONBUILD COPY . /usr/src/game
 
 # make the game source hierarchy persistent with a named volume.
 # mount on-disk game location here when using the container
diff --git a/evennia/objects/manager.py b/evennia/objects/manager.py
index 4c81ea186a..9907c960d6 100644
--- a/evennia/objects/manager.py
+++ b/evennia/objects/manager.py
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ class ObjectDBManager(TypedObjectManager):
         """
         Create and return a new object as a copy of the original object. All
         will be identical to the original except for the arguments given
-        specifically to this method.
+        specifically to this method. Object contents will not be copied.
 
         Args:
             original_object (Object): The object to make a copy from.
@@ -502,6 +502,10 @@ class ObjectDBManager(TypedObjectManager):
         for script in original_object.scripts.all():
             ScriptDB.objects.copy_script(script, new_obj=new_object)
 
+        # copy over all tags, if any
+        for tag in original_object.tags.get(return_tagobj=True, return_list=True):
+            new_object.tags.add(tag=tag.key, category=tag.category, data=tag.data)
+    
         return new_object
 
     def clear_all_sessids(self):