diff --git a/backend/build.sh b/backend/build.sh
index 1169064c5..d69b99ca2 100755
--- a/backend/build.sh
+++ b/backend/build.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 # Usage: IMAGE_TAG=latest DOCKER_REPO=myDockerHubID bash build.sh <ee>
 set -e
 
-source ../scripts/lib/_docker.sh
+GIT_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
+source $GIT_ROOT/scripts/lib/_docker.sh
 
 git_sha=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
 image_tag=${IMAGE_TAG:-$git_sha}
@@ -92,4 +93,4 @@ function build_api() {
 }
 
 check_prereq
-build_api i1 i2
+build_api "$1" "$2"
diff --git a/scripts/lib/_docker.sh b/scripts/lib/_docker.sh
index 134b9673a..345cc4e1b 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/_docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/lib/_docker.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 docker() {
-    local docker_cmd=${DOCKER_RUNTIME}
+    local docker_cmd=${DOCKER_RUNTIME:-"docker"}
     [[ $docker_cmd == "docker" ]] && docker_cmd=$(which docker)
     if [[ "$1" == "build" ]]; then
         shift
         # Reconstruct command with DOCKER_ARGS before the '.'
-        $docker_cmd build "${DOCKER_BUILD_ARGS}" "$@"
+        $docker_cmd build ${DOCKER_BUILD_ARGS} "$@"
     else
         $docker_cmd "$@"
     fi