diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 912a2961e2..8fe1aabb26 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
-FROM python:3.6
+FROM python:3.9
 
 # Set up code directory
-RUN mkdir -p /usr/src/app
 WORKDIR /usr/src/app
 
 # Install Linux dependencies
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index c130de201a..2ffdfaede2 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ services:
   sandbox:
     build:
       context: .
-    environment:
-      PARITY_VERSION: v2.3.5
     volumes:
       - .:/code
     command: tail -f /dev/null
diff --git a/newsfragments/2369.misc.rst b/newsfragments/2369.misc.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cede2588df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/2369.misc.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+bump docker base image to ``3.9`` and remove parity tests from docker.
\ No newline at end of file