diff --git a/devfile.yaml b/devfile.yaml
index 67889af..b6357c5 100644
--- a/devfile.yaml
+++ b/devfile.yaml
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ components:
         protocol: https
         name: quarkus-debug
         targetPort: 5005
+- name: tools
+  container:
+    image: quay.io/devfile/universal-developer-image:ubi10-latest
+    mountSources: true
+    memoryLimit: 4G
 - volume:
     size: 10Gi
   name: projects
@@ -104,6 +109,65 @@ commands:
     component: dev-tools
     workingDir: "${PROJECTS_ROOT}/dev-workspace"
   id: init-env
+- id: gcloud-init
+  exec:
+    label: "1. Google Cloud CLI - Initialization"
+    commandLine: gcloud init --console-only
+    component: tools
+
+- id: gcloud-auth-login
+  exec:
+    label: "2. Google Cloud CLI - Set up default authentication"
+    commandLine: gcloud auth application-default login --no-launch-browser
+    component: tools
+
+- id: gcloud-auth-set-quota-project
+  exec:
+    label: "3. Google Cloud CLI - Set Quota Project"
+    commandLine: gcloud auth application-default set-quota-project cloudability-it-gemini
+    component: tools
+
+- id: create-gcloud-adc-secret
+  exec:
+    label: "4. Create Google Cloud ADC Secret"
+    commandLine: |
+      kubectl create secret generic gcloud-adc --from-file=adc.json=$HOME/.config/gcloud/application_default_credentials.json && \
+      kubectl label secret gcloud-adc controller.devfile.io/mount-to-devworkspace=true controller.devfile.io/watch-secret=true --overwrite
+    component: tools
+
+- id: annotate-gcloud-adc-secret
+  exec:
+    label: "5. Annotate Google Cloud ADC Secret"
+    commandLine: |
+      kubectl annotate secret gcloud-adc controller.devfile.io/mount-path=/credentials controller.devfile.io/mount-as=file --overwrite
+    component: tools
+
+- id: setup-environment-variables
+  exec:
+    label: "6. Set up environment variables ConfigMap"
+    commandLine: |
+      source scripts/setup-claude-vertex-env.sh
+    component: dev-tools
+
+- id: annotate-environment-variables
+  exec:
+    label: "7. Annotate environment variables ConfigMap"
+    commandLine: |
+      kubectl annotate configmap ai-tools-env controller.devfile.io/mount-as=env --overwrite
+    component: tools
+
+- id: install-claude
+  exec:
+    label: 8. Install Claude CLI (Optional)
+    commandLine: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh -o claude-install.sh && chmod +x claude-install.sh && ./claude-install.sh
+    component: tools
+
+- id: add-dataverse-mcp
+  exec:
+    label: 9. Add Dataverse MCP (Optional)
+    commandLine: claude mcp add --transport http dataverse https://mcp.dataverse.redhat.com/mcp/
+    component: tools
+
 events:
   preStart:
     - cp-oc-cli
diff --git a/pelorus.code-workspace b/pelorus.code-workspace
index f58bafd..c249b65 100644
--- a/pelorus.code-workspace
+++ b/pelorus.code-workspace
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 	],
 	"extensions": {
 		"recommendations": [
+			"anthropic.claude-code",
 			"redhat.vscode-yaml",
 			"redhat.java",
 			"redhat.vscode-quarkus",
diff --git a/scripts/setup-claude-vertex-env.sh b/scripts/setup-claude-vertex-env.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7400d3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/setup-claude-vertex-env.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Sets Claude Code / Vertex AI environment variables.
+# Usage: source scripts/setup-claude-vertex-env.sh
+# If GCP_PROJECT_ID is unset, you are prompted to enter it (interactive terminal).
+
+#set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" == "${0}" ]]; then
+  echo "Source this script so exports apply in your current shell: source ${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ -z "${GCP_PROJECT_ID:-}" ]]; then
+  if [[ -t 0 ]]; then
+    read -r -p "Enter GCP project ID: " GCP_PROJECT_ID
+    GCP_PROJECT_ID="${GCP_PROJECT_ID#"${GCP_PROJECT_ID%%[![:space:]]*}"}"
+    GCP_PROJECT_ID="${GCP_PROJECT_ID%"${GCP_PROJECT_ID##*[![:space:]]}"}"
+  elif command -v gcloud &>/dev/null; then
+    GCP_PROJECT_ID="$(gcloud config get-value project 2>/dev/null || true)"
+    if [[ -z "${GCP_PROJECT_ID}" || "${GCP_PROJECT_ID}" == "(unset)" ]]; then
+      echo "Set GCP_PROJECT_ID, or run this script in a terminal to enter it interactively." >&2
+      return 1
+    fi
+  else
+    echo "Set GCP_PROJECT_ID, or run this script in a terminal to enter it interactively." >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+fi
+
+if [[ -z "${GCP_PROJECT_ID}" || "${GCP_PROJECT_ID}" == "(unset)" ]]; then
+  echo "GCP_PROJECT_ID cannot be empty." >&2
+  return 1
+fi
+
+export GCP_PROJECT_ID
+export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=/credentials/adc.json
+export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_VERTEX=1
+export CLOUD_ML_REGION=global
+export CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC=1
+export ANTHROPIC_VERTEX_PROJECT_ID="${GCP_PROJECT_ID}"
+
+echo "Environment variables set:"
+echo "export GCP_PROJECT_ID=${GCP_PROJECT_ID}"
+echo "export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=${GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS}"
+echo "export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_VERTEX=${CLAUDE_CODE_USE_VERTEX}"
+echo "export CLOUD_ML_REGION=${CLOUD_ML_REGION}"
+echo "export CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC=${CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC}"
+echo "export ANTHROPIC_VERTEX_PROJECT_ID=${ANTHROPIC_VERTEX_PROJECT_ID}"
+
+kubectl create configmap ai-tools-env \
+  --from-literal=GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=/credentials/adc.json \
+  --from-literal=CLAUDE_CODE_USE_VERTEX=1 \
+  --from-literal=ANTHROPIC_VERTEX_PROJECT_ID=${GCP_PROJECT_ID} \
+  --from-literal=ANTHROPIC_VERTEX_REGION=${CLOUD_ML_REGION} \
+  --from-literal=CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC=1 \
+  --dry-run=client -o yaml | kubectl apply -f -
+
+kubectl label configmap ai-tools-env \
+  controller.devfile.io/mount-to-devworkspace=true \
+  controller.devfile.io/watch-configmap=true \
+  --overwrite