diff --git a/.datalad/config b/.datalad/config
index 350107bd..82dd8777 100644
--- a/.datalad/config
+++ b/.datalad/config
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 	cmdexec = {img_dspath}/scripts/singularity_cmd run {img} {cmd}
 	image = images/bids/bids-mindboggle--0.0.4-1.sing
 [datalad "containers.bids-mriqc"]
-	cmdexec = {img_dspath}/scripts/singularity_cmd run {img} {cmd}
+	cmdexec = {img_dspath}/scripts/singularity_cmd run {img} --no-datalad-get {cmd}
 	image = images/bids/bids-mriqc--24.0.2.sing
 [datalad "containers.bids-mrtrix3-connectome"]
 	cmdexec = {img_dspath}/scripts/singularity_cmd run {img} {cmd}
diff --git a/scripts/create_singularities b/scripts/create_singularities
index b65e5402..2cbcae2e 100755
--- a/scripts/create_singularities
+++ b/scripts/create_singularities
@@ -268,6 +268,11 @@ export LC_ALL="C.UTF-8"
                 str(imagefile),
                 str(singfile.sourcefile),
             )
+            base_opts = ' '
+            if familyname == 'bids-mriqc':
+                # need to explicitly specify option to avoid use of datalad inside
+                # ref: https://github.com/ReproNim/containers/issues/131
+                base_opts = ' --no-datalad-get '
             self.runcmd(
                 "datalad",
                 "containers-add",
@@ -276,7 +281,7 @@ export LC_ALL="C.UTF-8"
                 str(imagefile),
                 "--update",
                 "--call-fmt",
-                "{img_dspath}/scripts/singularity_cmd run {img} {cmd}",
+                "{img_dspath}/scripts/singularity_cmd run {img}" + base_opts + "{cmd}",
             )
             # TODO: later make it work with updating existing one. We will not
             # be able to use containers-add --update since original URL is