diff --git a/.env.docker b/.env.docker
index d52444d11..72032e0e6 100644
--- a/.env.docker
+++ b/.env.docker
@@ -56,11 +56,16 @@ MAIL_ENCRYPTION=null
 
 ## Databases (MySQL)
 DB_CONNECTION=mysql
-DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
+DB_DATABASE=pixelfed_prod
+DB_HOST=db
+DB_PASSWORD=pixelfed_db_pass
 DB_PORT=3306
-DB_DATABASE=pixelfed
 DB_USERNAME=pixelfed
-DB_PASSWORD=pixelfed
+# pass the same values to the db itself
+MYSQL_DATABASE=pixelfed_prod
+MYSQL_PASSWORD=pixelfed_db_pass
+MYSQL_RANDOM_ROOT_PASSWORD=true
+MYSQL_USER=pixelfed
 
 ## Databases (Postgres)
 #DB_CONNECTION=pgsql
@@ -74,7 +79,7 @@ DB_PASSWORD=pixelfed
 REDIS_CLIENT=phpredis
 REDIS_SCHEME=tcp
 REDIS_HOST=redis
-REDIS_PASSWORD=null
+REDIS_PASSWORD=redis_password
 REDIS_PORT=6379
 REDIS_DATABASE=0
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 772fd7c2f..57b2a6d33 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ version: '3'
 # if the volumes are properly shared between cluster members.
 
 services:
-
 ## App and Worker
   app:
     # Comment to use dockerhub image
@@ -21,16 +20,15 @@ services:
     image: pixelfed
     restart: unless-stopped
     env_file:
-      - ./.env.docker
+      - .env.docker
     volumes:
-      - "app-storage:/var/www/storage"
-      - "app-bootstrap:/var/www/bootstrap"
-      - "./.env.docker:/var/www/.env"
+      - app-storage:/var/www/storage
+      - app-bootstrap:/var/www/bootstrap
     networks:
       - external
       - internal
     ports:
-    - "8080:80"
+      - "8080:80"
     depends_on:
       - db
       - redis
@@ -42,10 +40,10 @@ services:
     image: pixelfed
     restart: unless-stopped
     env_file:
-      - ./.env.docker
+      - .env.docker
     volumes:
-      - "app-storage:/var/www/storage"
-      - "app-bootstrap:/var/www/bootstrap"
+      - app-storage:/var/www/storage
+      - app-bootstrap:/var/www/bootstrap
     networks:
       - external
       - internal
@@ -61,17 +59,16 @@ services:
     networks:
       - internal
     command: --default-authentication-plugin=mysql_native_password
-    environment:
-      - MYSQL_DATABASE=pixelfed
-      - MYSQL_USER=${DB_USERNAME}
-      - MYSQL_PASSWORD=${DB_PASSWORD}
-      - MYSQL_RANDOM_ROOT_PASSWORD=true
+    env_file:
+      - .env.docker
     volumes:
       - "db-data:/var/lib/mysql"
 
   redis:
     image: redis:5-alpine
     restart: unless-stopped
+    env_file:
+      - .env.docker
     volumes:
       - "redis-data:/data"
     networks: