diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8cd5aff5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*.sh		text eol=lf
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 9335595e..87e078ea 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -48,6 +48,25 @@ RUN rm -rf /opt/meshcentral/meshcentral/node_modules
 FROM base
 
 ARG INCLUDE_MONGODBTOOLS=""
+
+# environment variables
+ENV NODE_ENV="production"
+ENV CONFIG_FILE="config.json"
+
+# environment variables for initial configuration file
+ENV USE_MONGODB="false"
+ENV MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME="root"
+ENV MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD="pass"
+ENV HOSTNAME="localhost"
+ENV ALLOW_NEW_ACCOUNTS="true"
+ENV ALLOWPLUGINS="false"
+ENV LOCALSESSIONRECORDING="false"
+ENV MINIFY="true"
+ENV WEBRTC="false"
+ENV IFRAME="false"
+ENV REVERSE_PROXY="false"
+ENV REVERSE_PROXY_TLS_PORT=""
+
 RUN if ! [ -z "$INCLUDE_MONGODBTOOLS" ] && [ "$INCLUDE_MONGODBTOOLS" != "yes" ] && [ "$INCLUDE_MONGODBTOOLS" != "YES" ] \
     && [ "$INCLUDE_MONGODBTOOLS" != "true" ] && [ "$INCLUDE_MONGODBTOOLS" != "TRUE" ]; then \
         echo -e "\e[0;31;49mInvalid value for build argument INCLUDE_MONGODBTOOLS, possible values: yes/true\e[;0m"; exit 1; \
diff --git a/docker/startup.sh b/docker/startup.sh
index 2510d033..b34a5bdb 100644
--- a/docker/startup.sh
+++ b/docker/startup.sh
@@ -1,36 +1,24 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-export NODE_ENV=production
-
-export HOSTNAME
-export REVERSE_PROXY
-export REVERSE_PROXY_TLS_PORT
-export IFRAME
-export ALLOW_NEW_ACCOUNTS
-export WEBRTC
-export MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME
-export MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD
-export USE_MONGODB
-
-if [ -f "meshcentral-data/config.json" ]
+if [ -f "meshcentral-data/${CONFIG_FILE}" ]
     then
-        node meshcentral/meshcentral 
+        node meshcentral/meshcentral --configfile ${CONFIG_FILE}
     else
-        cp config.json.template meshcentral-data/config.json
+        cp config.json.template meshcentral-data/${CONFIG_FILE}
         if ! [ -z "$USE_MONGODB" ] && [ "$USE_MONGODB" == "true" ]; then
-            sed -i "s/\"_mongoDb\": null/\"mongoDb\": \"mongodb:\/\/$MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME:$MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD@mongodb:27017\"/" meshcentral-data/config.json
+            sed -i "s/\"_mongoDb\": null/\"mongoDb\": \"mongodb:\/\/$MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME:$MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD@mongodb:27017\"/" meshcentral-data/${CONFIG_FILE}
         fi
-        sed -i "s/\"cert\": \"myserver.mydomain.com\"/\"cert\": \"$HOSTNAME\"/" meshcentral-data/config.json
-        sed -i "s/\"NewAccounts\": true/\"NewAccounts\": \"$ALLOW_NEW_ACCOUNTS\"/" meshcentral-data/config.json
-        sed -i "s/\"enabled\": false/\"enabled\": \"$ALLOWPLUGINS\"/" meshcentral-data/config.json
-        sed -i "s/\"localSessionRecording\": false/\"localSessionRecording\": \"$LOCALSESSIONRECORDING\"/" meshcentral-data/config.json
-        sed -i "s/\"minify\": true/\"minify\": \"$MINIFY\"/" meshcentral-data/config.json
-        sed -i "s/\"WebRTC\": false/\"WebRTC\": \"$WEBRTC\"/" meshcentral-data/config.json
-        sed -i "s/\"AllowFraming\": false/\"AllowFraming\": \"$IFRAME\"/" meshcentral-data/config.json
+        sed -i "s/\"cert\": \"myserver.mydomain.com\"/\"cert\": \"$HOSTNAME\"/" meshcentral-data/${CONFIG_FILE}
+        sed -i "s/\"NewAccounts\": true/\"NewAccounts\": $ALLOW_NEW_ACCOUNTS/" meshcentral-data/${CONFIG_FILE}
+        sed -i "s/\"enabled\": false/\"enabled\": $ALLOWPLUGINS/" meshcentral-data/${CONFIG_FILE}
+        sed -i "s/\"localSessionRecording\": false/\"localSessionRecording\": $LOCALSESSIONRECORDING/" meshcentral-data/${CONFIG_FILE}
+        sed -i "s/\"minify\": true/\"minify\": $MINIFY/" meshcentral-data/${CONFIG_FILE}
+        sed -i "s/\"WebRTC\": false/\"WebRTC\": $WEBRTC/" meshcentral-data/${CONFIG_FILE}
+        sed -i "s/\"AllowFraming\": false/\"AllowFraming\": $IFRAME/" meshcentral-data/${CONFIG_FILE}
         if [ "$REVERSE_PROXY" != "false" ]; then
-            sed -i "s/\"_certUrl\": \"my\.reverse\.proxy\"/\"certUrl\": \"https:\/\/$REVERSE_PROXY:$REVERSE_PROXY_TLS_PORT\"/" meshcentral-data/config.json
-            node meshcentral/meshcentral
+            sed -i "s/\"_certUrl\": \"my\.reverse\.proxy\"/\"certUrl\": \"https:\/\/$REVERSE_PROXY:$REVERSE_PROXY_TLS_PORT\"/" meshcentral-data/${CONFIG_FILE}
+            node meshcentral/meshcentral --configfile ${CONFIG_FILE}
             exit
         fi
-        node meshcentral/meshcentral --cert "$HOSTNAME"
-fi
\ No newline at end of file
+        node meshcentral/meshcentral --configfile ${CONFIG_FILE} --cert "$HOSTNAME"
+fi