diff --git a/docker/config.json.template b/docker/config.json.template
index 16c03fa7..e463ef4c 100644
--- a/docker/config.json.template
+++ b/docker/config.json.template
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   "$schema": "http://info.meshcentral.com/downloads/meshcentral-config-schema.json",
   "settings": {
     "plugins":{"enabled": false},
+    "_mongoDb": null,
     "cert": "myserver.mydomain.com",
     "_WANonly": true,
     "_LANonly": true,
@@ -17,20 +18,20 @@
     "WebRTC": false
   },
   "domains": {
-	"": {
-	"_title": "MyServer",
-    "_title2": "Servername",
-    "minify": true,
-    "NewAccounts": true,
-    "localSessionRecording": false,
-	"_userNameIsEmail": true,
-    "_certUrl": "my.reverse.proxy"
-	}
+    "": {
+      "_title": "MyServer",
+      "_title2": "Servername",
+      "minify": true,
+      "NewAccounts": true,
+      "localSessionRecording": false,
+      "_userNameIsEmail": true,
+      "_certUrl": "my.reverse.proxy"
+    }
   },
   "_letsencrypt": {
     "__comment__": "Requires NodeJS 8.x or better, Go to https://letsdebug.net/ first before>",
     "_email": "myemail@mydomain.com",
     "_names": "myserver.mydomain.com",
-	"production": false
+    "production": false
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker/readme.md b/docker/readme.md
index d3802299..485e63b5 100644
--- a/docker/readme.md
+++ b/docker/readme.md
@@ -2,32 +2,132 @@
 # How to create a docker image for meshcentral
 
 ```
-git clone https://github.com/Ylianst/MeshCentral.git
-cd MeshCentral/docker
-docker build -t meshcentral .
+> git clone https://github.com/Ylianst/MeshCentral.git
+> cd MeshCentral
+
+> docker build -f docker/Dockerfile --force-rm -t meshcentral .
+
+# (optional) cleanup after docker build:
+> cd ..
+> rm -rf MeshCentral/
 ```
 
-docker-compose.yml example:
+> | Argument             | Description                                        |
+> | :---                 | :---                                               |
+> | -f docker/Dockerfile | Path/Name of the Dockerfile                        |
+> | --force-rm           | Always remove intermediate containers              |
+> | -t meshcentral       | Name and optionally a tag in the 'name:tag' format |
+
+# Create folder-structure and files
+
+```
+| - meshcentral/        # this folder contains the persistent data
+  | - data/             # MeshCentral data-files
+  | - user_files/       # where file uploads for users live
+  | - web/              # location for site customization files
+  | - backup/           # location for the meshcentral-backups
+| - .env                # environment file with initial variables
+| - docker-compose.yml
+```
+
+# Templates:
+## .env:
+```ini
+NODE_ENV=production
+
+# initial mongodb-variables
+MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME=mongodbadmin
+MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD=mongodbpasswd
+
+# initial meshcentral-variables
+# the following options are only used if no config.json exists in the data-folder
+
+# your hostname
+HOSTNAME=my.domain.com
+USE_MONGODB=false
+# set to your reverse proxy IP if you want to put meshcentral behind a reverse proxy 
+REVERSE_PROXY=false
+REVERSE_PROXY_TLS_PORT=
+# set to true if you wish to enable iframe support
+IFRAME=false
+# set to false if you want disable self-service creation of new accounts besides the first (admin)
+ALLOW_NEW_ACCOUNTS=true
+# set to true to enable WebRTC - per documentation it is not officially released with meshcentral, but is solid enough to work with. Use with caution
+WEBRTC=false
+# set to true to allow plugins
+ALLOWPLUGINS=false
+# set to true to allow session recording
+LOCALSESSIONRECORDING=false
+# set to enable or disable minification of json, reduces traffic
+MINIFY=true
+```
+
+## docker-compose.yml:
 ```yaml
 version: '3'
+
 services:
-    meshcentral:
-        restart: always
-        container_name: meshcentral
-        image: einar/meshcentral
-        ports:
-            - 8086:443  #MeshCentral will moan and try everything not to use port 80, but you can also use it if you so desire, just change the config.json according to your needs
-        environment:
-            - HOSTNAME=my.domain.com     #your hostname
-            - REVERSE_PROXY=false     #set to your reverse proxy IP if you want to put meshcentral behind a reverse proxy
-            - REVERSE_PROXY_TLS_PORT=
-            - IFRAME=false    #set to true if you wish to enable iframe support
-            - ALLOW_NEW_ACCOUNTS=true    #set to false if you want disable self-service creation of new accounts besides the first (admin)
-            - WEBRTC=false  #set to true to enable WebRTC - per documentation it is not officially released with meshcentral, but is solid enough to work with. Use with caution
-            - ALLOWPLUGINS=false #set to true to allow plugins
-            - LOCALSESSIONRECORDING=false # set to true to allow session recording
-            - MINIFY=true #set to enable or disable minification of json, reduces traffic
-        volumes:
-            - ./meshcentral/data:/opt/meshcentral/meshcentral-data    #config.json and other important files live here. A must for data persistence
-            - ./meshcentral/user_files:/opt/meshcentral/meshcentral-files    #where file uploads for users live
+  meshcentral:
+    restart: always
+    container_name: meshcentral
+    image: meshcentral
+    ports:
+      # MeshCentral will moan and try everything not to use port 80, but you can also use it if you so desire, just change the config.json according to your needs
+      - 8086:443
+    env_file:
+      - .env
+    volumes:
+      # config.json and other important files live here. A must for data persistence
+      - ./meshcentral/data:/opt/meshcentral/meshcentral-data
+      # where file uploads for users live
+      - ./meshcentral/user_files:/opt/meshcentral/meshcentral-files
+      # location for the meshcentral-backups - this should be mounted to an external storage
+      - ./meshcentral/backup:/opt/meshcentral/meshcentral-backup
+      # location for site customization files
+      - ./meshcentral/web:/opt/meshcentral/meshcentral-web
+```
+
+## docker-compose.yml mongodb:
+```yaml
+version: '3'
+
+networks:
+  meshcentral-tier:
+    driver: bridge
+
+services:
+  mongodb:
+    restart: always
+    container_name: mongodb
+    image: mongo:latest
+    env_file:
+      - .env
+    volumes:
+      # mongodb data-directory - A must for data persistence
+      - ./meshcentral/mongodb_data:/data/db
+    networks:
+      - meshcentral-tier
+
+  meshcentral:
+    restart: always
+    container_name: meshcentral
+    image: meshcentral
+    depends_on:
+      - mongodb
+    ports:
+      # MeshCentral will moan and try everything not to use port 80, but you can also use it if you so desire, just change the config.json according to your needs
+      - 8086:443
+    env_file:
+      - .env
+    volumes:
+      # config.json and other important files live here. A must for data persistence
+      - ./meshcentral/data:/opt/meshcentral/meshcentral-data
+      # where file uploads for users live
+      - ./meshcentral/user_files:/opt/meshcentral/meshcentral-files
+      # location for the meshcentral-backups - this should be mounted to an external storage
+      - ./meshcentral/backup:/opt/meshcentral/meshcentral-backup
+      # location for site customization files
+      - ./meshcentral/web:/opt/meshcentral/meshcentral-web
+    networks:
+      - meshcentral-tier
 ```
diff --git a/docker/startup.sh b/docker/startup.sh
index 54784772..62b14c47 100644
--- a/docker/startup.sh
+++ b/docker/startup.sh
@@ -8,12 +8,18 @@ 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" ]
     then
         node meshcentral/meshcentral 
     else
         cp config.json.template meshcentral-data/config.json
+        if [ $USE_MONGODB == true ]; then
+            sed -i "s/\"_mongoDb\": null/\"mongoDb\": \"mongodb:\/\/$MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME:$MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD@mongodb:27017\"/" meshcentral-data/config.json
+        fi
         sed -i "s/\"cert\": \"myserver.mydomain.com\"/\"cert\": \"$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