diff --git a/backend/Dockerfile b/backend/Dockerfile
index 7115ff5..c828a2f 100644
--- a/backend/Dockerfile
+++ b/backend/Dockerfile
@@ -3,14 +3,11 @@ FROM python:3.13.3-slim
 WORKDIR /app
 
 COPY Pipfile Pipfile.lock ./
-COPY app ./app
-
-RUN pip install --no-cache-dir pipenv
 
-ENV PIPENV_VENV_IN_PROJECT=1
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir pipenv && pipenv install --dev
 
-RUN pipenv install --dev
+COPY app ./app
 
 EXPOSE 8000
 
-CMD ["pipenv", "run", "uvicorn", "app.main:app", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "8000", "--reload"]
\ No newline at end of file
+CMD ["pipenv", "run", "uvicorn", "app.main:app", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "8000"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/README.md b/backend/README.md
index 07937e8..ef3705f 100644
--- a/backend/README.md
+++ b/backend/README.md
@@ -28,21 +28,38 @@ export PIPENV_PIPFILE=$(pwd)/Pipfile
 pipenv run fastapi dev
 ```
 
-## Docker
+## Docker compose
 
-build the image locally
+build the app image locally
 
 ```
 docker build -t pastebin-backend .
 ```
 
-run the container
+have a `.env` file at the root of the `/backend` directory and fill it out with
+these values
 
+```ini
+DB_USER=myuser
+DB_PASSWORD=mypassword
+DB_NAME=mydeb
+DB_SCHEMA=myschema
+DB_HOST=db # must match docker-compose file service name
 ```
-docker run -p 8000:8000 pastebin-backend
+
+run the app alongside a Postgresql database on your local machine
+
+```bash
+docker compose up --build
+```
+
+to reset your docker environment
+
+```bash
+docker compose down --volumes
 ```
 
-FastAPI app is available on: [http://localhost:8000](http://localhost:8000)
+FastAPI app swagger is available on: [http://localhost:8010/docs](http://localhost:8010/docs)
 
 ## API - locally
 
diff --git a/backend/docker-compose.yml b/backend/docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6bde98e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+services:
+  app:
+    build:
+      context: ./
+      dockerfile: ./Dockerfile
+    container_name: fastapi_app
+    ports:
+      - "8010:8000"
+    env_file:
+      - ./.env
+    depends_on:
+      db:
+        condition: service_healthy
+
+  db:
+    image: postgres:15
+    container_name: postgres_db
+    restart: always
+    env_file:
+      - ./.env
+    environment:
+      POSTGRES_USER: ${DB_USER}
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
+      POSTGRES_DB: ${DB_NAME}
+    ports:
+      - "5432:5432"
+    volumes:
+      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U ${DB_USER} -d ${DB_NAME}"]
+      interval: 10s
+      timeout: 5s
+      retries: 5
+
+volumes:
+  postgres_data: