diff --git a/server/.env.template b/server/.env.template
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6c1e8b8e3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/.env.template
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+##################
+# BACKEND CONFIG #
+##################
+
+# !NOTE: This is a template. Make a copy named .env and fill in the relevant fields.
+
+# COMMON
+# ---------------
+ENV=PROD
+
+
+# USER SERVICE
+# ---------------
+PORT_USER=3001
+# MongoDB
+DB_URI_USER=''
+# JWT secret
+JWT_SECRET=you-can-replace-this-with-your-own-secret
+
+
+# QUESTION SERVICE
+# ---------------
+PORT_QUESTION=3002
+# MongoDB
+DB_URI_QUESTION=''
diff --git a/server/README.md b/server/README.md
index a4032e56d4..f0deff4ecd 100644
--- a/server/README.md
+++ b/server/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
-# Backend
+# Back-end
 
-The back-end has been split into multiple containerized microservices. You can run all of them at once using `docker compose`:
+The back-end has been split into multiple containerized microservices.
+
+## Setup
+
+1. Make a copy of `.env.template` called `.env` and fill in the variables (or add a pre-filled env file)
+
+## Running
+
+You can run all the services using `docker compose`:
 
 ```sh
 docker compose build
diff --git a/server/docker-compose.yml b/server/docker-compose.yml
index cc8cce11b0..be82aba51a 100644
--- a/server/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/server/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,10 +1,26 @@
 services:
   user:
-    build: ./user-service
+    build:
+      context: ./user-service
+      dockerfile: Dockerfile
+      args:
+        - PORT=${PORT_USER}
     ports:
-      - 3001:3001
+      - ${PORT_USER}:${PORT_USER}
+    environment:
+      - ENV
+      - DB_CLOUD_URI=${DB_URI_USER}
+      - DB_LOCAL_URI=${DB_URI_USER}
+      - JWT_SECRET
 
   questions:
-    build: ./question-service
+    build:
+      context: ./question-service
+      dockerfile: Dockerfile
+      args:
+        - PORT=${PORT_QUESTION}
     ports:
-      - 3002:3002
\ No newline at end of file
+      - ${PORT_QUESTION}:${PORT_QUESTION}
+    environment:
+      - ENV
+      - DB_CLOUD_URI=${DB_URI_QUESTION}
diff --git a/server/question-service/.env.template b/server/question-service/.env.template
deleted file mode 100644
index d802eab5da..0000000000
--- a/server/question-service/.env.template
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-# !NOTE: This is a template. Make a copy without the .template suffix in the name and fill in the relevant fields.
-# QUESTION SERVICE
-
-# Port that the service will run on
-PORT=3002
-
-# MongoDB
-# ENV=PROD: Use cloud MongoDB Atlas database
-ENV=PROD
-DB_CLOUD_URI=
-DB_LOCAL_URI=
diff --git a/server/question-service/Dockerfile b/server/question-service/Dockerfile
index 6632391bdb..5b2ab6d8e0 100644
--- a/server/question-service/Dockerfile
+++ b/server/question-service/Dockerfile
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1
-
 FROM node:18-alpine
+ARG PORT
+ENV PORT=$PORT
 WORKDIR /app
 COPY . .
 RUN npm install --omit=dev
 CMD ["npm", "start"]
-EXPOSE 3002
+EXPOSE $PORT
diff --git a/server/user-service/.env.template b/server/user-service/.env.template
deleted file mode 100644
index 3996b2cf54..0000000000
--- a/server/user-service/.env.template
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-# !NOTE: This is a template. Make a copy named .env and fill in the relevant fields.
-# USER SERVICE
-
-# Port that the service will run on
-PORT=3002
-
-# MongoDB
-# ENV=PROD: Use cloud MongoDB Atlas database
-ENV=PROD
-DB_CLOUD_URI=
-DB_LOCAL_URI=
-
-# Secret for creating JWT signature
-JWT_SECRET=
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/user-service/Dockerfile b/server/user-service/Dockerfile
index a9f11460f3..5b2ab6d8e0 100644
--- a/server/user-service/Dockerfile
+++ b/server/user-service/Dockerfile
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1
-
 FROM node:18-alpine
+ARG PORT
+ENV PORT=$PORT
 WORKDIR /app
 COPY . .
 RUN npm install --omit=dev
 CMD ["npm", "start"]
-EXPOSE 3001
+EXPOSE $PORT