diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 659274b..e9236b8 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ ENV JWT_SECRET=${JWT_SECRET}
 
 WORKDIR /app
 COPY . .
-RUN npm install --force --omit=dev && \
+RUN npm install --force && \
     echo "DATABASE_URL=${DATABASE_URL}" >> .env && \
     echo "DB_HOST=${DB_HOST}" >> .env && \
     echo "DB_USERNAME=${DB_USERNAME}" >> .env && \
@@ -27,4 +27,4 @@ RUN npm install --force --omit=dev && \
     echo "DB_DATABASE=${DB_DATABASE}" >> .env && \
     echo "JWT_SECRET=${JWT_SECRET}" >> .env
 
-CMD ["node", "--env-file=.env", "src/app.js"]
+CMD ["npm", "run", "docker:start"]
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0bb4fcb..be41df7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
   "main": "app.js",
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "nodemon src/app.js",
-    "start": "node src/app.js",
+    "start": "NODE_ENV=production node src/app.js",
+    "docker:start": "NODE_ENV=production node --env-file=.env src/app.js",
     "lint": "eslint .",
     "lint:fix": "eslint . --fix",
     "migrate": "node-pg-migrate -m ./src/migrations",
diff --git a/src/app.js b/src/app.js
index 72cd1fd..7f76367 100644
--- a/src/app.js
+++ b/src/app.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { loadEnvFile } from 'node:process' // load envs asap
+
 import express from 'express'
 import path from 'path'
 import cors from 'cors'
@@ -11,6 +13,10 @@ import collectionRoutes from './routes/collections/index.js'
 import setRoutes from './routes/sets/index.js'
 import itemRoutes from './routes/items/index.js'
 
+if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
+	loadEnvFile()
+}
+
 const app = express()
 const port = process.env.PORT || 3000
 
diff --git a/src/config/index.js b/src/config/index.js
index d83f369..5629e23 100644
--- a/src/config/index.js
+++ b/src/config/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 // config/index.js
-export const database = {
+import { Pool } from 'pg'
+
+const database = {
 	host: process.env.DB_HOST,
 	user: process.env.DB_USER,
 	password: process.env.DB_PASSWORD,
@@ -7,6 +9,8 @@ export const database = {
 	port: parseInt(process.env.DB_PORT, 10),
 }
 
+export const pool = new Pool(database)
+
 export const jwtEnv = {
 	secret: process.env.JWT_SECRET,
 }
diff --git a/src/routes/auth/index.js b/src/routes/auth/index.js
index 43ce5fa..87b1f4d 100644
--- a/src/routes/auth/index.js
+++ b/src/routes/auth/index.js
@@ -1,14 +1,10 @@
 import express from 'express'
 import jwt from 'jsonwebtoken'
 import bcrypt from 'bcryptjs'
-import { database, jwtEnv } from '../../config/index.js'
-import { Pool } from 'pg'
+import { pool, jwtEnv } from '../../config/index.js'
 
 const router = express.Router()
 
-// Database connection pool
-const pool = new Pool(database)
-
 // Route to handle login and issue JWT token
 router.post('/login', async (req, res) => {
 	const { username, password } = req.body
diff --git a/src/routes/collections/index.js b/src/routes/collections/index.js
index 2a61e8c..b13475c 100644
--- a/src/routes/collections/index.js
+++ b/src/routes/collections/index.js
@@ -1,13 +1,9 @@
 import express from 'express'
-import { Pool } from 'pg'
-import { database } from '../../config/index.js'
+import { pool } from '../../config/index.js'
 import { check, validationResult } from 'express-validator'
 
 const router = express.Router()
 
-// Create a connection pool to the database
-const pool = new Pool(database)
-
 // Get all collections
 router.get('/', async (req, res) => {
 	try {
diff --git a/src/routes/images/index.js b/src/routes/images/index.js
index bc1d168..c114859 100644
--- a/src/routes/images/index.js
+++ b/src/routes/images/index.js
@@ -1,13 +1,9 @@
 import express from 'express'
-import { Pool } from 'pg'
-import { database } from '../../config/index.js'
+import { pool } from '../../config/index.js'
 import { check, validationResult } from 'express-validator'
 
 const router = express.Router()
 
-// Create a connection pool to the database
-const pool = new Pool(database)
-
 // CREATE AN IMAGE
 router.post(
 	'/',
diff --git a/src/routes/items/index.js b/src/routes/items/index.js
index 9cc4ec4..77c2098 100644
--- a/src/routes/items/index.js
+++ b/src/routes/items/index.js
@@ -1,13 +1,9 @@
 import express from 'express'
-import { Pool } from 'pg'
-import { database } from '../../config/index.js'
+import { pool } from '../../config/index.js'
 import { check, validationResult } from 'express-validator'
 
 const router = express.Router()
 
-// Create a connection pool to the database
-const pool = new Pool(database)
-
 // Get all items
 router.get('/', async (req, res) => {
 	const client = await pool.connect()
diff --git a/src/routes/locations/index.js b/src/routes/locations/index.js
index f0c199a..e4e5be6 100644
--- a/src/routes/locations/index.js
+++ b/src/routes/locations/index.js
@@ -1,13 +1,9 @@
 import express from 'express'
-import { Pool } from 'pg'
-import { database } from '../../config/index.js'
+import { pool } from '../../config/index.js'
 import { check, validationResult } from 'express-validator'
 
 const router = express.Router()
 
-// Create a connection pool to the database
-const pool = new Pool(database)
-
 // Create a new location
 router.post(
 	'/',
diff --git a/src/routes/roles/index.js b/src/routes/roles/index.js
index 134011f..4c06b81 100644
--- a/src/routes/roles/index.js
+++ b/src/routes/roles/index.js
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
 import express from 'express'
-import { database } from '../../config/index.js'
-import { Pool } from 'pg'
+import { pool } from '../../config/index.js'
 
 const router = express.Router()
 
-// Create a connection pool to the database
-const pool = new Pool(database)
-
 // Create a new role
 router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
 	const { name } = req.body
diff --git a/src/routes/sets/index.js b/src/routes/sets/index.js
index 246b254..403e469 100644
--- a/src/routes/sets/index.js
+++ b/src/routes/sets/index.js
@@ -1,13 +1,9 @@
 import express from 'express'
-import { Pool } from 'pg'
-import { database } from '../../config/index.js'
+import { pool } from '../../config/index.js'
 import { check, validationResult } from 'express-validator'
 
 const router = express.Router()
 
-// Create a connection pool to the database
-const pool = new Pool(database)
-
 // Get all sets
 router.get('/', async (req, res) => {
 	try {
diff --git a/src/routes/users/index.js b/src/routes/users/index.js
index 0d2f5f5..46f4825 100644
--- a/src/routes/users/index.js
+++ b/src/routes/users/index.js
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
 import express from 'express'
-import { database } from '../../config/index.js'
-import { Pool } from 'pg'
+import { pool } from '../../config/index.js'
 
 const router = express.Router()
 
-// Create a connection pool to the database
-const pool = new Pool(database)
-
 /**
  * Get all users.
  */