diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 893f028b9b..89af08f835 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -18,12 +18,14 @@ ENV INVENTREE_LOG_LEVEL="INFO"
 # InvenTree paths
 ENV INVENTREE_SRC_DIR="${INVENTREE_HOME}/src"
 ENV INVENTREE_MNG_DIR="${INVENTREE_SRC_DIR}/InvenTree"
-ENV INVENTREE_STATIC_ROOT="${INVENTREE_HOME}/static"
-ENV INVENTREE_MEDIA_ROOT="${INVENTREE_HOME}/media"
-ENV INVENTREE_LOG_DIR="${INVENTREE_HOME}/log"
-ENV INVENTREE_BACKUP_DIR="${INVENTREE_HOME}/backup"
+ENV INVENTREE_DATA_DIR="${INVENTREE_HOME}/data"
+ENV INVENTREE_STATIC_ROOT="${INVENTREE_DATA_DIR}/static"
+ENV INVENTREE_MEDIA_ROOT="${INVENTREE_MEDIA_DIR}/media"
+ENV INVENTREE_BACKUP_DIR="${INVENTREE_DATA_DIR}/backup"
 ENV INVENTREE_VENV="${INVENTREE_HOME}/env"
 
+ENV INVENTREE_CONFIG_FILE="${INVENTREE_DATA_DIR}/config.yaml"
+
 # Pass DB configuration through as environment variables
 ENV INVENTREE_DB_ENGINE="${INVENTREE_DB_ENGINE}"
 ENV INVENTREE_DB_NAME="${INVENTREE_DB_NAME}"
@@ -59,7 +61,7 @@ RUN apk add --no-cache postgresql-contrib postgresql-dev libpq
 RUN apk add --no-cache mariadb-connector-c mariadb-dev
 
 # Create required directories
-RUN mkdir ${INVENTREE_HOME}/media ${INVENTREE_HOME}/static ${INVENTREE_HOME}/backup
+#RUN mkdir ${INVENTREE_DATA_DIR}}/media ${INVENTREE_HOME}/static ${INVENTREE_HOME}/backup
 
 # Setup Python virtual environment
 RUN python3 -m venv ${INVENTREE_VENV}
diff --git a/docker/docker-compose.yml b/docker/docker-compose.yml
index ba9d8e1261..d7d2c09cdb 100644
--- a/docker/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker/docker-compose.yml
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ services:
             - POSTGRES_USER=pguser
             - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=pgpassword
         volumes:
-            - database_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data/
+            # Map external directory to store database data
+            # Replace /path/to/dir with the required external path
+            - /mnt/c/abcdatabase:/var/lib/postgresql/data/
         restart: unless-stopped
 
     server:
@@ -36,9 +38,9 @@ services:
         depends_on:
             - db
         volumes:
-            - static_volume:/home/inventree/static
-            - media_volume:/home/inventree/media
-            - backup_volume:/home/inventree/backup
+            # Map external directory to store InvenTree data
+            # Replace /path/to/dir with the required external path
+            - /mnt/c/abcde:/home/inventree/data
         environment:
             - INVENTREE_DB_ENGINE=postgresql
             - INVENTREE_DB_NAME=inventree
@@ -60,10 +62,6 @@ services:
         depends_on:
             - db
             - server
-        volumes:
-            - static_volume:/home/inventree/static
-            - media_volume:/home/inventree/media
-            - backup_volume:/home/inventree/backup
         environment:
             - INVENTREE_DB_ENGINE=postgresql
             - INVENTREE_DB_NAME=inventree
@@ -72,9 +70,3 @@ services:
             - INVENTREE_DB_PORT=5432
             - INVENTREE_DB_HOST=db
         restart: unless-stopped
-
-volumes:
-    database_data:
-    static_volume:
-    media_volume:
-    backup_volume:
diff --git a/docker/start_server.sh b/docker/start_server.sh
index fb84783829..e9eaff1dfa 100644
--- a/docker/start_server.sh
+++ b/docker/start_server.sh
@@ -1,17 +1,33 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-echo "Starting InvenTree server..."
+# Create required directory structure (if it does not already exist)
+if [[ ! -d "$INVENTREE_STATIC_ROOT" ]]; then
+    echo "Creating directory $INVENTREE_STATIC_ROOT"
+    mkdir $INVENTREE_STATIC_ROOT
+fi
 
-# Check that the database engine is specified
-if [ -z "$INVENTREE_DB_ENGINE" ]; then
-    echo "INVENTREE_DB_ENGINE not configured"
-    exit 1
+if [[ ! -d "$INVENTREE_MEDIA_ROOT" ]]; then
+    echo "Creating directory $INVENTREE_MEDIA_ROOT"
+    mkdir $INVENTREE_MEDIA_ROOT
+fi
+
+if [[ ! -d "$INVENTREE_BACKUP_DIR" ]]; then
+    echo "Creating directory $INVENTREE_BACKUP_DIR"
+    mkdir $INVENTREE_BACKUP_DIR
+fi
+
+# Check if "config.yaml" has been copied into the correct location
+if test -f "$INVENTREE_CONFIG_FILE"; then
+    echo "$INVENTREE_CONFIG_FILE exists - skipping"
+else
+    echo "Copying config file to $INVENTREE_CONFIG_FILE"
+    cp $INVENTREE_SRC_DIR/InvenTree/config_template.yaml $INVENTREE_CONFIG_FILE
 fi
 
 # Activate virtual environment
 source $INVENTREE_VENV/bin/activate
 
-sleep 5
+echo "Starting InvenTree server..."
 
 # Wait for the database to be ready
 cd $INVENTREE_MNG_DIR
diff --git a/docker/start_worker.sh b/docker/start_worker.sh
index 9b7f3f408e..a8a4815583 100644
--- a/docker/start_worker.sh
+++ b/docker/start_worker.sh
@@ -2,12 +2,6 @@
 
 echo "Starting InvenTree worker..."
 
-# Check that the database engine is specified
-if [ -z "$INVENTREE_DB_ENGINE" ]; then
-    echo "INVENTREE_DB_ENGINE not configured"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
 # Activate virtual environment
 source ./env/bin/activate