diff --git a/docker/.env.sample b/docker/.env.sample
index a9be746d63..70ecee0338 100644
--- a/docker/.env.sample
+++ b/docker/.env.sample
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@
 ## Any environment variables supported by InvokeAI can be specified here,
 ## in addition to the examples below.
 
-# INVOKEAI_ROOT is the path to a path on the local filesystem where InvokeAI will store data.
+# HOST_INVOKEAI_ROOT is the path on the docker host's filesystem where InvokeAI will store data.
 # Outputs will also be stored here by default.
-# This **must** be an absolute path.
-INVOKEAI_ROOT=
+# If relative, it will be relative to the docker directory in which the docker-compose.yml file is located
+#HOST_INVOKEAI_ROOT=../../invokeai-data
+
+# INVOKEAI_ROOT is the path to the root of the InvokeAI repository within the container.
+# INVOKEAI_ROOT=~/invokeai
 
 # Get this value from your HuggingFace account settings page.
 # HUGGING_FACE_HUB_TOKEN=
diff --git a/docker/docker-compose.yml b/docker/docker-compose.yml
index b6a965d120..c368eeb56d 100644
--- a/docker/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker/docker-compose.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ x-invokeai: &invokeai
     ports:
       - "${INVOKEAI_PORT:-9090}:9090"
     volumes:
-      - ${INVOKEAI_ROOT:-~/invokeai}:${INVOKEAI_ROOT:-/invokeai}
+      - type: bind
+        source: ${HOST_INVOKEAI_ROOT:-${INVOKEAI_ROOT:-~/invokeai}}
+        target: ${INVOKEAI_ROOT:-/invokeai}
       - ${HF_HOME:-~/.cache/huggingface}:${HF_HOME:-/invokeai/.cache/huggingface}
       # - ${INVOKEAI_MODELS_DIR:-${INVOKEAI_ROOT:-/invokeai/models}}
       # - ${INVOKEAI_MODELS_CONFIG_PATH:-${INVOKEAI_ROOT:-/invokeai/configs/models.yaml}}