diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 87d548e1..bc7fa3db 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 FROM node:16
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y netcat
+
+ENV MONGO_HOST=mongo\
+    MONGO_PORT=27017
+
 # Define directory inside the container
 WORKDIR /usr/src/app
 
@@ -7,10 +11,12 @@ WORKDIR /usr/src/app
 COPY . .
 
 #Install app dependecies (wildcard ensures both package/package-lock.json are copied)
+RUN npm install -g npm@9.6.2
 RUN npm ci
 
+
 RUN cd jiff && npm ci
 
 EXPOSE 8080
 
-CMD sh -c "while ! nc -z mongo 27017; do sleep 1; done && npm start"
+CMD sh -c "while ! nc -z ${MONGO_HOST} ${MONGO_PORT}; do sleep 1; done && npm start"
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 1db35bd5..dd3b6e8b 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ version: '3'
 services:
   web-mpc:
     container_name: web-mpc
-    environment: 
-      - MONGOHOST=mongodb://mongo:27017
     restart: always
     build: .
     ports:
@@ -19,4 +17,4 @@ services:
     ports:
       - "27017:27017"
     volumes:
-      - ./db:/data/db
\ No newline at end of file
+      - ./db:/data/db
diff --git a/server/models/models.js b/server/models/models.js
index 99cb0c8f..0e640391 100644
--- a/server/models/models.js
+++ b/server/models/models.js
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@
 
 const mongoose = require('mongoose');
 
-const mongohost = process.env.MONGOHOST|| 'mongodb://localhost:27017';
+const mongo_host = process.env.MONGO_HOST || 'localhost';
+const mongo_port = process.env.MONGO_PORT || '27017';
+
+const mongo_connection_string = 'mongodb://'+ mongo_host  + ':' + mongo_port;
 (async function () {
   try {
-    await mongoose.connect(mongohost+'/aggregate', { useMongoClient: true });
-    console.log('You are connected to ',mongohost);
+    await mongoose.connect(mongo_connection_string+'/aggregate', { useMongoClient: true });
+    console.log('You are connected to ',mongo_connection_string);
   } catch (err) {
     console.log('Could not connect to MongoDB server', err);
   }
@@ -56,7 +59,7 @@ const SessionInfoModel = mongoose.model('SessionInfo', new mongoose.Schema({
   {
     usePushEach: true
   }));
-  
+
 const UserKeyModel = mongoose.model('UserKey', new mongoose.Schema({
   _id: String, // concat of session + userkey.
   session: String,