diff --git a/.env b/.env
index 6022dd2f..e22bd892 100644
--- a/.env
+++ b/.env
@@ -1,10 +1,19 @@
-DB_USERNAME=easyappointments
-DB_NAME=easyappointments
+DB_USERNAME=easyapp
+DB_NAME=easyapp
 
 # before deploying to production change to harder password
-DB_PASSWORD=change-that-password
+DB_PASSWORD=veryhardpassword
 
 # change to you installation address
 APP_URL=localhost
 APP_HOST=0.0.0.0
-APP_PORT=80
\ No newline at end of file
+APP_PORT=80
+
+# email settings - set to 'smtp' and provide SMTP settings if you want to send emails
+EMAIL_PROTOCOL=mail
+SMTP_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
+SMTP_USER=user
+SMTP_PASS=password
+SMTP_CRYPTO=ssl
+SMTP_PORT=25
+
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 786aa408..a9d9b1d2 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@ COPY docker-entrypoint.sh /entrypoint.sh
 VOLUME $PROJECT_DIR/storage
 
 ENTRYPOINT ["/bin/sh", "/entrypoint.sh"]
-CMD ["run"]
\ No newline at end of file
+CMD ["run"]
diff --git a/docker-compose.prod.yml b/docker-compose.prod.yml
index 6dfe9387..bdf04318 100644
--- a/docker-compose.prod.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.prod.yml
@@ -19,16 +19,13 @@ services:
     ports:
       - 80:80
     environment:
-      - DB_NAME=${DB_NAME}
-      - DB_USERNAME=${DB_USERNAME}
-      - DB_PASSWORD=${DB_PASSWORD}
       - DB_HOST=database:3306
-      - APP_URL=${APP_URL}
-      - APP_HOST=${APP_HOST}
+    env_file:
+      - .env
     volumes:
       - easy-appointments-storage:/app/src/storage
     restart: always
 
 volumes:
   easy-appointments-data:
-  easy-appointments-storage:
\ No newline at end of file
+  easy-appointments-storage:
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 4f7f8dd7..f3d914df 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -18,9 +18,8 @@ services:
     ports:
       - ${APP_HOST}:80:80
     environment:
-      - DB_NAME=easyapp
-      - DB_USERNAME=easyapp
-      - DB_PASSWORD=veryhardpassword
       - DB_HOST=database:3306
       - APP_URL=localhost
-    restart: always
\ No newline at end of file
+    env_file:
+      - .env
+    restart: always
diff --git a/docker-entrypoint.sh b/docker-entrypoint.sh
index f2c0d9da..f6981a31 100644
--- a/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -1,23 +1,42 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
-if [ "$1" == "run" ]; then
-
-    echo "Preparing Easy!Appointments production configuration.."
 
+createAppSettings() {
     cp $PROJECT_DIR/config-sample.php $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
     sed -i "s/DB_HOST       = ''/DB_HOST = '$DB_HOST'/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
     sed -i "s/DB_USERNAME   = ''/DB_USERNAME = '$DB_USERNAME'/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
     sed -i "s/DB_PASSWORD   = ''/DB_PASSWORD = '$DB_PASSWORD'/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
     sed -i "s/DB_NAME       = ''/DB_NAME = '$DB_NAME'/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
+    if [ "$EMAIL_PROTOCOL" == "smtp" ]; then
+        echo "Setting up email..."
+        sed -i "s/\$config\['protocol'\] = 'mail'/\$config['protocol'] = 'smtp'/g" $PROJECT_DIR/application/config/email.php
+        sed -i "s#// \$config\['smtp_host'\] = ''#\$config['smtp_host'] = '$SMTP_HOST'#g" $PROJECT_DIR/application/config/email.php
+        sed -i "s#// \$config\['smtp_user'\] = ''#\$config['smtp_user'] = '$SMTP_USER'#g" $PROJECT_DIR/application/config/email.php
+        sed -i "s#// \$config\['smtp_pass'\] = ''#\$config['smtp_pass'] = '$SMTP_PASS'#g" $PROJECT_DIR/application/config/email.php
+        sed -i "s#// \$config\['smtp_crypto'\] = 'ssl'#\$config['smtp_crypto'] = '$SMTP_CRYPTO'#g" $PROJECT_DIR/application/config/email.php
+        sed -i "s#// \$config\['smtp_port'\] = 25#\$config['smtp_port'] = $SMTP_PORT#g" $PROJECT_DIR/application/config/email.php
+    fi
     sed -i "s/url-to-easyappointments-directory/$APP_URL/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
+}
 
+updateApacheSettings() {
     sed -i "s#^DocumentRoot \".*#DocumentRoot \"$PROJECT_DIR\"#g" /etc/apache2/httpd.conf
-    sed -i "s#/var/www/localhost/htdocs#$PROJECT_DIR#" /etc/apache2/httpd.conf    
+    sed -i "s#/var/www/localhost/htdocs#$PROJECT_DIR#" /etc/apache2/httpd.conf
     printf "\n<Directory \"$PROJECT_DIR\">\n\tAllowOverride All\n</Directory>\n" >> /etc/apache2/httpd.conf
 
     chown -R apache:apache $PROJECT_DIR
     chmod -R 777 $PROJECT_DIR/storage/uploads
+}
 
-    echo "Starting Easy!Appointments server.."
+
+if [ "$1" == "run" ]; then
+
+    echo "Preparing Easy!Appointments production configuration.."
+
+    createAppSettings
+
+    updateApacheSettings
+
+    echo "Starting Easy!Appointments development server.."
 
     exec httpd -D FOREGROUND
 
@@ -25,26 +44,15 @@ elif [ "$1" == "dev" ]; then
 
     echo "Preparing Easy!Appointments development configuration.."
 
-    if [ ! -e "$PROJECT_DIR/config.php" ]; then
-        cp $PROJECT_DIR/config-sample.php $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
-        sed -i "s/DB_HOST       = ''/DB_HOST = '$DB_HOST'/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
-        sed -i "s/DB_USERNAME   = ''/DB_USERNAME = '$DB_USERNAME'/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
-        sed -i "s/DB_PASSWORD   = ''/DB_PASSWORD = '$DB_PASSWORD'/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
-        sed -i "s/DB_NAME       = ''/DB_NAME = '$DB_NAME'/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
-        sed -i "s/DEBUG_MODE    = FALSE/DEBUG_MODE    = TRUE/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
-        sed -i "s/url-to-easyappointments-directory/$APP_URL/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
-    fi
 
-    sed -i "s#^DocumentRoot \".*#DocumentRoot \"$PROJECT_DIR\"#g" /etc/apache2/httpd.conf
-    sed -i "s#/var/www/localhost/htdocs#$PROJECT_DIR#" /etc/apache2/httpd.conf
-    printf "\n<Directory \"$PROJECT_DIR\">\n\tAllowOverride All\n</Directory>\n" >> /etc/apache2/httpd.conf
+    createAppSettings
+    sed -i "s/DEBUG_MODE    = FALSE/DEBUG_MODE    = TRUE/g" $PROJECT_DIR/config.php
 
-    chown -R apache:apache $PROJECT_DIR
-    chmod -R 777 $PROJECT_DIR/storage/uploads
+    updateApacheSettings
 
-    echo "Starting Easy!Appointments server.."
+    echo "Starting Easy!Appointments production server.."
     
     exec httpd -D FOREGROUND
 fi
 
-exec $@
\ No newline at end of file
+exec $@