diff --git a/backend/backend/settings.py b/backend/backend/settings.py
index 1d09378..d1c216f 100644
--- a/backend/backend/settings.py
+++ b/backend/backend/settings.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ WSGI_APPLICATION = 'backend.wsgi.application'
 DATABASES = {
     'default': {
         'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
-        'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
+        'NAME': os.environ.get('TOOLSHED_DB_PATH', BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3'),
     }
 }
 
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ USE_TZ = True
 STATIC_ROOT = 'staticfiles'
 STATIC_URL = '/static/'
 
-MEDIA_ROOT = 'userfiles'
+MEDIA_ROOT = os.environ.get('TOOLSHED_USERFILES_PATH', 'userfiles')
 MEDIA_URL = '/media/'
 
 # Default primary key field type
diff --git a/backend/configure.py b/backend/configure.py
index ee26cac..92338eb 100755
--- a/backend/configure.py
+++ b/backend/configure.py
@@ -183,7 +183,11 @@ def testdata():
     import django
 
     django.setup()
-    if os.path.exists('testdata.py'):
+    testdata_path = os.environ.get('TOOLSHED_SETUP_PATH', 'testdata.py')
+    if os.path.exists(testdata_path):
+        if testdata_path != 'testdata.py':
+            import sys
+            sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(testdata_path))
         from testdata import create_test_data
         create_test_data()
     else:
diff --git a/deploy/dev/Dockerfile.backend b/deploy/dev/Dockerfile.backend
index d83b688..1134aba 100644
--- a/deploy/dev/Dockerfile.backend
+++ b/deploy/dev/Dockerfile.backend
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ WORKDIR /code
 # Install dependencies
 COPY requirements.txt /code/
 RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
+RUN touch /mnt/db.sqlite3 &&  touch /mnt/testdata.py && mkdir /mnt/userfiles
 
 # Run the application
 CMD ["sh", "-c", "python manage.py migrate && python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000 --insecure"]
diff --git a/deploy/docker-compose.override.yml b/deploy/docker-compose.override.yml
index cb3cdd3..6d542d7 100644
--- a/deploy/docker-compose.override.yml
+++ b/deploy/docker-compose.override.yml
@@ -5,12 +5,16 @@ services:
     build:
       context: ../backend/
       dockerfile: ../deploy/dev/Dockerfile.backend
+    environment:
+      TOOLSHED_DB_PATH: /mnt/db.sqlite3
+      TOOLSHED_USERFILES_PATH: /mnt/userfiles
+      TOOLSHED_SETUP_PATH: /mnt/testdata.py
     volumes:
       - ../backend:/code
       - ../deploy/dev/instance_a/a.env:/code/.env
-      - ../deploy/dev/instance_a/testdata.py:/code/testdata.py
-      - ../deploy/dev/instance_a/a.sqlite3:/code/db.sqlite3
-      - ../deploy/dev/instance_a/userfiles:/code/userfiles
+      - ../deploy/dev/instance_a/testdata.py:/mnt/testdata.py
+      - ../deploy/dev/instance_a/a.sqlite3:/mnt/db.sqlite3
+      - ../deploy/dev/instance_a/userfiles:/mnt/userfiles
     expose:
       - 8000
     command: bash -c "python configure.py; python configure.py testdata; python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000 --insecure"
@@ -19,12 +23,16 @@ services:
     build:
       context: ../backend/
       dockerfile: ../deploy/dev/Dockerfile.backend
+    environment:
+      TOOLSHED_DB_PATH: /mnt/db.sqlite3
+      TOOLSHED_USERFILES_PATH: /mnt/userfiles
+      TOOLSHED_SETUP_PATH: /mnt/testdata.py
     volumes:
       - ../backend:/code
       - ../deploy/dev/instance_b/b.env:/code/.env
-      - ../deploy/dev/instance_b/testdata.py:/code/testdata.py
-      - ../deploy/dev/instance_b/b.sqlite3:/code/db.sqlite3
-      - ../deploy/dev/instance_b/userfiles:/code/userfiles
+      - ../deploy/dev/instance_b/testdata.py:/mnt/testdata.py
+      - ../deploy/dev/instance_b/b.sqlite3:/mnt/db.sqlite3
+      - ../deploy/dev/instance_b/userfiles:/mnt/userfiles
     expose:
       - 8000
     command: bash -c "python configure.py; python configure.py testdata; python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000 --insecure"