diff --git a/api/.dockerignore b/api/.dockerignore
index 7513741..2f9c94d 100644
--- a/api/.dockerignore
+++ b/api/.dockerignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-config.yml
+.env
+.env.deployment
 README.md
 .idea
 internal
diff --git a/api/.env b/api/.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d5e69e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/.env
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+PORT=8080
+GIN_MODE="debug"#["release", "debug"]
+
+MYSQL_DATABASE="api"#database name
+MYSQL_ROOT_USER="root"#login name
+MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD="Root#123"
+MYSQL_HOST="localhost"
+MYSQL_PORT=3306
+
+
diff --git a/api/.env.deployment b/api/.env.deployment
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..614a6a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/.env.deployment
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+PORT="8080"
+GIN_MODE="release"#["release", "debug"]
+
+MYSQL_DATABASE="api"#database name
+MYSQL_ROOT_USER="root"#login name
+MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD="changeme" #TODO change me.
+MYSQL_HOST="mysql"
+MYSQL_PORT="3306"
+
diff --git a/api/Dockerfile b/api/Dockerfile
index 774b58c..61d431d 100644
--- a/api/Dockerfile
+++ b/api/Dockerfile
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ CMD ["go", "test", "./tests"]
 
 #Stage 2b: Run Api
 FROM scratch as release
-#Copy config
-COPY config.deployment.yml ./config.yml
 #Copy migration scripts
 COPY migrations migrations
 #Copy build result to next stage
diff --git a/api/README.md b/api/README.md
index f6ec256..fc048cc 100644
--- a/api/README.md
+++ b/api/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,20 @@
 ## TL;DR
-`` docker compose build; `` `` docker compose up ``
-
+Change MYSQL password in .env.deployment
+`` docker compose build; `` `` docker compose up -d``
 The api will be exposed to port 8080, access it with `localhost:8080`. 
+
+
+## Environment variables
+The docker image will use the following environment variables:
+
+| Key                                                | Default Value | Options            |
+|----------------------------------------------------|---------------|--------------------|
+| PORT                                               | "8080"        |            |
+| GIN_MODE                                           | "release"     | "release", "debug" |
+| MYSQL_HOST                                         | "mysql"       |            |
+| MYSQL_PORT                                         | "3306"        |            |
+| MYSQL_DATABASE                                     | "api"         |          |
+| MYSQL_ROOT_USER                                    | "root"        |                    |
+| <span style="color:red">MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD</span> | <span style="color:red">"changeme"</span>    |                    |
+
+If you use the docker image directly (without our provided docker-compose), you must specify them.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/api/cmd/main.go b/api/cmd/main.go
index f5b153e..ca09e0d 100644
--- a/api/cmd/main.go
+++ b/api/cmd/main.go
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
 	_ "github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
 	"log"
 	"net/http"
+	"os"
 )
 
 func setupRouter(db *sql.DB) *gin.Engine {
@@ -41,17 +42,17 @@ func setupRouter(db *sql.DB) *gin.Engine {
 }
 
 func loadConfig() {
-	viper.SetConfigFile("config.yml")
-	err := viper.ReadInConfig()
+	err := godotenv.Load(".env")
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err.Error())
+		log.Println(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to load .env file: %s", err))
+		log.Println("Environment variables will be used")
 	}
 }
 
 func setupDatabase() *sql.DB {
 	//Create database if it is not existing yet.
 	//We might have to remove this if we use an azure database
-	scripts.CreateDatabaseIfNotExists(viper.GetString("DATABASE.NAME"))
+	scripts.CreateDatabaseIfNotExists(os.Getenv("MYSQL_DATABASE"))
 	//Connect to the database
 	db := scripts.ConnectToDatabase()
 	//Check if database is online
@@ -73,11 +74,14 @@ func main() {
 	defer db.Close()
 
 	//Set Gin-gonic to debug or release mode
-	gin.SetMode(viper.GetString("GIN_MODE"))
+	gin.SetMode(os.Getenv("GIN_MODE"))
 
 	//Setup Routes
 	r := setupRouter(db)
 
 	// Listen and Server in 0.0.0.0:8080
-	r.Run(fmt.Sprintf(":%d", viper.GetInt("port")))
+	err := r.Run(fmt.Sprintf(":%s", os.Getenv("PORT")))
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err.Error())
+	}
 }
diff --git a/api/config.deployment.yml b/api/config.deployment.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index b91c431..0000000
--- a/api/config.deployment.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-## PRODUCTIVE CONFIG
-PORT: 8080
-GIN_MODE: release #["release", "debug"]
-DATABASE:
-  NAME: api #database name
-  USER: root #This login name is just for local deployment. TODO set it in productive deployment
-  PASSWORD: Root#123 #This password is just for local deployment. TODO set it in productive deployment
-  HOST: mysql
-  PORT: 3306
diff --git a/api/config.yml b/api/config.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index cc996b9..0000000
--- a/api/config.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-PORT: 8080
-GIN_MODE: debug #["release", "debug"]
-DATABASE:
-  NAME: api #database name
-  USER: root #login name
-  PASSWORD: Root#123 #This password is of course not production. Just local deployment
-  HOST: localhost
-  PORT: 3306
-
diff --git a/api/docker-compose.yml b/api/docker-compose.yml
index 1026cf8..9237152 100644
--- a/api/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/api/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,32 +1,22 @@
 #The docker-compose is for local deployment.
-#DON'T USE IT IN PRODUCTION IT CONTAINS HARDCODED PASSWORDS
 services:
   mysql:
-    image: 'bitnami/mysql:8.3.0'
-    environment:
-      - MYSQL_ROOT_USER=root
-      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=Root#123
-      - MYSQL_DATABASE=api
+    env_file: .env.deployment
+    image: 'mysql:8.4.0'
     ports:
-      - "3306:3306"
+      - "${MYSQL_PORT}:${MYSQL_PORT}"
     volumes:
       - ./internal/database:/bitnami/mysql/data
     networks:
       - api
     healthcheck:
-      test: mysql --user=root --password=Root#123 -e 'SELECT * FROM mysql.time_zone'
+      test: mysqladmin ping --host=${MYSQL_HOST} --port=${MYSQL_PORT} --user=${MYSQL_ROOT_USER} --password=${MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD}
     restart: on-failure
-    #command: # fix from https://github.com/bitnami/containers/issues/44854#issuecomment-1800945882
-    #  - "/opt/bitnami/mysql/bin/mysqld"
-    #  - "--defaults-file=/opt/bitnami/mysql/conf/my.cnf"
-    #  - "--basedir=/opt/bitnami/mysql"
-    #  - "--datadir=/bitnami/mysql/data"
-    #  - "--socket=/opt/bitnami/mysql/tmp/mysql.sock"
-    #  - "--pid-file=/opt/bitnami/mysql/tmp/mysqld.pid"
   api:
+    env_file: .env.deployment
     build: .
     ports:
-      - "8080:8080"
+      - "${PORT}:${PORT}"
     restart: on-failure
     networks:
       - api
diff --git a/api/go.mod b/api/go.mod
index 36cd187..ff57214 100644
--- a/api/go.mod
+++ b/api/go.mod
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/gin-gonic/gin v1.9.1
 	github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.8.1
 	github.com/google/uuid v1.4.0
-	github.com/spf13/viper v1.18.2
 )
 
 require (
@@ -24,6 +23,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/go-playground/validator/v10 v10.19.0 // indirect
 	github.com/goccy/go-json v0.10.2 // indirect
 	github.com/hashicorp/hcl v1.0.0 // indirect
+	github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1 // indirect
 	github.com/json-iterator/go v1.1.12 // indirect
 	github.com/klauspost/cpuid/v2 v2.2.7 // indirect
 	github.com/leodido/go-urn v1.4.0 // indirect
diff --git a/api/go.sum b/api/go.sum
index d326bfb..7762e57 100644
--- a/api/go.sum
+++ b/api/go.sum
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ github.com/google/uuid v1.4.0 h1:MtMxsa51/r9yyhkyLsVeVt0B+BGQZzpQiTQ4eHZ8bc4=
 github.com/google/uuid v1.4.0/go.mod h1:TIyPZe4MgqvfeYDBFedMoGGpEw/LqOeaOT+nhxU+yHo=
 github.com/hashicorp/hcl v1.0.0 h1:0Anlzjpi4vEasTeNFn2mLJgTSwt0+6sfsiTG8qcWGx4=
 github.com/hashicorp/hcl v1.0.0/go.mod h1:E5yfLk+7swimpb2L/Alb/PJmXilQ/rhwaUYs4T20WEQ=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1 h1:7eLL/+HRGLY0ldzfGMeQkb7vMd0as4CfYvUVzLqw0N0=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1/go.mod h1:f4LDr5Voq0i2e/R5DDNOoa2zzDfwtkZa6DnEwAbqwq4=
 github.com/json-iterator/go v1.1.12 h1:PV8peI4a0ysnczrg+LtxykD8LfKY9ML6u2jnxaEnrnM=
 github.com/json-iterator/go v1.1.12/go.mod h1:e30LSqwooZae/UwlEbR2852Gd8hjQvJoHmT4TnhNGBo=
 github.com/kisielk/sqlstruct v0.0.0-20201105191214-5f3e10d3ab46/go.mod h1:yyMNCyc/Ib3bDTKd379tNMpB/7/H5TjM2Y9QJ5THLbE=
diff --git a/api/scripts/databaseScripts.go b/api/scripts/databaseScripts.go
index 4050b15..d0b0379 100644
--- a/api/scripts/databaseScripts.go
+++ b/api/scripts/databaseScripts.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"api/shared"
 	"database/sql"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"regexp"
@@ -16,11 +15,11 @@ import (
 func ConnectToDatabase() *sql.DB {
 	// connect to db using standard Go database/sql API
 	connectionString := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s@tcp(%s:%s)/%s",
-		viper.GetString("DATABASE.USER"),
-		viper.GetString("DATABASE.PASSWORD"),
-		viper.GetString("DATABASE.HOST"),
-		viper.GetString("DATABASE.PORT"),
-		viper.GetString("DATABASE.NAME"))
+		os.Getenv("MYSQL_ROOT_USER"),
+		os.Getenv("MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD"),
+		os.Getenv("MYSQL_HOST"),
+		os.Getenv("MYSQL_PORT"),
+		os.Getenv("MYSQL_DATABASE"))
 
 	db, err := sql.Open("mysql", connectionString)
 
@@ -102,7 +101,7 @@ func MigrateDatabase(db *sql.DB) {
 	log.Println("Finished migrations")
 }
 
-// getMigrationIds returns the Ids of migrations which have been applied to the database.
+// getMigrationIds returns the Ids of migrations which have been applied to the database
 func getMigrationIds(db *sql.DB) []int {
 	var migrations []int
 
@@ -133,21 +132,24 @@ func getMigrationIds(db *sql.DB) []int {
 func CreateDatabaseIfNotExists(database string) {
 	// connect to db using standard Go database/sql API
 	connectionString := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s@tcp(%s:%s)/",
-		viper.GetString("DATABASE.USER"),
-		viper.GetString("DATABASE.PASSWORD"),
-		viper.GetString("DATABASE.HOST"),
-		viper.GetString("DATABASE.PORT"))
+		os.Getenv("MYSQL_ROOT_USER"),
+		os.Getenv("MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD"),
+		os.Getenv("MYSQL_HOST"),
+		os.Getenv("MYSQL_PORT"))
 
 	db, err := sql.Open("mysql", connectionString)
 
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
+		log.Fatal("Error connecting to database: ", err)
 	}
 	defer db.Close()
 
 	_, err = db.Exec(fmt.Sprintf("Create database if not exists %s", database))
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
+		if connectionString == ":@tcp(:)/" {
+			log.Println("Environment variables have not been set. See https://github.com/AustrianDataLAB/IndieGameStream/tree/develop/api")
+		}
+		log.Fatal("Error creating database: ", err)
 	}
 
 	return