diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 91b4877..ffa6af6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ backend/dist
 .env.development.local
 .env.test.local
 .env.production.local
+.env
+env.json
 
 dist
 npm-debug.log*
@@ -30,4 +32,6 @@ frontend/server.key
 frontend/server.cert
 
 backend/server.key
-backend/server.cert
\ No newline at end of file
+backend/server.cert
+
+logs
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 6378271..67c0f04 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,49 +1,17 @@
-# OVERVIEW: This is the Dockerfile for a multi-stage build of the CDS Authoring
-# Tool. A multi-stage approach was used to keep the overall image size low by
-# including only the layers needed at runtime in the final image. For more
-# info see: https://docs.docker.com/develop/develop-images/multistage-build/
-
-###############################################################################
-# STAGE 0: base
-# - Setup base image from which most others derive. This allows for a single
-#   place to declare the versioned node image we use and any other commands
-#   common to all (or most?) environments.
-###############################################################################
-
-FROM node:18-alpine as base
+FROM node:14-alpine
 ENV NODE_ENV production
-# ADD https://gitlab.mitre.org/mitre-scripts/mitre-pki/raw/master/os_scripts/install_certs.sh /tmp/install_certs.sh
-# RUN chmod a+x /tmp/install_certs.sh && /tmp/install_certs.sh && rm /tmp/install_certs.sh
-
-# RUN apk update
-# RUN apk upgrade openssl
-# First copy just the package.json, package-lock.json, and local dependencies so that
-# if they have not changed, we can use cached node_modules instead of
-# redownloading them all.
-COPY ./ /usr/src/app/
-WORKDIR /usr/src/app/backend
-
-
 
+WORKDIR /home/node/app
+COPY --chown=node:node . .
+WORKDIR /home/node/app/backend
 RUN npm install
-
-RUN ls -la 
-
-
-
-WORKDIR /usr/src/app/frontend
+WORKDIR /home/node/app/frontend
 RUN npm install
+WORKDIR /home/node/app
 
-
-RUN npm install -g pm2@4.4.1
-WORKDIR /usr/src/app
-RUN chown -R node:node .
-ENV PORT 5050
+RUN npm install pm2 -g
 
 EXPOSE 5050
 EXPOSE 5051
 
-USER node
-
-
 CMD [ "pm2-docker", "pm2.config.js" ]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Dockerfile.dev b/Dockerfile.dev
index 93659e8..436f2df 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.dev
+++ b/Dockerfile.dev
@@ -1,41 +1,16 @@
-# OVERVIEW: This is the Dockerfile for a multi-stage build of the CDS Authoring
-# Tool. A multi-stage approach was used to keep the overall image size low by
-# including only the layers needed at runtime in the final image. For more
-# info see: https://docs.docker.com/develop/develop-images/multistage-build/
-
-###############################################################################
-# STAGE 0: base
-# - Setup base image from which most others derive. This allows for a single
-#   place to declare the versioned node image we use and any other commands
-#   common to all (or most?) environments.
-###############################################################################
-
-FROM node:14-alpine as base
-
-
-# First copy just the package.json, package-lock.json, and local dependencies so that
-# if they have not changed, we can use cached node_modules instead of
-# redownloading them all.
-COPY ./ /usr/src/app/
-WORKDIR /usr/src/app/backend
-
+FROM node:14-alpine
 
+WORKDIR /home/node/app
+COPY --chown=node:node . .
+WORKDIR /home/node/app/backend
 RUN npm install
-RUN npm run build
-
-WORKDIR /usr/src/app/frontend
+WORKDIR /home/node/app/frontend
 RUN npm install
+WORKDIR /home/node/app
 
-
-
-RUN npm install -g pm2@4.4.1
-WORKDIR /usr/src/app
-RUN chown -R node:node .
-ENV PORT 5050
+RUN npm install pm2 -g
 
 EXPOSE 5050
 EXPOSE 5051
 
-USER node
-
 CMD ./dockerRunnerDev.sh
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/package.json b/backend/package.json
index 9ae70f5..fe8e3ab 100644
--- a/backend/package.json
+++ b/backend/package.json
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
     "typescript": "^4.9.3"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "start": "tsc && nodemon ./dist/server.js",
+    "start": "ts-node-dev src/server.ts",
     "test": "mocha",
     "build": "tsc",
     "lint": "tsc && eslint \"**/*.{js,ts}\"",
diff --git a/dockerRunnerDev.sh b/dockerRunnerDev.sh
index 59cd204..02a0cfd 100755
--- a/dockerRunnerDev.sh
+++ b/dockerRunnerDev.sh
@@ -1,26 +1,27 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 # Handle closing application on signal interrupt (ctrl + c)
-trap 'kill $CONTINUOUS_INSTALL_PID $SERVER_PID; gradle --stop; exit' INT
+trap 'kill $CONTINUOUS_INSTALL_PID $SERVER_PID $BACKEND_SERVER_PID; exit' INT
 
 mkdir logs 
+
 # Reset log file content for new application boot
-echo "*** Logs for continuous installer ***" > ./frontend/logs/installer.log
-echo "*** Logs for 'npm run start' ***" > ./frontent/logs/runner.log
+echo "*** Logs for continuous frontend installer ***" > ./logs/frontend_installer.log
+echo "*** Logs for frontend 'npm run start' ***" > ./logs/frontend_runner.log
 
-echo "*** Logs for continuous installer ***" > ./backend/logs/installer.log
-echo "*** Logs for 'npm run start' ***" > ./backend/logs/runner.log
+echo "*** Logs for continuous backend installer ***" > ./logs/backend_installer.log
+echo "*** Logs for backend 'npm run start' ***" > ./logs/backend_runner.log
 
 # Print that the application is starting in watch mode
 echo "starting application in watch mode..."
 
 # Start the continious build listener process
-echo "starting continuous installer..."
+echo "starting continuous installers..."
 
 cd frontend
-npm install | tee ./logs/installer.log
+npm install | tee ./logs/frontend_installer.log
 cd ../backend
-npm install | tee ./logs/installer.log
+npm install | tee ./logs/backend_installer.log
 cd ..
 
 ( package_modify_time=$(stat -c %Y frontend/package.json)
@@ -36,13 +37,16 @@ do
     
     if [[ "$package_modify_time" != "$new_package_modify_time" ]] || [[ "$package_lock_modify_time" != "$new_package_lock_modify_time" ]] || [[ "$backend_lock_modify_time" != "$new_backend_lock_modify_time" ]]|| [[ "$backend_modify_time" != "$new_backend_modify_time" ]]
     then
-        echo "running npm install..."
+        echo "running frontent npm install..."
         cd frontend
-        npm install | tee ./logs/installer.log
-        cd ../backend
-        npm install | tee ./logs/installer.log
+        npm install | tee ./logs/frontend_installer.log
+        cd ..
+    elif [[ "$backend_lock_modify_time" != "$new_backend_lock_modify_time" ]]|| [[ "$backend_modify_time" != "$new_backend_modify_time" ]]
+    then
+        echo "running backend npm install..."
+        cd backend
+        npm install | tee ./logs/backend_installer.log
         cd ..
-        pm2-docker pm2.config.dev.js 
     fi
 
     package_modify_time=$new_package_modify_time
@@ -53,10 +57,14 @@ do
 done )  & CONTINUOUS_INSTALL_PID=$!
 
 # Start server process once initial build finishes  
-( pm2-docker pm2.config.js ) & SERVER_PID=$!
+cd frontend
+( npm run start | tee ./logs/frontend_runner.log ) & SERVER_PID=$!
+
+cd ../backend
+( npm run start | tee ./logs/backend_runner.log ) & BACKEND_SERVER_PID=$!
 
 # Handle application background process exiting
-wait $CONTINUOUS_INSTALL_PID $SERVER_PID
+wait $CONTINUOUS_INSTALL_PID $SERVER_PID $BACKEND_SERVER_PID
 EXIT_CODE=$?
 echo "application exited with exit code $EXIT_CODE..."
 
diff --git a/frontend/.env b/frontend/.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e845eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/.env
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+PORT=5050
+REACT_APP_PIMS_BACKEND_PORT=5051
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/frontend/env.json b/frontend/env.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 172333d..0000000
--- a/frontend/env.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,51 +0,0 @@
-{
-"BACKEND_PORT" : {
-  "type" :"number",
-  "default" : 5051
-},
-"ALLOWED_ORIGIN" : {
-  "type" : "object",
-  "default" : ["http://localhost:3000", "https://localhost:3000/", "http://localhost:3005", "https://localhost:3005/", "http://localhost:5050", "https://localhost:5050/", "http://localhost:4040", "https://localhost:4040/"]
-},
-"MONGO_USERNAME": {
-  "type" : "string",
-  "default" : "rems-admin-pims-root"
-},
-
-"MONGO_PASSWORD" :{
-  "type" : "string",
-  "default" : "rems-admin-pims-password"
-},
-
-"MONGO_URL" : {
-  "type" : "string",
-  "default" : "mongodb://localhost:27017/pims"
-},
-
-"AUTH_SOURCE" :{
-  "type" : "string",
-  "default" : "admin"
-},
-
-"REMS_ADMIN_BASE" : {
-  "type" : "string",
-  "default" : "http://localhost:8090"
-},
-
-"PORT" : {
-  "type" :"number",
-  "default" : 5050
-},
-"SSL_KEY_FILE": {
-  "type": "string",
-  "default": "server.key"
-},
-"SSL_CRT_FILE": {
-  "type": "string",
-  "default": "server.cert"
-},
-"USE_HTTPS": {
-  "type": "boolean",
-  "default": false
-}
-}