diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d6d9c4e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+.git
+.cache
+**/node_modules
diff --git a/server/src/lib/Server.ts b/server/src/lib/Server.ts
index baffd5d7..374eaac5 100644
--- a/server/src/lib/Server.ts
+++ b/server/src/lib/Server.ts
@@ -74,16 +74,72 @@ export default class Server {
     const app = Express();
 
     const appConfiguration = ConfigurationParser.parse(configuration);
-
-    // We want to get the ldap binding password from the environment if it has been set, otherwise
-    // it will come from the configuration file
-    if (process.env.LDAP_BACKEND_PASSWORD) {
-      appConfiguration.authentication_backend.ldap.password = process.env.LDAP_BACKEND_PASSWORD;
-      that.globalLogger.debug("Got ldap binding password from environment");
-    }
-
     // by default the level of logs is info
     deps.winston.level = appConfiguration.logs_level;
+
+    // We want to get the ldap binding password from the environment if it has been set, otherwise it will come from
+    // the config file
+    if (process.env.LDAP_BACKEND_PASSWORD) {
+      if (appConfiguration.authentication_backend.ldap) {
+        appConfiguration.authentication_backend.ldap.password = process.env.LDAP_BACKEND_PASSWORD;
+        that.globalLogger.debug("Got ldap binding password from environment");
+      } else {
+        const erMsg =
+            "Environment variable LDAP_BACKEND_PASSWORD set, but no ldap configuration is specified in configuration file.";
+        that.globalLogger.error(erMsg);
+        throw new Error(erMsg);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // We want to get the session secret from the environment if it has been set, otherwise it will come from the
+    // config file
+    if (process.env.SESSION_SECRET) {
+      appConfiguration.session.secret = process.env.SESSION_SECRET;
+      that.globalLogger.debug("Got session secret from environment");
+    }
+
+    // We want to get the password for using an e-mail service from the environment if it has been set, otherwise it
+    // will come from the config file
+    if (process.env.EMAIL_SERVICE_PASSWORD) {
+      if (appConfiguration.notifier && appConfiguration.notifier.email) {
+        appConfiguration.notifier.email.password = process.env.EMAIL_SERVICE_PASSWORD;
+        that.globalLogger.debug("Got e-mail service notifier password from environment");
+      } else {
+        const erMsg = "Environment variable EMAIL_SERVICE_PASSWORD set, but no e-mail service is given in the " +
+            "notifier section of the configuration file.";
+        that.globalLogger.error(erMsg);
+        throw new Error(erMsg);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // We want to get the password for authenticating to an SMTP server for sending notifier e-mails if it has been set,
+    // otherwise it will come from the config file
+    if (process.env.SMTP_PASSWORD) {
+      if (appConfiguration.notifier && appConfiguration.notifier.smtp) {
+        appConfiguration.notifier.smtp.password = process.env.SMTP_PASSWORD;
+        that.globalLogger.debug("Got smtp service notifier password from environment");
+      } else {
+        const erMsg = "Environment variable SMTP_PASSWORD set, but no smtp entry is given in the notifier section of " +
+            "the configuration file.";
+        that.globalLogger.error(erMsg);
+        throw new Error(erMsg);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // We want to get the duo api secret key from the environment if it has been set, otherwise it will come from the
+    // config file
+    if (process.env.DUO_API_SECRET_KEY) {
+      if (appConfiguration.duo_api) {
+        appConfiguration.duo_api.secret_key = process.env.DUO_API_SECRET_KEY;
+        that.globalLogger.debug("Got duo api secret from environment");
+      } else {
+        const erMsg =
+            "Environment variable DUO_API_SECRET_KEY set, but no duo_api section given in the configuration file.";
+        that.globalLogger.error(erMsg);
+        throw new Error(erMsg);
+      }
+    }
+
     this.displayConfigurations(appConfiguration);
 
     return this.setup(appConfiguration, app, deps)