diff --git a/firebase.json b/firebase.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..da12533e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/firebase.json
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+{
+  "functions": {
+    "source": "functions"
+  },
+  "emulators": {
+    "auth": {
+      "port": 9099
+    },
+    "firestore": {
+      "port": 8080
+    },
+    "storage": {
+      "port": 9199
+    },
+    "ui": {
+      "enabled": true
+    },
+    "singleProjectMode": true
+  },
+  "firestore": {
+    "rules": "firestore.rules",
+    "indexes": "firestore.indexes.json"
+  },
+  "storage": {
+    "rules": "storage.rules"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/firestore.indexes.json b/firestore.indexes.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..49e69244
--- /dev/null
+++ b/firestore.indexes.json
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+  "indexes": [
+    {
+      "collectionGroup": "scenes",
+      "queryScope": "COLLECTION",
+      "fields": [
+        {
+          "fieldPath": "author",
+          "order": "ASCENDING"
+        },
+        {
+          "fieldPath": "updateTimestamp",
+          "order": "DESCENDING"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  ],
+  "fieldOverrides": []
+}
diff --git a/firestore.rules b/firestore.rules
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b4eb7949
--- /dev/null
+++ b/firestore.rules
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+rules_version = '2';
+service cloud.firestore {
+  match /databases/{database}/documents {
+    match /{document=**} {
+      allow read, write: if request.auth != null;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/services/firebase.js b/src/services/firebase.js
index c6a7f864..8b6e4489 100644
--- a/src/services/firebase.js
+++ b/src/services/firebase.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { initializeApp } from 'firebase/app';
 import { getAuth } from 'firebase/auth';
 import { getStorage } from 'firebase/storage';
-import { getFirestore } from 'firebase/firestore';
+import { connectFirestoreEmulator, getFirestore } from 'firebase/firestore';
 
 const firebaseConfig = {
   apiKey: process.env.FIREBASE_API_KEY,
@@ -18,4 +18,13 @@ const auth = getAuth(app);
 const storage = getStorage(app);
 const db = getFirestore(app);
 
+const isLocalhostAndMissingFirebaseEnv =
+  window.location.hostname === 'localhost' &&
+  (!process.env.FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID || !process.env.FIREBASE_API_KEY);
+
+if (isLocalhostAndMissingFirebaseEnv) {
+  console.log('Using Firestore Emulator');
+  connectFirestoreEmulator(db, 'localhost', 8080);
+}
+
 export { auth, storage, db };
diff --git a/storage.rules b/storage.rules
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8863e61a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/storage.rules
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+rules_version = '2';
+
+service firebase.storage {
+  match /b/{bucket}/o {
+    match /{allPaths=**} {
+      allow read, write: if false;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/ui-debug.log b/ui-debug.log
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..edaaf3e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-debug.log
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Web / API server started at 127.0.0.1:4000
+Web / API server started at ::1:4000