diff --git a/.docker/Dockerfile b/.docker/Dockerfile
index 13eb5732..ee2485d2 100644
--- a/.docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/.docker/Dockerfile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # the different stages of this Dockerfile are meant to be built into separate images
 # https://docs.docker.com/compose/compose-file/#target
 
-ARG PHP_VERSION=8.0
+ARG PHP_VERSION=8.1
 ARG NGINX_VERSION=1.17
 
 # Build assets in disposable node image
@@ -9,18 +9,27 @@ FROM node:11-alpine as armaforces_web_assets
 
 WORKDIR /tmp/app_build
 
-COPY package.json package-lock.json webpack.config.js ./
+COPY --link package.json package-lock.json webpack.config.js ./
 RUN npm install
 
 WORKDIR /tmp/app_build/assets/
 
-COPY assets ./
+COPY --link assets ./
 RUN npm run build:ci
 
 
 # Build PHP application image
 FROM php:${PHP_VERSION}-fpm-alpine AS armaforces_web_php
 
+# build for production
+ENV APP_ENV=prod
+
+WORKDIR /www/app
+
+# php extensions installer: https://github.com/mlocati/docker-php-extension-installer
+COPY --from=mlocati/php-extension-installer --link /usr/bin/install-php-extensions /usr/local/bin/
+
+# persistent / runtime deps
 RUN apk add --no-cache \
         acl \
         fcgi \
@@ -29,62 +38,33 @@ RUN apk add --no-cache \
         git \
     ;
 
-ARG APCU_VERSION=5.1.18
 RUN set -eux; \
-    apk add --no-cache --virtual .build-deps \
-        $PHPIZE_DEPS \
-        icu-dev \
-        libzip-dev \
-        zlib-dev \
-    ; \
-    \
-    docker-php-ext-configure zip; \
-    docker-php-ext-install -j$(nproc) \
+    install-php-extensions \
         intl \
         zip \
-        pdo_mysql \
-    ; \
-    pecl install \
-        apcu-${APCU_VERSION} \
-    ; \
-    pecl clear-cache; \
-    docker-php-ext-enable \
         apcu \
         opcache \
-    ; \
-    \
-    runDeps="$( \
-        scanelf --needed --nobanner --format '%n#p' --recursive /usr/local/lib/php/extensions \
-            | tr ',' '\n' \
-            | sort -u \
-            | awk 'system("[ -e /usr/local/lib/" $1 " ]") == 0 { next } { print "so:" $1 }' \
-    )"; \
-    apk add --no-cache --virtual .api-phpexts-rundeps $runDeps; \
-    \
-    apk del .build-deps \
-;
-
-COPY --from=composer/composer:2-bin /composer /usr/bin/composer
-RUN ln -s $PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini-production $PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini
-COPY .docker/php/conf.d/armaforces-web.ini $PHP_INI_DIR/conf.d/armaforces-web.ini
+        pdo_mysql \
+    ;
+
+RUN mv "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini-production" "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini"
+COPY --link .docker/php/conf.d/armaforces-web.ini $PHP_INI_DIR/conf.d/
+COPY --link .docker/php/conf.d/armaforces-web.prod.ini $PHP_INI_DIR/conf.d/
 
 # https://getcomposer.org/doc/03-cli.md#composer-allow-superuser
 ENV COMPOSER_ALLOW_SUPERUSER=1
 ENV PATH="${PATH}:/root/.composer/vendor/bin"
 
-WORKDIR /www/app
-
-# build for production
-ARG APP_ENV=prod
+COPY --from=composer/composer:2-bin --link /composer /usr/bin/composer
 
 # prevent the reinstallation of vendors at every changes in the source code
 COPY composer.json composer.lock symfony.lock .env ./
 RUN set -eux; \
-    composer install --prefer-dist --no-dev --no-scripts --no-progress --no-suggest; \
+    composer install --prefer-dist --no-dev --no-scripts --no-progress; \
     composer clear-cache
 
 # copy only specifically what we need
-COPY bin bin/
+COPY --link bin bin/
 COPY config config/
 COPY migrations migrations/
 COPY public public/
@@ -97,12 +77,11 @@ RUN set -eux; \
     composer dump-autoload --classmap-authoritative --no-dev; \
     composer run-script --no-dev post-install-cmd; \
     chmod +x bin/console; sync
-VOLUME /www/app/var
 
 # copy assets manifests
 COPY --from=armaforces_web_assets /tmp/app_build/public/build/ public/build/
 
-COPY .docker/php/docker-entrypoint.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint
+COPY --link .docker/php/docker-entrypoint.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint
 RUN chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint
 
 # .env is copied again as COPY needs to copy at least one file
@@ -129,20 +108,23 @@ CMD ["nginx", "-g", "daemon off;"]
 
 FROM armaforces_web_php AS armaforces_web_php_dev
 
-ARG XDEBUG_VERSION=3.1.1
+ENV APP_ENV=dev
+#VOLUME /www/app/var/
+
+RUN rm $PHP_INI_DIR/conf.d/app.prod.ini; \
+	mv "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini" "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini-production"; \
+	mv "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini-development" "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini"
+
 RUN set -eux; \
-    apk add --no-cache --virtual .build-deps $PHPIZE_DEPS; \
-    pecl install xdebug-$XDEBUG_VERSION; \
-    docker-php-ext-enable xdebug; \
-    apk del .build-deps
+	install-php-extensions xdebug
 
 RUN apk add --no-cache \
         nodejs \
         npm
 
 ENV XDEBUG_INI_PATH=$PHP_INI_DIR/conf.d/docker-php-ext-xdebug.ini
-COPY .docker/php/conf.d/docker-php-ext-xdebug.ini $XDEBUG_INI_PATH
+COPY --link .docker/php/conf.d/docker-php-ext-xdebug.ini $XDEBUG_INI_PATH
 
-COPY .docker/php/scripts/xon.sh /usr/bin/xon
-COPY .docker/php/scripts/xoff.sh /usr/bin/xoff
+COPY --link .docker/php/scripts/xon.sh /usr/bin/xon
+COPY --link .docker/php/scripts/xoff.sh /usr/bin/xoff
 RUN chmod +x /usr/bin/xon /usr/bin/xoff
diff --git a/.docker/php/conf.d/armaforces-web.ini b/.docker/php/conf.d/armaforces-web.ini
index e06bc3be..90e554f0 100644
--- a/.docker/php/conf.d/armaforces-web.ini
+++ b/.docker/php/conf.d/armaforces-web.ini
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
-# Borrowed from https://github.com/api-platform/api-platform/blob/master/api/docker/php/conf.d/api-platform.ini
-
-apc.enable_cli = 1
+# Borrowed from https://github.com/api-platform/api-platform/blob/6ddd494ccec4dc5d0329c1ded75101e58b8747e4/api/docker/php/conf.d/app.ini
+expose_php = 0
 date.timezone = Europe/Warsaw
-session.auto_start = Off
-short_open_tag = Off
+apc.enable_cli = 1
+session.use_strict_mode = 1
+zend.detect_unicode = 0
 
-# http://symfony.com/doc/current/performance.html
+; https://symfony.com/doc/current/performance.html
+realpath_cache_size = 4096K
+realpath_cache_ttl = 600
 opcache.interned_strings_buffer = 16
 opcache.max_accelerated_files = 20000
 opcache.memory_consumption = 256
-realpath_cache_size = 4096K
-realpath_cache_ttl = 600
+opcache.enable_file_override = 1
diff --git a/.docker/php/conf.d/armaforces-web.prod.ini b/.docker/php/conf.d/armaforces-web.prod.ini
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a941b3bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.docker/php/conf.d/armaforces-web.prod.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+;opcache.preload_user = www-data
+;opcache.preload = /www/app/config/preload.php
diff --git a/.docker/php/docker-entrypoint.sh b/.docker/php/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 8efb0283..0efda4ad 100644
--- a/.docker/php/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/.docker/php/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -9,19 +9,35 @@ if [ "${1#-}" != "$1" ]; then
 fi
 
 if [ "$1" = 'php-fpm' ] || [ "$1" = 'php' ] || [ "$1" = 'bin/console' ]; then
-    PHP_INI_RECOMMENDED="$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini-production"
+    setfacl -R -m u:www-data:rwX -m u:"$(whoami)":rwX var || true
+    setfacl -dR -m u:www-data:rwX -m u:"$(whoami)":rwX var || true
+
     if [ "$APP_ENV" != 'prod' ]; then
-        PHP_INI_RECOMMENDED="$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini-development"
+        composer install --prefer-dist --no-progress --no-interaction || true
     fi
-    ln -sf "$PHP_INI_RECOMMENDED" "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini"
 
-    mkdir -p var/cache var/log
-    setfacl -R -m u:www-data:rwX -m u:"$(whoami)":rwX var || true
-    setfacl -dR -m u:www-data:rwX -m u:"$(whoami)":rwX var || true
+    if grep -q DATABASE_URL= .env; then
+        echo "Waiting for database to be ready..."
+        ATTEMPTS_LEFT_TO_REACH_DATABASE=30
+        until [ $ATTEMPTS_LEFT_TO_REACH_DATABASE -eq 0 ] || DATABASE_ERROR=$(php bin/console dbal:run-sql -q "SELECT 1" 2>&1); do
+            sleep 1
+            ATTEMPTS_LEFT_TO_REACH_DATABASE=$((ATTEMPTS_LEFT_TO_REACH_DATABASE - 1))
+            echo "Still waiting for database to be ready... Or maybe the database is not reachable. $ATTEMPTS_LEFT_TO_REACH_DATABASE attempts left."
+        done
+
+        if [ $ATTEMPTS_LEFT_TO_REACH_DATABASE -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "The database is not up or not reachable:"
+            echo "$DATABASE_ERROR"
+            exit 1
+        else
+            echo "The database is now ready and reachable"
+        fi
+    fi
 
     if [ "$APP_ENV" = 'prod' ]; then
         php bin/console doctrine:migrations:migrate --allow-no-migration --no-interaction
     fi
+
 fi
 
 exec docker-php-entrypoint "$@"
diff --git a/.env b/.env
index dfeabbe0..ccf4ef36 100644
--- a/.env
+++ b/.env
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 # Real environment variables win over .env files.
 #
 # DO NOT DEFINE PRODUCTION SECRETS IN THIS FILE NOR IN ANY OTHER COMMITTED FILES.
+# https://symfony.com/doc/current/configuration/secrets.html
 #
 # Run "composer dump-env prod" to compile .env files for production use (requires symfony/flex >=1.2).
 # https://symfony.com/doc/current/best_practices.html#use-environment-variables-for-infrastructure-configuration
diff --git a/.github/workflows/application.yml b/.github/workflows/application.yml
index 8e7156d5..1b852f74 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/application.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/application.yml
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ jobs:
                 run: |
                     make test-ci
 
+            -   name: Failure logs
+                if: failure()
+                run: |
+                    docker compose logs php
+
     docker_release:
         name: Docker release
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/docker-compose.override.yml b/docker-compose.override.yml
index 2079091c..7fd3d17d 100644
--- a/docker-compose.override.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.override.yml
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ services:
             target: armaforces_web_php_dev
         volumes:
             - './:/www/app:rw'
-            - './var/import:/www/app/var/import:ro'
-            - './var/cache:/www/app/var/cache:rw'
-            - './var/log:/www/app/var/log:rw'
+            # If you develop on Mac or Windows you can remove the vendor/ and var/ directory
+            #  from the bind-mount for better performance by enabling the next lines:
+            #- /www/app/vendor
+            #- /www/app/var
         environment:
             PHP_IDE_CONFIG: serverName=armaforces-web
         extra_hosts:
diff --git a/docker-compose.test.yml b/docker-compose.test.yml
index 68a5a54e..98b61a34 100644
--- a/docker-compose.test.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.test.yml
@@ -10,10 +10,9 @@ services:
             cache_from:
                 - docker.pkg.github.com/armaforces/website/app_assets:dev
                 - docker.pkg.github.com/armaforces/website/app_php:dev
+        environment:
+            APP_ENV: test
         volumes:
-            # Extract files from runtime for QA tools
-            - './var:/www/app/var'
-            - './vendor:/www/app/vendor'
             # Copy tests into runtime
             - './.env.test:/www/app/.env.test:ro'
             - './tests:/www/app/tests:ro'