diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 64447f8b..d2e9faeb 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,14 +1,23 @@
 # Copyright (c) nexB Inc. and others. All rights reserved.
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-FROM --platform=linux/amd64 python:3.11
+FROM --platform=linux/amd64 python:3.12-slim
 
-WORKDIR /app
+LABEL org.opencontainers.image.source="https://github.com/nexB/purldb"
+LABEL org.opencontainers.image.description="PurlDB"
+LABEL org.opencontainers.image.licenses="Apache-2.0"
 
-# Python settings: Force unbuffered stdout and stderr (i.e. they are flushed to terminal immediately)
+ENV APP_NAME purldb
+ENV APP_USER app
+ENV APP_DIR /opt/$APP_NAME
+ENV VENV_LOCATION /opt/$APP_NAME/venv
+
+# Force Python unbuffered stdout and stderr (they are flushed to terminal immediately)
 ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED 1
-# Python settings: do not write pyc files
+# Do not write Python .pyc files
 ENV PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE 1
+# Add the app dir in the Python path for entry points availability
+ENV PYTHONPATH $PYTHONPATH:$APP_DIR
 
 # OS requirements as per
 # https://scancode-toolkit.readthedocs.io/en/latest/getting-started/install.html
@@ -33,9 +42,31 @@ RUN apt-get update \
  && apt-get clean \
  && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* /tmp/* /var/tmp/*
 
+# Create the APP_USER group and user
+RUN addgroup --system $APP_USER \
+ && adduser --system --group --home=$APP_DIR $APP_USER \
+ && chown $APP_USER:$APP_USER $APP_DIR
+
+# Create the /var/APP_NAME directory with proper permission for APP_USER
+RUN mkdir -p /var/$APP_NAME \
+ && chown $APP_USER:$APP_USER /var/$APP_NAME
+
+# Setup the work directory and the user as APP_USER for the remaining stages
+WORKDIR $APP_DIR
+USER $APP_USER
+
+# Create the virtualenv
+RUN python -m venv $VENV_LOCATION
+# Enable the virtualenv, similar effect as "source activate"
+ENV PATH $VENV_LOCATION/bin:$PATH
+
+# Create static/ and workspace/ directories
+RUN mkdir -p /var/$APP_NAME/static/ \
+ && mkdir -p /var/$APP_NAME/workspace/
+
 # Install the dependencies before the codebase COPY for proper Docker layer caching
-COPY setup.cfg setup.py requirements.txt /app/
-RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -c requirements.txt .
+COPY --chown=$APP_USER:$APP_USER setup.cfg setup.py $APP_DIR/
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir .
 
-# Copy the codebase
-COPY . /app
+# Copy the codebase and set the proper permissions for the APP_USER
+COPY --chown=$APP_USER:$APP_USER . $APP_DIR
diff --git a/docker-compose.common.yml b/docker-compose.common.yml
index a887a6f6..a0256022 100644
--- a/docker-compose.common.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.common.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ services:
       - docker_purldb.env
     volumes:
       - db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data/
+    shm_size: "1gb"
+    restart: always
 
   redis:
     image: redis
@@ -15,7 +17,7 @@ services:
 
   web:
     build: .
-    command: sh -c "
+    command: wait-for-it --strict --timeout=60 db:5432 -- sh -c "
         python manage_purldb.py migrate &&
         python manage_purldb.py collectstatic --no-input --verbosity 0 --clear &&
         gunicorn purldb_project.wsgi:application --bind :8000 --timeout 600 --workers 8"
@@ -24,9 +26,10 @@ services:
     expose:
       - 8000
     volumes:
+      - .env:/opt/purldb/.env
       - /etc/purldb/:/etc/purldb/
-      - static:/var/purldb/static/
       - temp_data:/tmp/minecode/
+      - static:/var/purldb/static/
     depends_on:
       - db
 
@@ -36,6 +39,7 @@ services:
     env_file:
       - docker_purldb.env
     volumes:
+      - .env:/opt/purldb/.env
       - /etc/purldb/:/etc/purldb/
     profiles:
       - priority_queue
@@ -49,6 +53,7 @@ services:
     env_file:
       - docker_purldb.env
     volumes:
+      - .env:/opt/purldb/.env
       - /etc/purldb/:/etc/purldb/
     depends_on:
       - redis
@@ -61,6 +66,7 @@ services:
     env_file:
       - docker_purldb.env
     volumes:
+      - .env:/opt/purldb/.env
       - /etc/purldb/:/etc/purldb/
       - temp_data:/tmp/minecode/
     depends_on:
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 01bfbed3..58066d55 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ services:
       - "traefik.http.routers.web.entrypoints=web"
     volumes:
       - ./etc/nginx/conf.d/:/etc/nginx/conf.d/
+      - /var/www/html:/var/www/html
       - static:/var/purldb/static/
     depends_on:
       - web
+    restart: always
 
   traefik:
     image: "traefik:v2.10"