diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 898a00d..a1fcb82 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -18,4 +18,25 @@ services:
 
   backend:
     image: git.aranroig.com/syndria98/mathew-backend:latest
+    environment:
+      PORT: 5000
+      # The image carries no .env, so without this the backend would try
+      # 127.0.0.1 inside its own container and crash-loop — nginx then
+      # answers every /api/ request with 502.
+      MONGO_URI: mongodb://mongo:27017/mathew
+      # Put JWT_SECRET (and AUTH_TOKEN_TTL if you like) in a .env file next
+      # to this compose file on the server; compose reads it from there.
+      JWT_SECRET: ${JWT_SECRET:-}
+      AUTH_TOKEN_TTL: ${AUTH_TOKEN_TTL:-7d}
+    depends_on:
+      - mongo
     restart: always
+
+  mongo:
+    image: mongo:7
+    volumes:
+      - mongo-data:/data/db
+    restart: always
+
+volumes:
+  mongo-data:
diff --git a/nginx.conf b/nginx.conf
index 507bd5c..825bde7 100644
--- a/nginx.conf
+++ b/nginx.conf
@@ -1,35 +1,49 @@
 events {}
 
 http {
+    # Docker's built-in DNS. With the upstreams below held in variables,
+    # nginx re-resolves the service names at request time instead of caching
+    # the address from startup — so a recreated container (new IP) does not
+    # leave nginx proxying to a stale address (502).
+    resolver 127.0.0.11 valid=10s ipv6=off;
+
+    # "Connection: upgrade" only for real upgrade requests, not every one.
+    map $http_upgrade $connection_upgrade {
+        default upgrade;
+        ''      close;
+    }
+
     server {
         listen 80;
         server_name _;
 
         # Api Requests
         location /api/ {
-            proxy_pass http://backend:5000;
-            
+            set $api_upstream http://backend:5000;
+            proxy_pass $api_upstream;
+
             proxy_http_version 1.1;
             proxy_set_header Host $host;
             proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
             proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
             proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
             proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
-            proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
+            proxy_set_header Connection $connection_upgrade;
         }
 
         # Normal requests
         location / {
-            proxy_pass http://frontend:3000;
-            
+            set $frontend_upstream http://frontend:3000;
+            proxy_pass $frontend_upstream;
+
             proxy_http_version 1.1;
             proxy_set_header Host $host;
             proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
             proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
             proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
             proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
-            proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
+            proxy_set_header Connection $connection_upgrade;
         }
-        
+
     }
 }