diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c1d0746..eade071 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 .vscode/settings.json
 **/.vscode
-*.yml
-*.yml-*
 !.travis.yml
-docker-compose.yml
+.travis/config.yml
 data/*
-Makefile-env
 .env
+*.env
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d1a3d74..bdd6662 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ KOPANO_ZPUSH_REPOSITORY_URL := http://repo.z-hub.io/z-push:/final/Debian_9.0/
 RELEASE_KEY_DOWNLOAD := 0
 DOWNLOAD_COMMUNITY_PACKAGES := 1
 
-COMPOSE_FILE := docker-compose.yml-example
+COMPOSE_FILE := docker-compose.yml
 -include .env
 export
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0bc7fd4..06db6ea 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ This repository contains an easy to replicate recipe to spin up a [Kopano](https
 
 The `docker-compose.yml` file by default pulls Docker containers from https://hub.docker.com/r/zokradonh/kopano_core/ and https://hub.docker.com/r/zokradonh/kopano_webapp/. These images are based on the [Kopano nightly builds](https://download.kopano.io/community/) and will contain the latest version available from the time the image was built.
 
+## Updating
+
+The used `docker-compose.yml` is part of the git versioning. Which mean all changes in this repository will also be applied to your local data once you pull in the latest version. If you need to configure additional env variables, this can now be done in the additional env files (more details further below, for example for `kopano_server` this file is called `kopano_server.env`). If you only want to run a subset of containers it is recommended to create a copy of `docker-compose.yml` and specify your copy when running. e.g. like ´docker-compose -f my-setup.yml up -d´.
+
 ## Is this project also interesting for me when I already have a (non-Docker) Kopano environment?
 
 Yes, indeed. You could for example use this to easily try out newer Kopano WebApp or Z-Push releases, without touching your production environment. Through the `zokradonh/kopano_core` image you could even try out newer version of e.g. `kopano-gateway` without jumping into a dependecy mess in your production environment.
@@ -30,7 +34,9 @@ And last but not least this project also offers a `zokradonh/kopano_utils` image
 
 ### Need to adjust any values after the initial run of `setup.sh`?
 
-If you want to modify some of the values from the `setup.sh` run you can simply edit `.env` in your favourite editor. Repeated runs of `setup.sh` will neither modify `docker-compose.yml` nor `.env`. In that file you will also find some given defaults like ldap query filters and the local ports for the reverse proxy.
+If you want to modify some of the values from the `setup.sh` run you can simply edit `.env` in your favourite editor. Repeated runs of `setup.sh` will neither modify `docker-compose.yml` nor `.env`. In the ´.env´ file you will also find some given defaults like ldap query filters and the local ports for the reverse proxy.
+
+Additionally a dedicated env file is created for each container (at least where that would make sense). The env file has the container name as part of the file name. For example for the `kopano_server` container the filename is `kopano_server.env`. These additional env files are auto created when running `setup.sh`
 
 ### How to use a newer version than the one available from the Docker Hub?
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml-example b/docker-compose.yml
similarity index 93%
rename from docker-compose.yml-example
rename to docker-compose.yml
index df1fa63..c9f1b8e 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml-example
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ services:
       - LDAP_ADMIN_PASSWORD=${LDAP_ADMIN_PASSWORD}
       - LDAP_READONLY_USER=true
       - LDAP_READONLY_USER_PASSWORD=${LDAP_READONLY_USER_PASSWORD}
+    env_file:
+      - ldap.env
     command: "--loglevel info --copy-service"
     volumes:
       - ldap:/var/lib/ldap
@@ -89,6 +91,8 @@ services:
       - PASSWORD_MIN_DIGIT=${SELF_SERVICE_PASSWORD_MIN_DIGIT}
       - PASSWORD_MIN_SPECIAL=${SELF_SERVICE_PASSWORD_MIN_SPECIAL}
       - PASSWORD_HASH=CRYPT
+    env_file:
+      - password-self-service.env
     expose:
       - "80"
     networks:
@@ -141,6 +145,8 @@ services:
       - ENABLE_POSTFIX_VIRTUAL_TRANSPORT=1
       - POSTFIX_DAGENT=lmtp:kopano_dagent:2003
       - REPORT_RECIPIENT=1
+    env_file:
+      - mail.env
     networks:
       - kopano-net
       - ldap-net
@@ -162,6 +168,8 @@ services:
       - MYSQL_USER=${MYSQL_USER}
       - MYSQL_PASSWORD=${MYSQL_PASSWORD}
       - MYSQL_DATABASE=${MYSQL_DATABASE}
+    env_file:
+      - db.env
     healthcheck:
       test: ["CMD-SHELL", 'mysql --database=$$MYSQL_DATABASE --password=$$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD --execute="SELECT count(table_name) > 0 FROM information_schema.tables;" --skip-column-names -B']
       interval: 30s
@@ -173,6 +181,8 @@ services:
   kopano_ssl:
     image: ${docker_repo:?err}/kopano_ssl
     container_name: kopano_ssl
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_ssl.env
     volumes:
       - kopanossl/:/kopano/ssl
 
@@ -215,6 +225,8 @@ services:
       - KCCONF_SERVER_KCOIDC_ISSUER_IDENTIFIER=https://${FQDN}
       - KCCONF_SERVER_KCOIDC_INSECURE_SKIP_VERIFY=${INSECURE}
       - KCCONF_SERVER_KCOIDC_INITIALIZE_TIMEOUT=360
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_server.env
     networks:
       - kopano-net
       - ldap-net
@@ -234,6 +246,8 @@ services:
     environment:
       - TZ=${TZ}
       - ADDITIONAL_KOPANO_WEBAPP_PLUGINS=${ADDITIONAL_KOPANO_WEBAPP_PLUGINS}
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_webapp.env
     networks:
       - web-net
       - kopano-net
@@ -248,6 +262,8 @@ services:
       - zpushstates/:/var/lib/z-push/
     environment:
       - TZ=${TZ}
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_zpush.env
     networks:
       - web-net
       - kopano-net
@@ -260,6 +276,8 @@ services:
     environment:
       - SERVICE_TO_START=grapi
       - TZ=${TZ}
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_grapi.env
     networks:
       - kopano-net
 
@@ -278,6 +296,8 @@ services:
       - KCCONF_KAPID_LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG
       - KCCONF_KAPID_OIDC_ISSUER_IDENTIFIER=https://${FQDN}
       - KCCONF_KAPID_INSECURE=${INSECURE}
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_kapi.env
     networks:
       - kopano-net
       - web-net
@@ -293,6 +313,8 @@ services:
       - TZ=${TZ}
       - KCCONF_DAGENT_LOG_LEVEL=3
       - KCCONF_DAGENT_SSLKEY_FILE=/kopano/ssl/kdagent.pem
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_dagent.env
     networks:
       - kopano-net
 
@@ -310,6 +332,8 @@ services:
       - KCCONF_SPOOLER_LOG_LEVEL=3
       - KCCONF_SPOOLER_SMTP_SERVER=mail
       - KCCONF_SPOOLER_SSLKEY_FILE=/kopano/ssl/kspooler.pem
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_spooler.env
     networks:
       - kopano-net
 
@@ -323,7 +347,9 @@ services:
       - SERVICE_TO_START=gateway
       - TZ=${TZ}
       - KCCONF_GATEWAY_SERVER_SOCKET=http://kopano_server:236/
-      - KCCONF_GATEWAY_LOG_LEVEL=6
+      - KCCONF_GATEWAY_LOG_LEVEL=3
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_gateway.env
     networks:
       - kopano-net
 
@@ -337,6 +363,8 @@ services:
       - SERVICE_TO_START=ical
       - TZ=${TZ}
       - KCCONF_ICAL_SERVER_SOCKET=http://kopano_server:236/
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_ical.env
     networks:
       - kopano-net
 
@@ -349,6 +377,8 @@ services:
     environment:
       - SERVICE_TO_START=monitor
       - TZ=${TZ}
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_monitor.env
     networks:
       - kopano-net
 
@@ -362,6 +392,8 @@ services:
     environment:
       - SERVICE_TO_START=search
       - TZ=${TZ}
+    env_file:
+      - kopano_search.env
     networks:
       - kopano-net
 
@@ -374,6 +406,8 @@ services:
      - kopanosocket/:/run/kopano
     environment:
      - FQDN=${FQDN}
+    env_file:
+     - kopano_konnect.env
     networks:
      - kopano-net
      - web-net
@@ -392,6 +426,8 @@ services:
     environment:
      - INSECURE=${INSECURE}
      - oidc_issuer_identifier=https://${FQDN}
+    env_file:
+     - kopano_kwmserver.env
     volumes:
      - kopanossl/:/kopano/ssl
     networks:
@@ -403,6 +439,8 @@ services:
     environment:
      - SERVICE_TO_START=meet
      - KCCONF_KWEBD_TLS=no
+    env_file:
+     - kopano_meet.env
     depends_on:
      - kopano_kapi
      - kopano_konnect
diff --git a/setup.sh b/setup.sh
index fee1753..d288ff9 100755
--- a/setup.sh
+++ b/setup.sh
@@ -10,11 +10,6 @@ random_string() {
 	hexdump -n 16 -v -e '/1 "%02X"' /dev/urandom
 }
 
-if [ ! -e ./docker-compose.yml ]; then
-	echo "copying example compose file"
-	cp docker-compose.yml-example docker-compose.yml
-fi
-
 LANG_OPTIONS=("de-at" "de-ch" "de-de" "en" "en-gb" "es" "fr" "it" "nl" "pl-pl")
 PLUGIN_OPTIONS=("contactfax" "desktopnotifications" "filepreviewer" "files" "filesbackend-smb" "filesbackend-owncloud" "folderwidgets" "gmaps" "intranet" "mattermost" "mdm" "pimfolder" "quickitems" "smime" "titlecounter" "webappmanual" "zdeveloper")
 
@@ -69,6 +64,11 @@ docker_tag_search () {
 	echo "$results" | xargs -n1 | sort -ru | xargs
 }
 
+echo "Creating individual env files for containers (if they do not exist already)"
+for dockerenv in ldap password-self-service mail db kopano_ssl kopano_server kopano_webapp kopano_zpush kopano_grapi kopano_kapi kopano_dagent kopano_spooler kopano_gateway kopano_ical kopano_monitor kopano_search kopano_konnect kopano_kwmserver kopano_meet; do
+	touch ./"$dockerenv".env
+done
+
 if [ ! -e ./.env ]; then
 	PRINT_SETUP_SUCCESS=""