diff --git a/compose.yml b/compose.yml
index c6c3d86c..4aee0936 100644
--- a/compose.yml
+++ b/compose.yml
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ services:
     container_name: phylum_server
     image: shroff12/phylum
     volumes:
-      - ${DATA_ROOT}/${STORAGE_LOCATION:-storage}:/app/storage
-      - ${DATA_ROOT}/${CONFIG_LOCATION:-config.yml}:/app/config.yml
+      - ${DATA_ROOT:-./data}/${STORAGE_LOCATION:-storage}:/app/storage
+      - ${DATA_ROOT:-./data}/${CONFIG_LOCATION:-config.yml}:/app/config.yml
     env_file:
       - .env
     environment:
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@ services:
     container_name: phylum_db
     image: docker.io/postgres:17
     environment:
-      POSTGRES_DB: ${PHYLUM_DB_NAME}
-      POSTGRES_USER: ${PHYLUM_DB_USER}
+      POSTGRES_DB: ${PHYLUM_DB_NAME:-phylum}
+      POSTGRES_USER: ${PHYLUM_DB_USER:-phylum}
       POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${PHYLUM_DB_PASSWORD}
     volumes:
-      - ${DATA_ROOT}/${PG_DATA_LOCATION:-postgres}:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+      - ${DATA_ROOT:-./data}/${PG_DATA_LOCATION:-postgres}:/var/lib/postgresql/data
     networks:
     ports:
       - '5432:5432'
diff --git a/example.env b/example.env
index 14e10530..5eb4e85b 100644
--- a/example.env
+++ b/example.env
@@ -1,26 +1,27 @@
-# The location where your uploaded files are stored
-DATA_ROOT=./data
+## Base path of container mounts
+# DATA_ROOT=./data
 
-# The location where your uploaded files are stored
+## Location of config file (relative to ${DATA_ROOT})
 # CONFIG_LOCATION=config.yml
 
-# The location where your uploaded files are stored
+## Location of uploaded content (relative to ${DATA_ROOT})
 # STORAGE_LOCATION=storage
 
-# The location where your database files are stored
+## Location of postgres data (relative to ${DATA_ROOT})
 # PG_DATA_LOCATION=postgres
 
-# PHYLUM_DEBUG=0
-
-# PHYLUM_SERVER_HOST=
-# PHYLUM_SERVER_PORT=2448
-# PHYLUM_SERVER_CORS_ENABLED=0
-# PHYLUM_SERVER_CORS_ORIGINS=http://localhost:5000,http://localhost:5001
-# PHYLUM_SERVER_LOGBODY=0
-# PHYLUM_SERVER_WEBAPPSRC=web
-# PHYLUM_SERVER_PUBLINKPATH=/pub
-# PHYLUM_SERVER_WEBDAVPATH=/webdav
 
+## Database config
 # PHYLUM_DB_NAME=phylum
 # PHYLUM_DB_USER=phylum
 PHYLUM_DB_PASSWORD=phylum
+
+
+# For a full list of configuration parameters see the config.defaults.yml at
+# https://codeberg.org/shroff/phylum/.
+#
+# You can also use PHYLUM_* environment variables substituting '_' for '.',
+# i.e. PHYLUM_SERVER_PORT to override server.port, but it is recommended to
+# do that using the config.yml file.
+#
+# Please note that environment variables take precedence over the config file.