diff --git a/backend/config_prod.json b/backend/config_prod.json
index 77e4269..7ce6819 100644
--- a/backend/config_prod.json
+++ b/backend/config_prod.json
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 {
     "ssl_cert_path": "/app/backend/ssl/mx-aare-test.psi.ch.pem",
     "ssl_key_path": "/app/backend/ssl/mx-aare-test.psi.ch.key",
-    "OPENAPI_URL": "https://backend:8000/openapi.json",
+    "PORT": 1492,
+    "OPENAPI_URL": "https://backend:1492/openapi.json",
     "SCHEMA_PATH": "/app/src/openapi.json",
     "OUTPUT_DIRECTORY": "/app/openapi",
-    "PORT": 8000,
     "SSL_KEY_PATH": "/app/backend/ssl/mx-aare-test.psi.ch.key",
     "SSL_CERT_PATH": "/app/backend/ssl/mx-aare-test.psi.ch.pem"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/main.py b/backend/main.py
index fbe6c72..7c80506 100644
--- a/backend/main.py
+++ b/backend/main.py
@@ -50,21 +50,26 @@ def get_project_metadata():
     )
 
 
-def run_server():
+def run_server(config, cert_path, key_path):
     import uvicorn
 
+    environment = os.getenv(
+        "ENVIRONMENT", "dev"
+    )  # needs to be set explicitly here if not globally available
+
     print(f"[INFO] Starting server in {environment} environment...")
     print(f"[INFO] SSL Certificate Path: {cert_path}")
     print(f"[INFO] SSL Key Path: {key_path}")
-    port = config.get("PORT", os.getenv("PORT"))
+    port = config.get("PORT")
     if not port:
         print("[ERROR] No port defined in config or environment variables. Aborting!")
         sys.exit(1)  # Exit if no port is defined
     port = int(port)
     print(f"[INFO] Running on port {port}")
+
     uvicorn.run(
         app,
-        host="0.0.0.0" if environment in ["dev", "test"] else "0.0.0.0",
+        host="0.0.0.0",
         port=port,
         log_level="debug",
         ssl_keyfile=key_path,
@@ -214,6 +219,9 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     # Load environment variables from .env file
     load_dotenv()
 
+    environment = os.getenv("ENVIRONMENT", "dev")
+    config_file = Path(__file__).resolve().parent / f"config_{environment}.json"
+
     # Check if `generate-openapi` option is passed
     if len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1] == "generate-openapi":
         from fastapi.openapi.utils import get_openapi
@@ -230,28 +238,42 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         print("openapi.json generated successfully.")
         sys.exit(0)  # Exit after generating the file
 
-    # Default behavior: Run the server based on the environment
-    environment = os.getenv("ENVIRONMENT", "dev")
-    port = int(os.getenv("PORT", 8000))
+    # Explicitly load the configuration file
+    with open(config_file, "r") as f:
+        config = json.load(f)
+
+    # Explicitly obtain SSL paths from config
+    if environment in ["test", "dev"]:
+        cert_path = config.get("ssl_cert_path", "ssl/cert.pem")
+        key_path = config.get("ssl_key_path", "ssl/key.pem")
+    elif environment == "prod":
+        cert_path = config.get("SSL_CERT_PATH")
+        key_path = config.get("SSL_KEY_PATH")
+        if not cert_path or not key_path:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "SSL_CERT_PATH and SSL_KEY_PATH must be explicitly"
+                "set in config_prod.json for production."
+            )
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"Unknown environment: {environment}")
+
     is_ci = os.getenv("CI", "false").lower() == "true"
 
+    # Handle certificates for dev/test if not available
+    ssl_dir = Path(cert_path).parent
+    ssl_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    if environment in ["dev", "test"] and (
+        not Path(cert_path).exists() or not Path(key_path).exists()
+    ):
+        print(f"[INFO] Generating SSL certificates at {ssl_dir}")
+        ssl_heidi.generate_self_signed_cert(cert_path, key_path)
+
     if is_ci or environment == "test":
-        # Test or CI Mode: Run server process temporarily for test validation
-        ssl_dir = Path(cert_path).parent
-        ssl_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-
-        # Generate self-signed certs if missing
-        if not Path(cert_path).exists() or not Path(key_path).exists():
-            print(f"[INFO] Generating self-signed SSL certificates at {ssl_dir}")
-            ssl_heidi.generate_self_signed_cert(cert_path, key_path)
-
-        # Start the server as a subprocess, wait, then terminate
-        server_process = Process(target=run_server)
+        server_process = Process(target=run_server, args=(config, cert_path, key_path))
         server_process.start()
-        sleep(5)  # Wait for 5 seconds to verify the server is running
-        server_process.terminate()  # Terminate the server process (for CI)
-        server_process.join()  # Ensure proper cleanup
-        print("CI: Server started and terminated successfully for test validation.")
+        sleep(5)
+        server_process.terminate()
+        server_process.join()
+        print("CI/Test environment: Server started and terminated successfully.")
     else:
-        # Dev or Prod: Start the server as usual
-        run_server()
+        run_server(config, cert_path, key_path)
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 12e25a3..4c1a4f2 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ services:
       dockerfile: backend/Dockerfile
 
     ports:
-      - "8000:8000"  # Map container port 8000 to host
+      - "${PORT}:${PORT}"  # Map container port 8000 to host
     volumes:
       - ./backend:/app/backend  # Map backend directory to /app/backend
       - ./app:/app/app          # Map app directory to /app/app
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ services:
       DB_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
       DB_HOST: postgres
       DB_NAME: ${DB_NAME}
+      PORT: ${PORT}
 
   postgres: # ⬅️ New service (our PostgreSQL database)
     image: postgres:16