diff --git a/.deploy/docker-compose.yml b/.deploy/docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ba3624
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.deploy/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+version: "3.9"
+services:
+    app:
+        image: ghcr.io/${IMAGE_REPO}:${RELEASE_VERSION} 
+        restart: always                               
+        ports:                                         
+            - "8080"                                     
+        container_name: ${APP_NAME}_app                
+        environment:                                    
+            VIRTUAL_HOST: ${HOST_DOMAIN}
+            VIRTUAL_PORT: 8080 # New default ASP.NET port -> https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/compatibility/containers/8.0/aspnet-port
+            LETSENCRYPT_HOST: ${HOST_DOMAIN}           
+            LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL: ${LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL}    
+        volumes:
+            - app-mydb:/app/App_Data  
+
+    app-migration:
+        image: ghcr.io/${IMAGE_REPO}:${RELEASE_VERSION} 
+        restart: "no"                                  
+        container_name: ${APP_NAME}_app_migration       
+        profiles:                                      
+            - migration                                
+        command: --AppTasks=migrate                     
+        volumes:
+            - app-mydb:/app/App_Data  
+
+networks:
+  default:
+    external: true                                     
+    name: nginx                                        
+
+volumes:
+    app-mydb:                                          
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 53d2c68..30df8c6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -143,7 +143,6 @@ jobs:
           echo "IMAGE_REPO=${{ env.image_repository_name }}" >> .env
           echo "RELEASE_VERSION=${{ env.TAG_NAME }}" >> .env
 
-      # Copy only the docker-compose.yml to remote server home folder
       - name: copy files to target server via scp
         uses: appleboy/scp-action@v0.1.3
         with:
@@ -151,7 +150,8 @@ jobs:
           username: ${{ secrets.DEPLOY_USERNAME }}
           port: 22
           key: ${{ secrets.DEPLOY_KEY }}
-          source: "./docker-compose.yml,./docker-compose.prod.yml,./.env"
+          strip_components: 2
+          source: "./.deploy/docker-compose.yml,./.deploy/.env"
           target: "~/.deploy/${{ github.event.repository.name }}/"
 
       - name: Run remote db migrations
@@ -168,8 +168,8 @@ jobs:
           script: |
             echo $APPTOKEN | docker login ghcr.io -u $USERNAME --password-stdin
             cd ~/.deploy/${{ github.event.repository.name }}
-            docker compose -f ./docker-compose.yml -f ./docker-compose.prod.yml pull
-            docker compose -f ./docker-compose.yml -f ./docker-compose.prod.yml up app-migration
+            docker compose pull
+            docker compose up app-migration
 
       # Deploy Docker image with your application using `docker compose up` remotely
       - name: remote docker-compose up via ssh
@@ -186,5 +186,5 @@ jobs:
           script: |
             echo $APPTOKEN | docker login ghcr.io -u $USERNAME --password-stdin
             cd ~/.deploy/${{ github.event.repository.name }}
-            docker compose -f ./docker-compose.yml -f ./docker-compose.prod.yml pull
-            docker compose -f ./docker-compose.yml -f ./docker-compose.prod.yml up app -d
+            docker compose pull
+            docker compose up app -d