diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 26cac178b5..b69f688226 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ compose-run-database:
 	@ echo
 	@ docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml -f database-compose.yml up --build
 
-docker-build: docker-build-backend docker-build-frontend docker-build-database
+docker-build: docker-build-backend docker-build-frontend docker-build-database docker-build-rabbitmq
 
 docker-build-backend:
 	@ docker build -t augurlabs/augur:backend -f util/docker/backend/Dockerfile .
@@ -159,6 +159,8 @@ docker-build-frontend:
 docker-build-database:
 	@ docker build -t augurlabs/augur:database -f util/docker/database/Dockerfile .
 
+docker-build-rabbitmq:
+	@ docker build -t augurlabs/augur:rabbitmq -f util/docker/rabbitmq/Dockerfile .
 
 docker-run-backend:
 	@ - docker stop augur_backend
@@ -174,3 +176,8 @@ docker-run-database:
 	@ - docker stop augur_database
 	@ - docker rm augur_database
 	docker run -p 5434:5432 --name augur_database augurlabs/augur:database
+
+docker-run-rabbitmq:
+	@ - docker stop augur_rabbitmq
+	@ - docker rm augur_rabbitmq
+	docker run -p 5434:5432 --name augur_rabbitmq augurlabs/augur:rabbitmq
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-compose-externalDB.yml b/docker-compose-externalDB.yml
index 2fb4016d60..dedcf1089e 100644
--- a/docker-compose-externalDB.yml
+++ b/docker-compose-externalDB.yml
@@ -9,14 +9,17 @@ services:
   rabbitmq:
   image: augur-rabbitmq
   build:
-    context: ./docker/rabbitmq/
-    dockerfile: ./docker/rabbitmq/
+    context: .
+    dockerfile: ./docker/rabbitmq/Dockerfile
   # ports for amqp connections / management api
   ports:
-  - 5671:5671
-  - 5672:5672
-  - 15671:15671
-  - 15672:15672
+    - 5671:5671
+    - 5672:5672
+    - 15671:15671
+    - 15672:15672
+  environment:
+    - "RABBIT_MQ_DEFAULT_USER=${AUGUR_RABBITMQ_USERNAME:-augur}"
+    - "RABBIT_MQ_DEFAULT_PASSWORD=${AUGUR_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD:-password123}"
 
   augur:
     image: augurlabs/augur-new:latest
@@ -38,7 +41,7 @@ services:
       - "AUGUR_GITHUB_USERNAME=${AUGUR_GITHUB_USERNAME}"
       - "AUGUR_GITLAB_USERNAME=${AUGUR_GITLAB_USERNAME}"
       - REDIS_CONN_STRING=redis://redis:6379
-      - RABBITMQ_CONN_STRING=amqp://augur:password123@rabbitmq:5672/augur_vhost
+      - RABBITMQ_CONN_STRING=amqp://${AUGUR_RABBITMQ_USERNAME:-augur}:${AUGUR_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD:-password123}@rabbitmq:5672/augur_vhost
     depends_on:
       - redis
   
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 4abea682be..2d86a52046 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -22,13 +22,17 @@ services:
   rabbitmq:
     image: augur-rabbitmq
     build:
-      context: ./docker/rabbitmq/
+      context: .
+      dockerfile: ./docker/rabbitmq/Dockerfile
     # ports for amqp connections / management api
     ports:
-    - 5671:5671
-    - 5672:5672
-    - 15671:15671
-    - 15672:15672
+      - 5671:5671
+      - 5672:5672
+      - 15671:15671
+      - 15672:15672
+    environment:
+      - "RABBIT_MQ_DEFAULT_USER=${AUGUR_RABBITMQ_USERNAME:-augur}"
+      - "RABBIT_MQ_DEFAULT_PASSWORD=${AUGUR_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD:-password123}"
 
   augur:
     image: augur-new:latest
@@ -50,7 +54,7 @@ services:
       - "AUGUR_GITHUB_USERNAME=${AUGUR_GITHUB_USERNAME}"
       - "AUGUR_GITLAB_USERNAME=${AUGUR_GITLAB_USERNAME}"
       - REDIS_CONN_STRING=redis://redis:6379
-      - RABBITMQ_CONN_STRING=amqp://augur:password123@rabbitmq:5672/augur_vhost
+      - RABBITMQ_CONN_STRING=amqp://${AUGUR_RABBITMQ_USERNAME:-augur}:${AUGUR_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD:-password123}@rabbitmq:5672/augur_vhost
     depends_on:
       - augur-db
       - redis
diff --git a/docker/rabbitmq/Dockerfile b/docker/rabbitmq/Dockerfile
index 06a13a24f9..cef51f28be 100644
--- a/docker/rabbitmq/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/rabbitmq/Dockerfile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ FROM rabbitmq:3.12-management-alpine
 LABEL maintainer="574/augur@simplelogin.com"
 LABEL version="0.62.0"
 
-COPY --chown=rabbitmq:rabbitmq augur.conf /etc/rabbitmq/conf.d/
+COPY --chown=rabbitmq:rabbitmq ./docker/rabbitmq/augur.conf /etc/rabbitmq/conf.d/
 
 RUN chmod 777 /etc/rabbitmq/conf.d/augur.conf
 
diff --git a/docker/rabbitmq/augur.conf b/docker/rabbitmq/augur.conf
index 93c036426f..d4de989deb 100644
--- a/docker/rabbitmq/augur.conf
+++ b/docker/rabbitmq/augur.conf
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 default_vhost = augur_vhost
-default_user = augur
-default_pass = password123
 
 default_permissions.configure = .*
 default_permissions.read = .*
diff --git a/scripts/docker/docker-setup-database.sh b/scripts/docker/docker-setup-database.sh
index a3eed32638..62c7aaf176 100755
--- a/scripts/docker/docker-setup-database.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker/docker-setup-database.sh
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ echo "AUGUR_DB_NAME=augur" >> docker_env.txt
 echo "AUGUR_DB_PORT=5434" >> docker_env.txt
 echo "AUGUR_DB_USER=augur" >> docker_env.txt
 echo "AUGUR_DB_PASSWORD=augur" >> docker_env.txt
+echo "AUGUR_RABBITMQ_USERNAME=augur" >> .env
+echo "AUGUR_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD=password123" >> .env
+
 
 #This checks the .env file's environment variables NOT docker_env.txt.
 #AUGUR_DB_TYPE is set by the parent script in the .env file.
diff --git a/scripts/docker/docker-setup-external.sh b/scripts/docker/docker-setup-external.sh
index db6c910c6f..8454382f75 100755
--- a/scripts/docker/docker-setup-external.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker/docker-setup-external.sh
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ then
   echo "AUGUR_DB_HOST=$dbHostname" >> docker_env.txt
   echo "AUGUR_DB_HOST=$dbHostname" >> .env
   echo "AUGUR_DB_PORT=$dbPort" >> docker_env.txt
+  echo "AUGUR_RABBITMQ_USERNAME=augur" >> .env
+  echo "AUGUR_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD=password123" >> .env
+
 
   read -p "Plase input database name: " dbName
   #Pretty sure these stay constant among augur databases