diff --git a/agents-api/docker-compose.yml b/agents-api/docker-compose.yml
index a7d6e6f34..d600fa7a4 100644
--- a/agents-api/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/agents-api/docker-compose.yml
@@ -8,11 +8,7 @@ include:
 services:
   agents-api:
     image: julepai/agents-api:dev
-    env_file:
-      - path: .env
-        required: false
-      - path: ../.env
-        required: false
+    env_file: "../.env"
 
     container_name: agents-api
     depends_on:
@@ -42,11 +38,7 @@ services:
 
   worker:
     image: julepai/worker:dev
-    env_file:
-      - path: .env
-        required: false
-      - path: ../.env
-        required: true
+    env_file: "../.env"
 
     build:
       context: .
@@ -91,11 +83,7 @@ services:
   temporal:
     image: julepai/temporal:dev
     container_name: temporal
-    env_file:
-      - path: .env
-        required: false
-      - path: ../.env
-        required: true
+    env_file: "../.env"
 
     build:
       context: .
@@ -112,11 +100,7 @@ services:
 
   cozo-migrate:
     image: julepai/cozo-migrate:dev
-    env_file:
-      - path: .env
-        required: false
-      - path: ../.env
-        required: true
+    env_file: "../.env"
 
     container_name: cozo-migrate
     depends_on:
diff --git a/gateway/docker-compose.yml b/gateway/docker-compose.yml
index 5ceb1a994..9f03ac098 100644
--- a/gateway/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/gateway/docker-compose.yml
@@ -8,11 +8,7 @@ include:
 services:
   gateway:
     image: julepai/gateway:dev
-    env_file:
-      - path: .env
-        required: false
-      - path: ../.env
-        required: true
+    env_file: "../.env"
 
     environment:
       - GATEWAY_PORT=80
diff --git a/memory-store/docker-compose.yml b/memory-store/docker-compose.yml
index 57ab8cd88..ebe6cd7a9 100644
--- a/memory-store/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/memory-store/docker-compose.yml
@@ -4,11 +4,7 @@ version: "3"
 services:
   memory-store:
     image: julepai/memory-store:dev
-    env_file:
-      - path: .env
-        required: false
-      - path: ../.env
-        required: true
+    env_file: "../.env"
     environment:
       - COZO_AUTH_TOKEN=${COZO_AUTH_TOKEN}
       - COZO_PORT=${COZO_PORT}
diff --git a/model-serving/docker-compose.yml b/model-serving/docker-compose.yml
index 1b283ecff..2342c03e0 100644
--- a/model-serving/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/model-serving/docker-compose.yml
@@ -3,11 +3,8 @@ name: julep-model-serving
 services:
   model-serving:
     image: julepai/model-serving:dev
-    env_file:
-      - path: .env
-        required: false
-      - path: ../.env
-        required: true
+    env_file: "../.env"
+
     environment:
       - MODEL_API_KEY=${MODEL_API_KEY}
       - MODEL_API_KEY_HEADER_NAME=${MODEL_API_KEY_HEADER_NAME}