diff --git a/Taskfile.backend.yml b/Taskfile.backend.yml
index 2075f63..155342b 100644
--- a/Taskfile.backend.yml
+++ b/Taskfile.backend.yml
@@ -46,8 +46,10 @@ tasks:
   start:
     desc: "Starts the backend application."
     deps: [docker-build]
-    cmd: docker run -d -p 8000:8000 --name {{ .APP_CONTAINER_NAME }} {{ .CLI_ARGS }} --add-host docker.host.internal:host-gateway --env-file ../../backend.env rotini:dev
-    dir: backend/rotini
+    env:
+      APP_CONTAINER_NAME: "{{ .APP_CONTAINER_NAME }}"
+    cmd: . script/start.sh
+    dir: backend
   stop:
     desc: "Stops the backend application."
     cmd: docker rm -f {{ .APP_CONTAINER_NAME }}
diff --git a/backend-test.env b/backend-test.env
index 157ab3b..3eccfae 100644
--- a/backend-test.env
+++ b/backend-test.env
@@ -1,2 +1,7 @@
 DJANGO_SECRET_KEY="notakey"
 JWT_SIGNING_SECRET="notasecret"
+DB_HOST="rotini_db"
+DB_USER="postgres"
+DB_PASSWORD="postgres"
+DB_PORT=5432
+DB_NAME="postgres"
diff --git a/backend/rotini/base/settings.py b/backend/rotini/base/settings.py
index 1793cce..027514b 100644
--- a/backend/rotini/base/settings.py
+++ b/backend/rotini/base/settings.py
@@ -64,11 +64,11 @@ WSGI_APPLICATION = "base.wsgi.application"
 DATABASES = {
     "default": {
         "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2",
-        "NAME": "postgres",
-        "USER": "postgres",
-        "PASSWORD": "test",
-        "HOST": "docker.host.internal",
-        "PORT": "5432",
+        "NAME": os.environ["DB_NAME"],
+        "USER": os.environ["DB_USER"],
+        "PASSWORD": os.environ["DB_PASSWORD"],
+        "HOST": os.environ["DB_HOST"],
+        "PORT": os.environ["DB_PORT"],
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/script/start.sh b/backend/script/start.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8efa385
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/script/start.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+docker run \
+    --detach \
+    --publish 8000:8000 \
+    --name $APP_CONTAINER_NAME \
+    --env-file ../backend.env \
+    rotini:dev