diff --git a/.github/workflows/dockerhub.yml b/.github/workflows/dockerhub.yml
index 49c45655..4ab7a210 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dockerhub.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dockerhub.yml
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ jobs:
           push: true
           build-args: |
             APP_ENV=${{ env.VERSION == 'dev' && 'local' || 'production' }}
+            COMPOSER_FLAGS=${{ env.VERSION == 'dev' && '--optimize-autoloader --no-interaction' || '--no-dev --optimize-autoloader --no-interaction' }}
           tags: ${{ env.API_TAGS }}
           cache-from: type=registry,ref=${{secrets.DOCKER_API_REPO}}:dev
           cache-to: type=inline
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d1e4937c..17c70e98 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ For a complete list of features and detailed documentation, visit our [Technical
 
 The easiest way to get started with OpnForm is through our [official managed service in the Cloud](https://opnform.com/).
 
-For self-hosted installations, please refer to our [Deployment Guides](https://docs.opnform.com/deployment). For detailed instructions on setting up a local environment, check out our [Local Deployment Documentation](https://docs.opnform.com/deployment/local-deployment).
+For self-hosted installations, please refer to our [Deployment Guides](https://docs.opnform.com/deployment). For local development, we provide a minimal Docker-based setup - check out our [Docker Development Guide](https://docs.opnform.com/deployment/docker-development).
 
 ## Support & Community
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.dev.yml b/docker-compose.dev.yml
index 1c173ec0..36084769 100644
--- a/docker-compose.dev.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.dev.yml
@@ -1,27 +1,33 @@
+version: "3.8"
+
 services:
-  api: &api-base
+  api:
     image: jhumanj/opnform-api:dev
     container_name: opnform-api
     build:
       context: .
       dockerfile: docker/Dockerfile.api
       args:
-        - APP_ENV=local
-    volumes: &api-base-volumes
+        APP_ENV: local
+        COMPOSER_FLAGS: ""
+    volumes:
       - ./api:/usr/share/nginx/html:delegated
       - /usr/share/nginx/html/vendor # Exclude vendor directory from the mount
       - ./api/storage:/usr/share/nginx/html/storage:delegated
-    environment: &api-base-env
+    environment:
       APP_ENV: local
-      APP_DEV_CORS: "true"
-      IS_API_WORKER: "false"
+      APP_DEBUG: true
+      APP_DEV_CORS: true
       # Database settings
       DB_HOST: db
-      REDIS_HOST: redis
       DB_DATABASE: ${DB_DATABASE:-forge}
       DB_USERNAME: ${DB_USERNAME:-forge}
       DB_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD:-forge}
       DB_CONNECTION: ${DB_CONNECTION:-pgsql}
+      # Override production settings for minimal setup
+      CACHE_DRIVER: file
+      SESSION_DRIVER: file
+      QUEUE_CONNECTION: sync
       # Storage settings
       FILESYSTEM_DISK: local
       LOCAL_FILESYSTEM_VISIBILITY: public
@@ -34,33 +40,6 @@ services:
     depends_on:
       db:
         condition: service_healthy
-      redis:
-        condition: service_started
-
-  api-worker:
-    <<: *api-base
-    container_name: opnform-api-worker
-    command: ["php", "artisan", "queue:work"]
-    volumes: *api-base-volumes
-    environment:
-      <<: *api-base-env
-      APP_ENV: local
-      IS_API_WORKER: "true"
-
-  api-scheduler:
-    <<: *api-base
-    container_name: opnform-api-scheduler
-    command: ["php", "artisan", "schedule:work"]
-    volumes: *api-base-volumes
-    environment:
-      <<: *api-base-env
-      APP_ENV: local
-      IS_API_WORKER: "true"
-      AUTORUN_ENABLED: "false"
-      # Scheduler settings
-      CONTAINER_ROLE: scheduler
-      PHP_MEMORY_LIMIT: 512M
-      PHP_MAX_EXECUTION_TIME: 60
 
   ui:
     image: jhumanj/opnform-client:dev
@@ -91,6 +70,23 @@ services:
       - "3000:3000"      # Main dev server
       - "24678:24678"    # Vite HMR port
 
+  db:
+    image: postgres:16
+    container_name: opnform-db
+    environment:
+      POSTGRES_DB: ${DB_DATABASE:-forge}
+      POSTGRES_USER: ${DB_USERNAME:-forge}
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD:-forge}
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U ${DB_USERNAME:-forge}"]
+      interval: 5s
+      timeout: 5s
+      retries: 5
+    ports:
+      - "5432:5432"
+    volumes:
+      - postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+
   ingress:
     image: nginx:1
     container_name: opnform-ingress
@@ -105,4 +101,7 @@ services:
       api:
         condition: service_started
       ui:
-        condition: service_started 
\ No newline at end of file
+        condition: service_started
+
+volumes:
+  postgres-data: 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 55ffa7ef..8453a4ba 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@ services:
   api: &api-environment
     image: jhumanj/opnform-api:latest
     container_name: opnform-api
-    build:
+    build: &api-build
       context: .
       dockerfile: docker/Dockerfile.api
       args:
-        - APP_ENV=production
+        APP_ENV: production
+        COMPOSER_FLAGS: --no-dev
     volumes: &api-environment-volumes
       - ./api/storage:/usr/share/nginx/html/storage:rw
       - ./api/bootstrap/cache:/usr/share/nginx/html/bootstrap/cache:rw
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ services:
   api-worker:
     <<: *api-environment
     container_name: opnform-api-worker
+    build: *api-build
     command: ["php", "artisan", "queue:work"]
     volumes: *api-environment-volumes
     environment:
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ services:
   api-scheduler:
     <<: *api-environment
     container_name: opnform-api-scheduler
+    build: *api-build
     command: ["php", "artisan", "schedule:work"]
     volumes: *api-environment-volumes
     environment:
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.api b/docker/Dockerfile.api
index 039aa9fc..7a81cd13 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.api
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.api
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ RUN mkdir -p storage/framework/sessions \
 COPY api/composer.json api/composer.lock ./
 COPY api/app/helpers.php ./app/helpers.php
 
+# Default to production settings unless overridden during build
+ARG APP_ENV=production
+ARG COMPOSER_FLAGS=--no-dev --optimize-autoloader --no-interaction
+
 # Install dependencies without running scripts
-RUN if [ "$APP_ENV" = "production" ] ; then \
-    composer install --no-dev --no-scripts --ignore-platform-req=php --optimize-autoloader ; \
-    else \
-    composer install --no-scripts --ignore-platform-req=php --optimize-autoloader ; \
-    fi
+RUN composer install ${COMPOSER_FLAGS} --no-scripts --ignore-platform-req=php
 
 # Copy the rest of the application
 COPY api/ .
diff --git a/docs/deployment/docker-development.mdx b/docs/deployment/docker-development.mdx
index bff6f4ef..bb473d60 100644
--- a/docs/deployment/docker-development.mdx
+++ b/docs/deployment/docker-development.mdx
@@ -9,16 +9,7 @@ import CloudVersion from "/snippets/cloud-version.mdx";
 
 ## Overview
 
-OpnForm provides a Docker-based development environment that offers:
-- Hot Module Replacement (HMR) for real-time frontend updates
-- Vue DevTools integration for debugging
-- PHP hot reload for backend changes
-- Xdebug support for PHP debugging
-- Automatic dependency management
-- PostgreSQL database and Redis setup
-- Nginx reverse proxy configuration
-
-For details about the Docker architecture and components, see our [Docker Deployment](/deployment/docker) guide.
+OpnForm provides a minimal Docker-based development environment optimized for local development. While the full architecture is detailed in our [Docker Deployment](/deployment/docker) guide, the development setup is intentionally lighter and focused on developer experience.
 
 ## Prerequisites
 
@@ -61,32 +52,43 @@ You will be prompted to change your email and password after your first login.
 
 <Note>Public registration is disabled in the self-hosted version. Use the admin account to invite additional users.</Note>
 
-## Development Features
+## Architecture
 
-### Frontend Development
+While the full architecture is detailed in our [Docker Deployment](/deployment/docker) guide, the development setup is intentionally lighter and focused on developer experience.
 
-The development setup includes advanced frontend features:
+### Differences from Production
+
+- **No Redis**: Uses file-based caching and sessions instead
+  - Simpler setup
+  - No additional service to maintain
+  - Slightly slower but sufficient for development
+
+- **No Queue Workers**: Uses synchronous job processing
+  - Jobs run immediately in the main process
+  - Easier debugging of background tasks
+  - No need to restart workers after code changes
+
+- **No Scheduler**: Scheduled tasks don't run automatically
+  - Run scheduled tasks manually when needed
+  - Less resource usage
+  - Cleaner logs
+
+### Development Features
+
+The development setup includes:
+
+#### Frontend Development
 - **Hot Module Replacement (HMR)**: Changes to Vue components and styles are instantly reflected without page reload
 - **Vue DevTools**: Full integration for component inspection and state management debugging ([learn more](https://devtools.vuejs.org/))
 - **Source Maps**: Enabled for easier debugging
 - **Fast Refresh**: Preserves component state during updates
 - **Error Overlay**: Displays errors directly in the browser
 
-### Backend Development
-
-The Laravel API service provides:
+#### Backend Development
 - **PHP Hot Reload**: Changes to PHP files are immediately available
 - **Xdebug Integration**: Ready for step-by-step debugging
-- **Laravel Telescope**: Available for request and queue monitoring
 - **Artisan Commands**: Direct access to Laravel's CLI tools
 
-<Note>
-Queue workers require restart after code changes:
-```bash
-docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml restart api-worker
-```
-</Note>
-
 ### Development URLs
 
 - **Frontend**: http://localhost:3000
@@ -120,13 +122,13 @@ To run commands in the containers:
 
 ```bash
 # Laravel Artisan commands
-docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec api php artisan [command]
+docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec api php artisan [command]
 
 # NPM commands
-docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec ui npm [command]
+docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec ui npm [command]
 
 # Database commands
-docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec db psql -U forge
+docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec db psql -U forge
 ```
 
 ### Accessing Logs
@@ -135,10 +137,10 @@ View container logs:
 
 ```bash
 # All containers
-docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml logs -f
+docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml logs -f
 
 # Specific container (e.g., frontend)
-docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml logs -f ui
+docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml logs -f ui
 ```
 
 ### Database Access
@@ -168,10 +170,10 @@ If containers aren't starting properly:
 If you encounter permission issues:
 ```bash
 # Fix storage permissions
-docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec api chmod -R 775 storage
+docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec api chmod -R 775 storage
 
 # Fix vendor permissions
-docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec api chmod -R 775 vendor
+docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml exec api chmod -R 775 vendor
 ```
 
 ### HMR Issues
@@ -180,5 +182,5 @@ If hot reload isn't working:
 2. Ensure ports 3000 and 24678 are available
 3. Try restarting the UI container:
    ```bash
-   docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml restart ui
+   docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml restart ui
    ```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/docker-setup.sh b/scripts/docker-setup.sh
index dfb6ee42..1f3b765f 100755
--- a/scripts/docker-setup.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker-setup.sh
@@ -42,16 +42,18 @@ echo -e "${BLUE}Starting OpnForm Docker setup...${NC}"
 echo -e "${GREEN}Setting up environment files...${NC}"
 bash "$SCRIPT_DIR/setup-env.sh" --docker
 
-# Determine which compose files to use
-COMPOSE_FILES="-f docker-compose.yml"
+# Determine which compose file to use
 if [ "$DEV_MODE" = true ]; then
-    echo -e "${YELLOW}Development mode enabled - using docker-compose.dev.yml${NC}"
-    COMPOSE_FILES="$COMPOSE_FILES -f docker-compose.dev.yml"
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}Development mode enabled - using minimal setup with docker-compose.dev.yml${NC}"
+    COMPOSE_FILE="docker-compose.dev.yml"
+else
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}Production mode - using docker-compose.yml${NC}"
+    COMPOSE_FILE="docker-compose.yml"
 fi
 
 # Start Docker containers
 echo -e "${GREEN}Starting Docker containers...${NC}"
-docker compose $COMPOSE_FILES up -d
+docker compose -f $COMPOSE_FILE up -d
 
 # Display access instructions
 if [ "$DEV_MODE" = true ]; then