diff --git a/docker-compose.prod.yml b/docker-compose.prod.yml
index 1426e4b3a..c51d79ee9 100644
--- a/docker-compose.prod.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.prod.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ services:
     restart: unless-stopped
     environment:
       POSTGRES_USER: ${DB_USER:-veza}
-      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASS:-password}
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASS:?DB_PASS must be set for production}
       POSTGRES_DB: ${DB_NAME:-veza}
     volumes:
       - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ services:
     restart: unless-stopped
     environment:
       RABBITMQ_DEFAULT_USER: ${DB_USER:-veza}
-      RABBITMQ_DEFAULT_PASS: ${DB_PASS:-password}
+      RABBITMQ_DEFAULT_PASS: ${RABBITMQ_PASS:?RABBITMQ_PASS must be set for production}
     volumes:
       - rabbitmq_data:/var/lib/rabbitmq
     healthcheck:
@@ -80,10 +80,10 @@ services:
     restart: unless-stopped
     environment:
       - APP_ENV=production
-      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://${DB_USER:-veza}:${DB_PASS:-password}@postgres:5432/${DB_NAME:-veza}?sslmode=disable
+      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://${DB_USER:-veza}:${DB_PASS:?DB_PASS must be set}@postgres:5432/${DB_NAME:-veza}?sslmode=require
       - REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
-      - AMQP_URL=amqp://${DB_USER:-veza}:${DB_PASS:-password}@rabbitmq:5672
-      - JWT_SECRET=${JWT_SECRET:-change-me-in-production-minimum-32-characters}
+      - AMQP_URL=amqp://${DB_USER:-veza}:${RABBITMQ_PASS:?RABBITMQ_PASS must be set}@rabbitmq:5672
+      - JWT_SECRET=${JWT_SECRET:?JWT_SECRET must be set for production}
       - COOKIE_SECURE=true
       - COOKIE_SAME_SITE=strict
       - COOKIE_HTTP_ONLY=true
@@ -111,9 +111,9 @@ services:
     container_name: veza_chat_server
     restart: unless-stopped
     environment:
-      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://${DB_USER:-veza}:${DB_PASS:-password}@postgres:5432/${DB_NAME:-veza}?sslmode=disable
+      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://${DB_USER:-veza}:${DB_PASS:?DB_PASS must be set}@postgres:5432/${DB_NAME:-veza}?sslmode=require
       - REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
-      - JWT_SECRET=${JWT_SECRET:-change-me-in-production-minimum-32-characters}
+      - JWT_SECRET=${JWT_SECRET:?JWT_SECRET must be set for production}
       - PORT=3000
     depends_on:
       postgres:
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ services:
     container_name: veza_stream_server
     restart: unless-stopped
     environment:
-      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://${DB_USER:-veza}:${DB_PASS:-password}@postgres:5432/${DB_NAME:-veza}?sslmode=disable
+      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://${DB_USER:-veza}:${DB_PASS:?DB_PASS must be set}@postgres:5432/${DB_NAME:-veza}?sslmode=require
       - REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
       - PORT=3001
     depends_on:
diff --git a/docker-compose.staging.yml b/docker-compose.staging.yml
index bc1f3b5cd..785b5ccfb 100644
--- a/docker-compose.staging.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.staging.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ services:
     restart: unless-stopped
     environment:
       POSTGRES_USER: veza
-      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${STAGING_DB_PASSWORD:-staging_password}
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${STAGING_DB_PASSWORD:?STAGING_DB_PASSWORD must be set}
       POSTGRES_DB: veza_staging
     volumes:
       - postgres_staging_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ services:
     restart: unless-stopped
     environment:
       RABBITMQ_DEFAULT_USER: veza
-      RABBITMQ_DEFAULT_PASS: ${STAGING_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD:-staging_password}
+      RABBITMQ_DEFAULT_PASS: ${STAGING_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD:?STAGING_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD must be set}
     volumes:
       - rabbitmq_staging_data:/var/lib/rabbitmq
     healthcheck:
@@ -56,11 +56,11 @@ services:
       - DB_HOST=postgres
       - DB_PORT=5432
       - DB_USER=veza
-      - DB_PASSWORD=${STAGING_DB_PASSWORD:-staging_password}
+      - DB_PASSWORD=${STAGING_DB_PASSWORD:?STAGING_DB_PASSWORD must be set}
       - DB_NAME=veza_staging
-      - DATABASE_URL=postgresql://veza:${STAGING_DB_PASSWORD:-staging_password}@postgres:5432/veza_staging
+      - DATABASE_URL=postgresql://veza:${STAGING_DB_PASSWORD:?STAGING_DB_PASSWORD must be set}@postgres:5432/veza_staging?sslmode=require
       - REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
-      - RABBITMQ_URL=amqp://veza:${STAGING_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD:-staging_password}@rabbitmq:5672/%2f
+      - RABBITMQ_URL=amqp://veza:${STAGING_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD:?STAGING_RABBITMQ_PASSWORD must be set}@rabbitmq:5672/%2f
       - JWT_SECRET=${STAGING_JWT_SECRET}
       - ENABLE_CLAMAV=false
       - LOG_DIR=/var/log/veza