diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 97dbfcb..9778eae 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 ---
 # defaults file for outline
 
+outline_secret_key: 'changeme'
+outline_utils_secret: 'changeme'
+
 
 outline_setup_path: '~/outline'
 
@@ -19,8 +22,35 @@ oidc_auth_uri:
 oidc_token_uri:
 oidc_userinfo_uri:
 
+# If the db_host is not "postgres", then we assume the
+# db is external and not spin up the docker container
+outline_db_schema: "postgres"
+outline_db_host: "postgres"
+outlinr_db_port: "5432"
 outline_db_user: "postgres"
 outline_db_password: "changeme"
 outline_db: "outline"
 
+# Spin up the fake S3 only if "fake_s3" is true
+outline_fake_s3: true
+outline_fake_s3_port:
+outline_aws_access_key_id:
+outline_aws_secret_access_key:
+outline_aws_region:
+outline_aws_s3_upload_bucket_url: "http://s3:4569"
+outline_aws_s3_upload_bucket_name: outline-bucket
+outline_aws_s3_upload_max_size: "26214400"
+outline_aws_s3_force_path_style: "true"
+outline_aws_s3_acl: "private"
+
+outline_smtp_host:
+outline_smtp_port:
+outline_smtp_username:
+outline_smtp_password:
+outline_smtp_from_email:
+outline_smtp_reply_email:
+
+outline_team_logo_url:
+
+outline_language: 'en_US'
 
diff --git a/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2 b/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2
index 5430742..e4bc061 100644
--- a/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2
+++ b/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ services:
       - /etc/timezone:/etc/timezone:ro
       - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
 
+{% if outline_db_schema == 'postgres' and outline_db_host == 'postgres' %}
   postgres:
     image: docker.io/library/postgres:12-alpine
     env_file:
@@ -36,8 +37,11 @@ services:
 {% endif %}
     volumes:
       - {{ outline_volume_db }}:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+{% else %}
+  # External database at "{{ outline_db_schema }}:{{ outline_db_host }}: {{ outline_db_port }}"
+{% endif %}
 
-
+{% if outline_fake_s3 %}
   s3:
     image: lphoward/fake-s3
     env_file:
@@ -50,6 +54,7 @@ services:
       - {{ outline_volume_s3 }}:/fakes3_root
     networks:
       - outline
+{% endif %}
 
   outline:
     image: outlinewiki/outline:latest
diff --git a/templates/env.outline.conf.j2 b/templates/env.outline.conf.j2
index 402217b..1c93aae 100644
--- a/templates/env.outline.conf.j2
+++ b/templates/env.outline.conf.j2
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 # keys (for auth) and the SECRET_KEY.
 #
 # Please use `openssl rand -hex 32` to create SECRET_KEY
-SECRET_KEY=generate_a_new_key
-UTILS_SECRET=generate_a_new_key
+SECRET_KEY={{ outline_secret_key }}
+UTILS_SECRET={{ outline_utils_secret }}
 
-DATABASE_URL=postgres://{{ outline_db_user }}:{{ outline_db_password }}@postgres:5432/{{ outline_db }}
-DATABASE_URL_TEST=postgres://{{ outline_db_user }}:{{ outline_db_password }}@wk-postgres:5432/{{ outline_db }}_test
+DATABASE_URL={{ outline_db_schema }}://{{ outline_db_user }}:{{ outline_db_password }}@{{outline_db_host}}:{{ outline_db_port }}/{{ outline_db }}
+DATABASE_URL_TEST={{ outline_db_schema }}://{{ outline_db_user }}:{{ outline_db_password }}@{{outline_db_host}}:{{ outline_db_port }}/{{ outline_db }}_test
 REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
 
 # Must point to the publicly accessible URL for the installation
@@ -49,31 +49,35 @@ GOOGLE_ANALYTICS_ID=
 SENTRY_DSN=
 
 # AWS credentials (optional in development)
-AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=get_a_key_from_aws
-AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=get_the_secret_of_above_key
-AWS_REGION=xx-xxxx-x
-AWS_S3_UPLOAD_BUCKET_URL=http://s3:4569
-AWS_S3_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME=outline-bucket
-AWS_S3_UPLOAD_MAX_SIZE=26214400
-AWS_S3_FORCE_PATH_STYLE=true
+AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID={{ outline_aws_access_key_id }}
+AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY={{ outline_aws_secret_access_key }}
+AWS_REGION={{ outline_aws_region }}
+AWS_S3_UPLOAD_BUCKET_URL={ outline_aws_s3_upload_bucket_url}
+AWS_S3_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME={{ outline_aws_s3_upload_bucket_name }}
+AWS_S3_UPLOAD_MAX_SIZE={{ outline_aws_s3_upload_max_size }}
+AWS_S3_FORCE_PATH_STYLE={{ outline_aws_s3_force_path_style }}
 # uploaded s3 objects permission level, default is private
 # set to "public-read" to allow public access
-AWS_S3_ACL=private
+AWS_S3_ACL={{ outline_aws_s3_acl }}
 
+{% if outline_smtp_host and outline_smtp_port %}
 # Emails configuration (optional)
-SMTP_HOST=
-SMTP_PORT=
-SMTP_USERNAME=
-SMTP_PASSWORD=
-SMTP_FROM_EMAIL=
-SMTP_REPLY_EMAIL=
+SMTP_HOST={{ outline_smtp_host }}
+SMTP_PORT={{ outline_smtp_port }}
+SMTP_USERNAME={{ outline_smtp_username }}
+SMTP_PASSWORD={{ outline_smtp_password }}
+SMTP_FROM_EMAIL={{ outline_smtp_from_email }}
+SMTP_REPLY_EMAIL={{ outline_smtp_reply_email }}
+{% endif %}
 
+{% if outline_team_logo_url %}
 # Custom logo that displays on the authentication screen, scaled to height: 60px
-# TEAM_LOGO=https://example.com/images/logo.png
+TEAM_LOGO={{ outline_team_logo_url }}
+{% endif %}
 
 # See translate.getoutline.com for a list of available language codes and their
 # percentage translated.
-DEFAULT_LANGUAGE=en_US
+DEFAULT_LANGUAGE={{ outline_language }}