diff --git a/api/.env b/api/.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1ecb50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/.env
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME="advent22_api"
diff --git a/api/.gitignore b/api/.gitignore
index 55be276..d4c7259 100644
--- a/api/.gitignore
+++ b/api/.gitignore
@@ -152,3 +152,4 @@ cython_debug/
 #  option (not recommended) you can uncomment the following to ignore the entire idea folder.
 #.idea/
 
+api.conf
diff --git a/api/advent22_api/core/settings.py b/api/advent22_api/core/settings.py
index c509978..8ddcfee 100644
--- a/api/advent22_api/core/settings.py
+++ b/api/advent22_api/core/settings.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     """
 
     model_config = SettingsConfigDict(
-        env_file=".env",
+        env_file="api.conf",
         env_file_encoding="utf-8",
         env_nested_delimiter="__",
     )