diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f208467a..f4867d4a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -26,3 +26,9 @@ dev_run_migration.sh
 
 development.json
 userimages*
+
+# exclude everything
+dumps/*
+
+# exception to the rule
+!dumps/.gitkeep
diff --git a/images/mongodb/osem_admin.sh b/.scripts/mongodb/osem_admin.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from images/mongodb/osem_admin.sh
rename to .scripts/mongodb/osem_admin.sh
diff --git a/.scripts/mongodb/osem_seed_boxes.sh b/.scripts/mongodb/osem_seed_boxes.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e29265f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.scripts/mongodb/osem_seed_boxes.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+
+#!/bin/bash
+
+USER=${OSEM_dbuser:-"admin"}
+DATABASE=OSeM-api
+PASS=${OSEM_dbuserpass:-"admin"}
+
+echo "Going to restore openSenseMap boxes export"
+mongorestore --db OSeM-api --username $USER --password $PASS --authenticationDatabase OSeM-api --gzip --archive=./exports/boxes
+echo "Export was restored"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.scripts/mongodb/osem_seed_measurements.sh b/.scripts/mongodb/osem_seed_measurements.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..31c5d319
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.scripts/mongodb/osem_seed_measurements.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+USER=${OSEM_dbuser:-"admin"}
+DATABASE=OSeM-api
+PASS=${OSEM_dbuserpass:-"admin"}
+
+echo "Going to restore openSenseMap measurements export"
+mongorestore --db OSeM-api --username $USER --password $PASS --authenticationDatabase OSeM-api --gzip --archive=./exports/measurements
+echo "Export was restored"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index e83988ff..19063e44 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -27,11 +27,10 @@ To install all dependencies, run
 
 ### Starting the project locally
 
-Before starting the development database, create the following network
+If you have some MongoDB dumps of `boxes` or `measurements` place them within the `dumps` folder and comment in the
+volume mappings within the `docker-compose.yml`. The dumps will be seeded for you.
 
-    docker network create api-db-network
-
-Afterwards, start your development database
+Start your development database
 
     docker-compose up -d
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index c0801065..fcba270a 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -1,19 +1,18 @@
 version: "3.9"
 
+volumes:
+  mongo-data:
+
 services:
   db:
-    build:
-      context: ./images/mongodb
+    image: mongo:5
     container_name: osem-dev-mongo
     ports:
       - "27017:27017"
     volumes:
       - mongo-data:/data/db
-    networks:
-      - api-db-network
-
-volumes:
-  mongo-data:
-networks:
-  api-db-network:
-    external: true
+      # - ./dumps/boxes:/exports/boxes
+      # - ./dumps/measurements:/exports/measurements
+      - ./.scripts/mongodb/osem_admin.sh:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/osem_admin.sh
+      # - ./.scripts/mongodb/osem_seed_boxes.sh:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/osem_seed_boxes.sh
+      # - ./.scripts/mongodb/osem_seed_measurements.sh:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/osem_seed_measurements.sh
diff --git a/dumps/.gitkeep b/dumps/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/images/mongodb/Dockerfile b/images/mongodb/Dockerfile
deleted file mode 100644
index 1a38d8a7..00000000
--- a/images/mongodb/Dockerfile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-FROM mongo:5
-
-LABEL org.opencontainers.image.source https://github.com/sensebox/openSenseMap-API/tree/master/images/mongodb
-LABEL org.opencontainers.image.description "MongoDB development database for openSenseMap API"
-
-COPY ./osem_admin.sh /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d
diff --git a/images/mongodb/README.md b/images/mongodb/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index a9ab59c7..00000000
--- a/images/mongodb/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-# osem-dev-mongo
-
-MongoDB development database for openSenseMap API