diff --git a/.devcontainer/compose.extend.yml b/.devcontainer/compose.extend.yml
index 599b82e0..fedbe585 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/compose.extend.yml
+++ b/.devcontainer/compose.extend.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 services:
+  db:
+    volumes:
+      - postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
   web:
     image: node:22.5.1-bookworm
     depends_on:
@@ -10,4 +13,7 @@ services:
     # Overrides default command so things don't shut down after the process ends.
     command: /bin/sh -c "while sleep 1000; do :; done"
     # puts the Dev Container on the same network as the database, so that it can access it on localhost
-    network_mode: service:db
\ No newline at end of file
+    network_mode: service:db
+
+volumes:
+  postgres-data:
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/azure-infra.yml b/.github/workflows/azure-infra.yml
index f866ef1b..dba52019 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/azure-infra.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/azure-infra.yml
@@ -24,12 +24,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Lint Bicep
         run: |
           az bicep build --file ./azure/bicep/main.bicep
-      - name: Convert compose.yml to base64
-        id: convert_compose
-        run: |
-          base64 ./compose.yml > compose.base64
-          base64Compose=$(cat compose.base64)
-          echo "::set-output name=base64Compose::$base64Compose"
       - name: Run what-if
         uses: azure/arm-deploy@v2
         with:
@@ -46,7 +40,6 @@ jobs:
             postgresPassword=${{ secrets.POSTGRES_PASSWORD }}
             postgresPort=${{ secrets.POSTGRES_PORT }}
             postgresUser=${{ secrets.POSTGRES_USER }}
-            base64Compose=${{ steps.convert_compose.outputs.base64Compose }}
           scope: 'resourcegroup'
           deploymentMode: 'Incremental'
           failOnStdErr: false
@@ -64,12 +57,6 @@ jobs:
           client-id: ${{ secrets.AZURE_CLIENT_ID }}
           tenant-id: ${{ secrets.AZURE_TENANT_ID }}
           subscription-id: ${{ secrets.AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID }}
-      - name: Convert compose.yml to base64
-        id: convert_compose
-        run: |
-          base64 ./compose.yml > compose.base64
-          base64Compose=$(cat compose.base64)
-          echo "::set-output name=base64Compose::$base64Compose"
       - name: Deploy Bicep
         uses: azure/arm-deploy@v2
         with:
@@ -88,6 +75,5 @@ jobs:
             postgresPassword=${{ secrets.POSTGRES_PASSWORD }}
             postgresPort=${{ secrets.POSTGRES_PORT }}
             postgresUser=${{ secrets.POSTGRES_USER }}
-            base64Compose=${{ steps.convert_compose.outputs.base64Compose }}
           scope: 'resourcegroup'
           failOnStdErr: false
diff --git a/azure/bicep/main.bicep b/azure/bicep/main.bicep
index 6b50257f..c6f9dfeb 100644
--- a/azure/bicep/main.bicep
+++ b/azure/bicep/main.bicep
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ param location string = resourceGroup().location
 @minLength(3)
 @maxLength(22)
 param name string = 'cathedral'
-param base64Compose string
+
+var base64Compose = loadFileAsBase64('../../compose.yml')
 
 @secure()
 param authOrigin string
diff --git a/compose.yml b/compose.yml
index da57d618..44b57612 100644
--- a/compose.yml
+++ b/compose.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ services:
     ports:
       - 5432:5432
     volumes:
-      - postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+      - ${WEBAPP_STORAGE_HOME}/pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
     environment:
       PGDATA: /var/lib/postgresql/data/pgdata
       POSTGRES_USER: ${POSTGRES_USER}
@@ -16,13 +16,7 @@ services:
     depends_on:
       - db
     restart: unless-stopped
-    # mounts the workspace folder from the local source tree into the Dev Container.
-    # volumes:
-    #   - .:/workspace/cathedral:cached
     # Overrides default command so things don't shut down after the process ends.
     command: /bin/sh -c "while sleep 1000; do :; done"
     # puts the Dev Container on the same network as the database, so that it can access it on localhost
-    network_mode: service:db
-
-volumes:
-  postgres-data:
+    network_mode: service:db
\ No newline at end of file