diff --git a/.env.local.example b/.env.local.example
index 5c90149..5bd9b5e 100644
--- a/.env.local.example
+++ b/.env.local.example
@@ -13,7 +13,12 @@ export DISCORD_TOKEN=
 
 # mongodb
 export MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017
-export MONGODB_VOLUME_PATH=data/db
+
+# deployment
+# where the bot code is located (root folder - absolute path)
+export APP_ROOT=
+# where the DB data is saved - absolute path, or relative to APP_ROOT
+export DB_PATH=data
 
 # logging
 export LOG_LEVEL=debug
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f1c9d49..6bf4453 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ dist
 
 # CUSTOM
 src/scripts/outputs
-data/brain.dat
 .DS_Store
 build
-data/db
+data/
diff --git a/eslint.config.mjs b/eslint.config.mjs
index 06298dd..01fe1e9 100644
--- a/eslint.config.mjs
+++ b/eslint.config.mjs
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ export default [
     },
   },
   {
-    ignores: ['node_modules/', 'build/', 'dist/', 'gen/'],
+    ignores: ['node_modules/', 'build/', 'dist/', 'gen/', 'scaffold.config.js'],
   },
 ]
diff --git a/gen/services/venom-bot.service b/gen/services/venom-bot.service
index 4affa65..4c592b8 100644
--- a/gen/services/venom-bot.service
+++ b/gen/services/venom-bot.service
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Description=Venom Bot
 After=network.target
 
 [Service]
-WorkingDirectory=/root/apps/venom
+WorkingDirectory={{appRoot}}
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/pnpm start
 ExecStop=/bin/kill -SIGINT $MAINPID
 Restart=on-failure
diff --git a/gen/services/venom-db.service b/gen/services/venom-db.service
index 57b8a90..9d54a4d 100644
--- a/gen/services/venom-db.service
+++ b/gen/services/venom-db.service
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ After=docker.service
 Requires=docker.service
 
 [Service]
+WorkingDirectory={{appRoot}}
 Environment="DOCKER_RUN_CMD=docker run \
   --name venom-mongo \
   --hostname=2d2cb1232ad1 \
@@ -16,8 +17,8 @@ Environment="DOCKER_RUN_CMD=docker run \
   --env=MONGO_MAJOR=7.0 \
   --env=MONGO_VERSION=7.0.12 \
   --env=HOME=/data/db \
-  --volume=./data/db:{{dbPath}}/db \
-  --volume=./data/configdb:/{{dbPath}}/configdb \
+  --volume=./{{dbPath}}/db:/data/db \
+  --volume=./{{dbPath}}/configdb:/data/configdb \
   --volume=./data/configdb \
   --volume=/data/db \
   --network=bridge -p 27017:27017 \
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 466bc21..f6d4eb2 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     "logs": "journalctl -f -u venom-bot.service",
     "build": "tsc && tsc-alias",
     "gen": "simple-scaffold -c scaffold.config.js -k",
-    "install-services": "scripts/install-services.zsh",
+    "install-services": "src/scripts/install-services.zsh",
     "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/scaffold.config.js b/scaffold.config.js
index 8e42bb0..fed37aa 100644
--- a/scaffold.config.js
+++ b/scaffold.config.js
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+const path = require('node:path')
+const dotenv = require('dotenv')
+
+dotenv.config({ path: path.resolve(process.cwd(), '.env.local') })
+dotenv.config({ path: path.resolve(process.cwd(), '.env') })
+
+console.log(process.env)
+
 module.exports = {
   command: {
     templates: ['gen/command'],
@@ -11,8 +19,9 @@ module.exports = {
     templates: ['gen/services'],
     subdir: false,
     data: {
-      // eslint-disable-next-line no-undef
-      dbPath: process.env.MONGODB_VOLUME_PATH,
+      dbPath: process.env.DB_PATH,
+      appRoot: process.env.APP_ROOT,
     },
+    name: '-',
   },
 }
diff --git a/src/scripts/install-services.zsh b/src/scripts/install-services.zsh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 22fae24..103fe93
--- a/src/scripts/install-services.zsh
+++ b/src/scripts/install-services.zsh
@@ -1,11 +1,23 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env zsh
 
+if [[ "$1" == "--dry-run" || "$1" == "-d" ]]; then
+  dry=1
+fi
+
 echo 'Installing dependencies...'
 pnpm install
 tmp=$(mktemp -d)
 echo 'Generating systemd services...'
 pnpm simple-scaffold -c scaffold.config.js -k services -o $tmp
 echo 'Installing systemd services...'
+
+if [[ $dry -eq 1 ]]; then
+  echo 'Dry run. Exiting'
+  echo
+  tail -n +1 $tmp/*
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 sudo mv $tmp/* /etc/systemd/system/
 systemctl daemon-reload
 systemctl enable venom-bot