diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 867f999..136b20f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.env.*
+.env
 src/pkmntrade_club/staticfiles/*
 !src/pkmntrade_club/staticfiles/.gitkeep
 src/pkmntrade_club/media/*
diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index 05cae64..340195f 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -6,14 +6,10 @@
             "type": "debugpy",
             "request": "launch",
             "program": "${workspaceFolder}/manage.py",
-            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
-            "args": ["runserver", "0.0.0.0:8000"],
+            "args": ["runserver"],
             "django": true,
             "justMyCode": true,
-            "preLaunchTask": "Run db standalone",
-            "env": {
-                "DEBUG": "True"
-            },
+            "preLaunchTask": "Run db standalone"
         }
     ]
 } 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index ba0311a..40ea63c 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@ services:
   db:
     image: postgres:16
     restart: always
-    ports:
-      - 5432:5432
     volumes:
       - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data/
     environment:
diff --git a/manage.py b/manage.py
index 138d284..696a354 100755
--- a/manage.py
+++ b/manage.py
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ import sys
 def main():
     """Run administrative tasks."""
     os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "pkmntrade_club.django_project.settings")
-    sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
-
     try:
         from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line
     except ImportError as exc:
diff --git a/scripts/reset-db_make-migrations_seed-data.sh b/scripts/reset-db_make-migrations_seed-data.sh
index 407de29..5ee4d66 100755
--- a/scripts/reset-db_make-migrations_seed-data.sh
+++ b/scripts/reset-db_make-migrations_seed-data.sh
@@ -4,23 +4,22 @@ set -e
 
 echo "Remaking migrations..."
 find . -path "*/migrations/0*.py" -delete
+set -a
+source .env
+set +a
 uv run manage.py makemigrations --noinput
 
 echo "Resetting dev database... "
 docker compose down \
   && docker volume rm -f pkmntradeclub_postgres_data \
-  && docker compose up -d db
-
-echo "Running prebuild..."
-./scripts/prebuild.sh
-
-echo "Running migrations..."
-uv run manage.py migrate --noinput
+  && ./scripts/rebuild-and-run.sh
 
+# Wait for the database to be ready.
+echo "Waiting 15 seconds for migrations to be auto-run..."
+sleep 15
 echo "Loading seed data..."
-uv run manage.py loaddata ./seed/0*
+docker compose exec -it web bash -c "django-admin loaddata /seed/0*"
 
-echo "Running collectstatic..."
-uv run manage.py collectstatic -c --no-input
+docker compose down
 
 echo "Done!"
diff --git a/src/pkmntrade_club/django_project/settings.py b/src/pkmntrade_club/django_project/settings.py
index 270ecdc..c10dd53 100644
--- a/src/pkmntrade_club/django_project/settings.py
+++ b/src/pkmntrade_club/django_project/settings.py
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ import os
 import logging
 import sys
 
-# set default values to local dev values
+# set default values to dev values for environment variables
 env = environ.Env(
     DEBUG=(bool, False), # MUST STAY FALSE FOR DEFAULT FOR SECURITY REASONS (e.g. if app can't access .env, prevent showing debug output)
-    DISABLE_SIGNUPS=(bool, True),
-    DISABLE_CACHE=(bool, True),
-    DJANGO_DATABASE_URL=(str, 'postgresql://postgres@localhost:5432/postgres?sslmode=disable'),
+    DISABLE_SIGNUPS=(bool, False),
+    DISABLE_CACHE=(bool, False),
+    DJANGO_DATABASE_URL=(str, 'postgresql://postgres@db:5432/postgres?sslmode=disable'),
     DJANGO_EMAIL_HOST=(str, ''),
     DJANGO_EMAIL_PORT=(int, 587),
     DJANGO_EMAIL_USER=(str, ''),
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ env = environ.Env(
     PUBLIC_HOST=(str, 'localhost'),
     ACCOUNT_EMAIL_VERIFICATION=(str, 'none'),
     SCHEME=(str, 'http'),
-    REDIS_URL=(str, 'redis://localhost:6379'),
+    REDIS_URL=(str, 'redis://redis:6379'),
     CACHE_TIMEOUT=(int, 604800),
     TIME_ZONE=(str, 'America/Los_Angeles'),
 )
@@ -366,9 +366,6 @@ SOCIALACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION = False
 SOCIALACCOUNT_EMAIL_AUTHENTICATION_AUTO_CONNECT = False
 SOCIALACCOUNT_ONLY = False
 
-SESSION_ENGINE = "django.contrib.sessions.backends.signed_cookies"
-SESSION_COOKIE_HTTPONLY = True
-
 # auto-detection doesn't work properly sometimes, so we'll just use the DEBUG setting
 DEBUG_TOOLBAR_CONFIG = {"SHOW_TOOLBAR_CALLBACK": lambda request: DEBUG}
 
diff --git a/src/pkmntrade_club/theme/templatetags/trade_acceptance.html b/src/pkmntrade_club/theme/templatetags/trade_acceptance.html
index 13157f3..f5c1fcb 100644
--- a/src/pkmntrade_club/theme/templatetags/trade_acceptance.html
+++ b/src/pkmntrade_club/theme/templatetags/trade_acceptance.html
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{% load gravatar card_badge cache %}
+{% load gravatar card_badge %}
 
 {% cache CACHE_TIMEOUT trade_acceptance cache_key %}
   <div class="card card-border bg-base-100 shadow-lg max-w-90 mx-auto">