diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 269e6f02..b959621c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@ venv/
 ENV/
 env.bak/
 venv.bak/
-env.d/development/*
-!env.d/development/*.dist
+env.d/development/*.local
 env.d/terraform
 
 # npm
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index bc867a68..4b05b126 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -66,19 +66,19 @@ data/static:
 
 # -- Project
 
-create-env-files: ## Copy the dist env files to env files
-create-env-files: \
-	env.d/development/common \
-	env.d/development/crowdin \
-	env.d/development/postgresql \
-	env.d/development/kc_postgresql
-.PHONY: create-env-files
+create-env-local-files: ## create env.local files in env.d/development
+create-env-local-files: 
+	@touch env.d/development/crowdin.local
+	@touch env.d/development/common.local
+	@touch env.d/development/postgresql.local
+	@touch env.d/development/kc_postgresql.local
+.PHONY: create-env-local-files
 
 bootstrap: ## Prepare Docker images for the project
 bootstrap: \
 	data/media \
 	data/static \
-	create-env-files \
+	create-env-local-files \
 	build \
 	migrate \
 	back-i18n-compile \
@@ -212,20 +212,8 @@ resetdb: ## flush database and create a superuser "admin"
 	@${MAKE} superuser
 .PHONY: resetdb
 
-env.d/development/common:
-	cp -n env.d/development/common.dist env.d/development/common
-
-env.d/development/postgresql:
-	cp -n env.d/development/postgresql.dist env.d/development/postgresql
-
-env.d/development/kc_postgresql:
-	cp -n env.d/development/kc_postgresql.dist env.d/development/kc_postgresql
-
 # -- Internationalization
 
-env.d/development/crowdin:
-	cp -n env.d/development/crowdin.dist env.d/development/crowdin
-
 crowdin-download: ## Download translated message from crowdin
 	@$(COMPOSE_RUN_CROWDIN) download -c crowdin/config.yml
 .PHONY: crowdin-download
diff --git a/compose.yaml b/compose.yaml
index eed37fae..032ecada 100644
--- a/compose.yaml
+++ b/compose.yaml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ services:
       retries: 300
     env_file:
       - env.d/development/postgresql
+      - env.d/development/postgresql.local
 
   redis:
     image: redis:5
@@ -68,7 +69,9 @@ services:
       - DJANGO_CONFIGURATION=Development
     env_file:
       - env.d/development/common
+      - env.d/development/common.local
       - env.d/development/postgresql
+      - env.d/development/postgresql.local
     ports:
       - "8071:8000"
     volumes:
@@ -95,7 +98,9 @@ services:
       - DJANGO_CONFIGURATION=Development
     env_file:
       - env.d/development/common
+      - env.d/development/common.local
       - env.d/development/postgresql
+      - env.d/development/postgresql.local
     volumes:
       - ./src/backend:/app
       - ./data/static:/data/static
@@ -133,6 +138,7 @@ services:
       - ".:/app"
     env_file:
       - env.d/development/crowdin
+      - env.d/development/crowdin.local
     user: "${DOCKER_USER:-1000}"
     working_dir: /app
 
@@ -155,6 +161,7 @@ services:
       - "6433:5432"
     env_file:
       - env.d/development/kc_postgresql
+      - env.d/development/kc_postgresql.local
 
   keycloak:
     image: quay.io/keycloak/keycloak:26.3.2
diff --git a/env.d/development/common.dist b/env.d/development/common
similarity index 100%
rename from env.d/development/common.dist
rename to env.d/development/common
diff --git a/env.d/development/crowdin.dist b/env.d/development/crowdin
similarity index 100%
rename from env.d/development/crowdin.dist
rename to env.d/development/crowdin
diff --git a/env.d/development/kc_postgresql.dist b/env.d/development/kc_postgresql
similarity index 100%
rename from env.d/development/kc_postgresql.dist
rename to env.d/development/kc_postgresql
diff --git a/env.d/development/postgresql.dist b/env.d/development/postgresql
similarity index 100%
rename from env.d/development/postgresql.dist
rename to env.d/development/postgresql