diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4570bf2..b5ab236 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -18,4 +18,6 @@ sample .env:
     # the traefik network you want to use 
     TRAEFIK_NETWORK=traefik_net
 
+    PROJECT_DATA=./data
+
 then execute the first time the init script
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 7bd5dc6..966e210 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ services:
       - "GOTIFY_DATABASE_DIALECT=sqlite3"
       - "GOTIFY_DATABASE_CONNECTION=db/gotify.db"
     volumes:
-      - "./data/gotify:/app/data"
-      - "./data/db:/app/db"
+      - "${PROJECT_DATA}/${PROJECT_NAME}-gotify/gotify:/app/data"
+      - "${PROJECT_DATA}/${PROJECT_NAME}-gotify/db:/app/db"
       - "/etc/timezone:/etc/timezone:ro"
       - "/etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro"
     labels:
diff --git a/init b/init
index 685a00f..21753f1 100755
--- a/init
+++ b/init
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 
 source ./.env
 
-mkdir data 
+mkdir -p ${PROJECT_DATA}/${PROJECT_NAME}-gotify/gotify
+mkdir -p ${PROJECT_DATA}/${PROJECT_NAME}-gotify/db
 
 docker network create $TRAEFIK_NETWORK