diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 80dce7cfb5..8a5b7ae9bb 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ ENV NODE_ENV=production \
 
 EXPOSE 4567
 
-CMD node ./nodebb build ;  node ./nodebb start
+CMD test -n "${SETUP}" && ./nodebb setup || node ./nodebb build; node ./nodebb start
diff --git a/src/install.js b/src/install.js
index 3067a05ab5..f9f7912d9f 100644
--- a/src/install.js
+++ b/src/install.js
@@ -46,22 +46,54 @@ questions.optional = [
 	},
 ];
 
-function checkSetupFlag() {
-	let setupVal = install.values;
+function checkSetupFlagEnv() {
+	let setupVal = install.values || {};
+
+	const envConfMap = {
+		NODEBB_URL: 'url',
+		NODEBB_PORT: 'port',
+		NODEBB_ADMIN_USERNAME: 'admin:username',
+		NODEBB_ADMIN_PASSWORD: 'admin:password',
+		NODEBB_ADMIN_EMAIL: 'admin:email',
+		NODEBB_DB: 'database',
+		NODEBB_DB_HOST: 'host',
+		NODEBB_DB_PORT: 'port',
+		NODEBB_DB_USER: 'username',
+		NODEBB_DB_PASSWORD: 'password',
+		NODEBB_DB_NAME: 'database',
+		NODEBB_DB_SSL: 'ssl',
+	};
+
+	// Set setup values from env vars (if set)
+	winston.info('[install/checkSetupFlagEnv] checking env vars for setup info...');
+
+	Object.entries(process.env).forEach(([evName, evValue]) => { // get setup values from env
+		if (evName.startsWith('NODEBB_DB_')) {
+			setupVal[`${process.env.NODEBB_DB}:${envConfMap[evName]}`] = evValue;
+		} else if (evName.startsWith('NODEBB_')) {
+			setupVal[envConfMap[evName]] = evValue;
+		}
+	});
+
+	setupVal['admin:password:confirm'] = setupVal['admin:password'];
 
+	// try to get setup values from json, if successful this overwrites all values set by env
+	// TODO: better behaviour would be to support overrides per value, i.e. in order of priority (generic pattern):
+	//       flag, env, config file, default
 	try {
 		if (nconf.get('setup')) {
-			setupVal = JSON.parse(nconf.get('setup'));
+			const setupJSON = JSON.parse(nconf.get('setup'));
+			setupVal = { ...setupVal, ...setupJSON };
 		}
 	} catch (err) {
-		winston.error('Invalid json in nconf.get(\'setup\'), ignoring setup values');
+		winston.error('[install/checkSetupFlagEnv] invalid json in nconf.get(\'setup\'), ignoring setup values from json');
 	}
 
 	if (setupVal && typeof setupVal === 'object') {
 		if (setupVal['admin:username'] && setupVal['admin:password'] && setupVal['admin:password:confirm'] && setupVal['admin:email']) {
 			install.values = setupVal;
 		} else {
-			winston.error('Required values are missing for automated setup:');
+			winston.error('[install/checkSetupFlagEnv] required values are missing for automated setup:');
 			if (!setupVal['admin:username']) {
 				winston.error('  admin:username');
 			}
@@ -95,7 +127,7 @@ function checkCIFlag() {
 		if (ciVals.hasOwnProperty('host') && ciVals.hasOwnProperty('port') && ciVals.hasOwnProperty('database')) {
 			install.ciVals = ciVals;
 		} else {
-			winston.error('Required values are missing for automated CI integration:');
+			winston.error('[install/checkCIFlag] required values are missing for automated CI integration:');
 			if (!ciVals.hasOwnProperty('host')) {
 				winston.error('  host');
 			}
@@ -521,7 +553,7 @@ async function checkUpgrade() {
 
 install.setup = async function () {
 	try {
-		checkSetupFlag();
+		checkSetupFlagEnv();
 		checkCIFlag();
 		await setupConfig();
 		await setupDefaultConfigs();