diff --git a/modules/deploy.py b/modules/deploy.py
index 85caa73..db00a82 100644
--- a/modules/deploy.py
+++ b/modules/deploy.py
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ def bootstrap():
 
     # continue setting up the rootpath and virtualenv
     setup_rootpath()
-
     setup_virtualenv()
     bootstrap_pip()
 
diff --git a/modules/docker.py b/modules/docker.py
index a98cf65..c166c48 100644
--- a/modules/docker.py
+++ b/modules/docker.py
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ def docker_ip():
 
 
 def docker_run(cmd):
-    from fabric.context_managers import prefix
     configuration = env.config
 
     if env.debug:
@@ -53,21 +52,10 @@ def docker_run(cmd):
     if configuration.docker.database.host != 'local':
         _execute = executize("sudo")
 
-    if configuration.docker.machine:
-        docker_eval = "eval $(docker-machine env %s)" % \
-            configuration.docker.machine
-
-        with prefix(docker_eval):
-            if env.debug:
-                logger.debug("_execute(cmd): %s" % cmd)
-            else:
-                _execute(cmd)
-
+    if env.debug:
+        logger.debug("_execute(cmd): %s" % cmd)
     else:
-        if env.debug:
-            logger.debug("_execute(cmd): %s" % cmd)
-        else:
-            _execute(cmd)
+        _execute(cmd)
 
 
 @task
@@ -122,6 +110,15 @@ def generate():
     context['database_pass'] = configuration.server.database.admin.password
     context['database_name'] = configuration.server.database.name
 
+    if hasattr(configuration.docker.database, 'volumes') and \
+       hasattr(configuration.docker.database.volumes, 'data'):
+
+        context['docker_volume_data_external'] = \
+            configuration.docker.database.volumes.data.external
+
+        context['docker_volume_data_internal'] = \
+            configuration.docker.database.volumes.data.internal
+
     if env.debug:
         for key in context.keys():
             logger.debug("context[{key}] : {value}".format(
@@ -191,7 +188,7 @@ under "docker"
     docker_service_name = configuration.docker.database.service_name
 
     dockercompose_cmd = \
-        "docker-compose -f {build_path} up -d {docker_service_name}".format(
+        "docker compose -f {build_path} up -d {docker_service_name}".format(
             build_path=build_path,
             docker_service_name=docker_service_name
         )
diff --git a/modules/initialize.py b/modules/initialize.py
index 68fbbd1..719f4b4 100644
--- a/modules/initialize.py
+++ b/modules/initialize.py
@@ -989,6 +989,60 @@ def _init_docker(configuration, layout, config):
                 configuration.docker.database.container_name = \
                     config['docker']['database']['name']
 
+            #
+            # if the project file contains a 'volumes' reference it means
+            # that we are using an external directory to store data
+            #
+            # normally this will be generated, ie there is no 'paths' keys
+            # under 'volumes.data', but if 'paths' is specified, then we
+            # will look for an 'external' and 'internal' paths to apply
+
+            if 'volumes' in config['docker']['database'] and \
+               'data' in config['docker']['database']['volumes']:
+
+                configuration.docker.database.addbranch("volumes")
+                configuration.docker.database.volumes.addbranch("data")
+
+                configuration.docker.database.volumes.data.internal = \
+                    "/var/lib/postgresql/data"
+
+                workingdir = "{root}/{projectname}/{branch}".format(
+                    root=config['project']['paths']['root'],
+                    projectname=config['project']['name'],
+                    branch=config['project']['branch'])
+
+                varlocation = "/var/%s/data" % config[
+                    'docker']['database']['image']
+
+                configuration.docker.database.volumes.data.external = \
+                    "{workingdir}{varlocation}".format(
+                            workingdir=workingdir,
+                            varlocation=varlocation)
+#                    "/home/website/ronnyabraham/staging/var/postgresql/data"
+
+                #
+                # to make it a bit easier to read I'm referencing the part
+                # of the config dictioanry we are using
+
+                docker_volume = config['docker']['database']['volumes']
+                docker_volume_data = docker_volume['data']
+
+                #
+                # if external and internal paths were specified, then we will
+                # use that instead
+
+                if docker_volume_data is not None and \
+                   type(docker_volume_data) is dict and \
+                   'paths' in docker_volume_data:
+
+                    if 'external' in docker_volume_data['paths']:
+                        configuration.docker.database.volumes.data.external = \
+                                docker_volume_data['paths']['external']
+
+                    if 'internal' in docker_volume_data['paths']:
+                        configuration.docker.database.volumes.data.internal = \
+                                docker_volume_data['paths']['internal']
+
             #
             # not sure what "service name" is for
             configuration.docker.database.service_name = \
diff --git a/modules/pip.py b/modules/pip.py
index 0bcc2ef..d305ac0 100644
--- a/modules/pip.py
+++ b/modules/pip.py
@@ -51,8 +51,10 @@ def setup_virtualenv(python3=True):
 
         logging.debug("mkvirtualenv_cmd: %s" % mkvirtualenv_cmd)
 
-        logging.debug("with virtualenv_source(): run(\"\n\t%s\n\t\")".format(
-            mkvirtualenv_cmd))
+        logging.debug(
+            "with virtualenv_source(): "
+            "run(\"\n\t{mkvirtualenv_cmd}\n\t\")".format(
+                mkvirtualenv_cmd=mkvirtualenv_cmd))
     else:
 
         # run("source virtualenvwrapper.sh; mkvirtualenv "
diff --git a/share/templates/conf/docker/files/database.jinja2 b/share/templates/conf/docker/files/database.jinja2
index 4c46582..a9fcaec 100644
--- a/share/templates/conf/docker/files/database.jinja2
+++ b/share/templates/conf/docker/files/database.jinja2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-version: "2.3.3"
+version: "3.7"
 
 services:
   {{ docker_service_name }}:
@@ -11,5 +11,15 @@ services:
       {{ docker_database_env_user }} : "{{ database_user }}"
       {{ docker_database_env_pass }} : "{{ database_pass }}"
       {{ docker_database_env_db }} : "{{ database_name }}"
+
+      # this is bc compose will time out on remotes
+      COMPOSE_HTTP_TIMEOUT: 180
   
     container_name: {{ docker_container_name }}
+
+    {%- if docker_volume_data_external is defined %}
+      {% if docker_volume_data_internal is defined %}
+    volumes:
+      - {{ docker_volume_data_external }}:{{ docker_volume_data_internal }}
+      {% endif %}
+    {% endif %}