diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 4efb832..fcf0475 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+## mongo build stage
+FROM mongo:${MONGO_VERSION:-latest} AS database
+WORKDIR /
+COPY mongo-init.js ./docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/
+
 ## stage one, build the service
 FROM node:20-alpine AS build
 ENV NODE_ENV development
@@ -10,11 +15,11 @@ RUN yarn install
 RUN yarn build
 
 ## this is stage two , where the app actually runs
-FROM node:20-alpine AS auth-service
+FROM node:20-alpine AS containerize
 ENV NODE_ENV ${ENV:-production}
 WORKDIR /home/node/app
 COPY package*.json ./
 RUN yarn install --frozen-lockfile --production
-COPY --from=0 /home/node/app/dist .
+COPY --from=build /home/node/app/dist .
 EXPOSE ${PORT:-9001}
 CMD ["node","server/index.js"]
diff --git a/docker-compose.staging-build.yml b/docker-compose.staging-build.yml
index 9a62249..00c0de6 100644
--- a/docker-compose.staging-build.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.staging-build.yml
@@ -5,24 +5,29 @@ services:
         container_name: ${CONTAINER_PREFIX:-staging}-auth-service_mongo
         env_file:
             - staging.env
+        build:
+            context: .
+            target: database
+            args:
+              - MONGO_VERSION
         networks:
             - docknet
         volumes:
             - 'auth-db:/data/db'
             - 'auth-db:/data/configdb'
-            - './mongo-init.js:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/mongo-init.js:ro'
             # - '/volume1/docker/beethoven/labs-auth/mongo-init.js:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/mongo-init.js:ro'
         restart: unless-stopped
-        image: mongo:4.4
+        image: mongo:${MONGO_VERSION:-latest}
     auth-service:
+        container_name: ${CONTAINER_PREFIX:-staging}-auth-service
         env_file:
             - staging.env
         build:
             context: .
+            target: containerize
             args:
               - PORT
               - ENV
-        container_name: ${CONTAINER_PREFIX:-staging}-auth-service
         environment:
             - DB_HOST=${CONTAINER_PREFIX:-staging}-auth-service_mongo
         labels:
diff --git a/mongo-init.js b/mongo-init.js
index 56542b7..9a282c6 100644
--- a/mongo-init.js
+++ b/mongo-init.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* eslint-disable no-undef */
-db = db.getSiblingDB(process.env.DB_NAME);
+//db = db.getSiblingDB(process.env.DB_NAME);
 db.createUser({
     user: process.env.DB_USERNAME,
     pwd: process.env.DB_PASSWORD,