diff --git a/docker/README.md b/docker/README.md
index fa4dc34e8..66cf4bad7 100644
--- a/docker/README.md
+++ b/docker/README.md
@@ -42,6 +42,18 @@ Our Docker setup supports custom build configurations for the uwsgi container vi
 
 To use a custom build config, change the `CLIENT_DOCKERFILE` variable in the .env file that is automatically created by [local-setup.sh](/docker/local-setup.sh) in the project root.
 
+### Environment
+
+The following lists environment variables specific to deploying QPixel via Docker:
+
+| Name                       | Value      | Required? | Default | Description                                                                         |
+| -------------------------- | ---------- | --------- | ------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `COMMUNITY_ADMIN_USERNAME` | `<string>` | yes*      | -       | Username of the admin user on the default community. Only required on database init |
+| `COMMUNITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD` | `<string>` | yes*      | -       | Password of the admin user on the default community. Only required on database init |
+| `COMMUNITY_ADMIN_EMAIL`    | `<string>` | yes*      | -       | Email of the admin user on the default community. Only required on database init    |
+| `COMMUNITY_NAME`           | `<string>` | yes*      | -       | Name of the default community to create. Only required on database init             |
+| `LOCAL_DEV_PORT`           | `<string>` | no        | `3000`  | Port or port range on the host to map the server's port `3000` in the container to  |
+
 ## 2. Database File
 Ensure `config/database.yml` has the username and password as defined in [docker/env](docker/env) file. The `config/database.yml` should already be gitignored.
 
@@ -96,7 +108,8 @@ and see the interface.
 
 ![img/interface.png](../img/interface.png)
 
-You can then click "Sign in" to login with what you defined for `$COMMUNITY_ADMIN_EMAIL` and `$COMMUNITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD`. Importantly, your password must be 6 characters or longer, otherwise the user won't be created.
+You can then click "Sign in" to login with what you defined for `COMMUNITY_ADMIN_EMAIL` and `COMMUNITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD`.
+Importantly, your password must be 6 characters or longer, otherwise the user won't be created.
 
 ### Custom build configs
 
diff --git a/docker/create_admin_and_community.rb b/docker/create_admin_and_community.rb
index 7c152b8e2..12abf4749 100644
--- a/docker/create_admin_and_community.rb
+++ b/docker/create_admin_and_community.rb
@@ -1,12 +1,26 @@
+community_name = ENV.fetch('COMMUNITY_NAME', nil)
+username = ENV.fetch('COMMUNITY_ADMIN_USERNAME', nil)
+password = ENV.fetch('COMMUNITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD', nil)
+email = ENV.fetch('COMMUNITY_ADMIN_EMAIL', nil)
+port = ENV.fetch('LOCAL_DEV_PORT', '3000')
+
+unless [community_name, username, password, email].all?(&:present?)
+  puts 'COMMUNITY_NAME is required' unless community_name.present?
+  puts 'COMMUNITY_ADMIN_USERNAME is required' unless username.present?
+  puts 'COMMUNITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD is required' unless password.present?
+  puts 'COMMUNITY_ADMIN_EMAIL is required' unless email.present?
+  exit 1
+end
+
 # 1. Create the community
-community_name = ENV['COMMUNITY_NAME'] || 'Dinosaur Community'
-Community.create(name: community_name, host: "localhost:#{ENV.fetch('LOCAL_DEV_PORT', nil)}")
+Community.create!(name: community_name, host: "localhost:#{port}")
 Rails.cache.clear
 
 # 2. Create the admin user, ensure doesn't require confirmation
-username = ENV['COMMUNITY_ADMIN_USERNAME'] || 'admin'
-password = ENV['COMMUNITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD'] || 'password'
-email = ENV['COMMUNITY_ADMIN_EMAIL'] || 'codadict@noreply.com'
-
-User.create(username: username, password: password, email: email, is_global_admin: true, is_global_moderator: true,
-            staff: true, confirmed_at: DateTime.now)
+User.create!(username: username,
+             password: password,
+             email: email,
+             is_global_admin: true,
+             is_global_moderator: true,
+             staff: true,
+             confirmed_at: DateTime.now)
diff --git a/docker/dummy.env b/docker/dummy.env
index 65c42be15..8a524e99a 100644
--- a/docker/dummy.env
+++ b/docker/dummy.env
@@ -2,6 +2,3 @@ MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=qpixel
 MYSQL_DATABASE=qpixel
 MYSQL_USER=qpixel
 MYSQL_PASSWORD=qpixel
-COMMUNITY_ADMIN_USERNAME=admin
-COMMUNITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=password
-COMMUNITY_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@noreply.com