diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 10e28c3e8..6adb4770f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ The PostgreSQL storage backend can optionally be enabled using `--features postg
 ### Configuration
 
 Copy `Settings-default.toml` to `Settings.toml` and edit per your requirements.
+You can override the location of the settings file by using the `GEOENGINE_SETTINGS_FILE_PATH` environment variable.
 
 ## Troubleshooting
 
diff --git a/services/src/bin/main.rs b/services/src/bin/main.rs
index d43c91184..844290e1e 100644
--- a/services/src/bin/main.rs
+++ b/services/src/bin/main.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@ use tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter;
 use tracing_subscriber::Layer;
 
 #[tokio::main]
+#[allow(clippy::dbg_macro)]
+#[allow(unused_must_use)]
+
 async fn main() {
+    dbg!(std::env::var("GEOENGINE_SETTINGS_FILE_PATH"));
     start_server().await.unwrap();
 }
 
diff --git a/services/src/util/config.rs b/services/src/util/config.rs
index bc986fa4d..a9b8e683b 100644
--- a/services/src/util/config.rs
+++ b/services/src/util/config.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::contexts::SessionId;
 use crate::datasets::upload::VolumeName;
 use crate::error::{self, Result};
 use crate::util::parsing::{deserialize_api_prefix, deserialize_base_url_option};
-use config::{Config, Environment, File};
+use config::{Config, Environment, File, FileFormat};
 use geoengine_datatypes::primitives::TimeInterval;
 use geoengine_operators::util::raster_stream_to_geotiff::GdalCompressionNumThreads;
 use serde::Deserialize;
@@ -15,26 +15,44 @@ use url::Url;
 
 static SETTINGS: OnceLock<RwLock<Config>> = OnceLock::new();
 
+const SETTINGS_FILE_PATH_OVERRIDE_ENV_VAR: &str = "GEOENGINE_SETTINGS_FILE_PATH";
+
 // TODO: change to `LazyLock' once stable
+#[allow(clippy::dbg_macro)]
 fn init_settings() -> RwLock<Config> {
     let mut settings = Config::builder();
 
     let dir: PathBuf = retrieve_settings_dir().expect("settings directory should exist");
 
-    #[cfg(test)]
-    let files = ["Settings-default.toml", "Settings-test.toml"];
-
-    #[cfg(not(test))]
-    let files = ["Settings-default.toml", "Settings.toml"];
-
-    let files: Vec<File<_, _>> = files
-        .iter()
-        .map(|f| dir.join(f))
-        .filter(|p| p.exists())
-        .map(File::from)
-        .collect();
-
-    settings = settings.add_source(files);
+    // include the default settings in the binary
+    let default_settings = include_str!("../../../Settings-default.toml");
+
+    settings = settings.add_source(File::from_str(default_settings, FileFormat::Toml));
+
+    std::env::vars().for_each(|(key, value)| {
+        dbg!((&key, &value));
+    });
+
+    if let Ok(settings_file_path) = std::env::var(SETTINGS_FILE_PATH_OVERRIDE_ENV_VAR) {
+        dbg!(
+            "Settings file path: {} (set by environment variable)",
+            &settings_file_path
+        );
+        // override the settings file path
+        settings = settings.add_source(File::with_name(&settings_file_path));
+    } else {
+        // use the default settings file path
+        #[cfg(test)]
+        {
+            dbg!("Settings file path: Settings-test.toml");
+            settings = settings.add_source(File::from(dir.join("Settings-test.toml")));
+        }
+        #[cfg(not(test))]
+        {
+            dbg!("Settings file path: Settings.toml");
+            settings = settings.add_source(File::from(dir.join("Settings.toml")));
+        }
+    }
 
     // Override config with environment variables that start with `GEOENGINE_`,
     // e.g. `GEOENGINE_WEB__EXTERNAL_ADDRESS=https://path.to.geoengine.io`
@@ -46,8 +64,7 @@ fn init_settings() -> RwLock<Config> {
 }
 
 /// test may run in subdirectory
-#[cfg(test)]
-fn retrieve_settings_dir() -> Result<PathBuf> {
+pub fn retrieve_settings_dir() -> Result<PathBuf> {
     use crate::error::Error;
 
     const MAX_PARENT_DIRS: usize = 1;
@@ -68,11 +85,6 @@ fn retrieve_settings_dir() -> Result<PathBuf> {
     Err(Error::MissingSettingsDirectory)
 }
 
-#[cfg(not(test))]
-fn retrieve_settings_dir() -> Result<PathBuf> {
-    std::env::current_dir().context(error::MissingWorkingDirectory)
-}
-
 #[cfg(test)]
 pub fn set_config<T>(key: &str, value: T) -> Result<()>
 where
diff --git a/services/tests/startup.rs b/services/tests/startup.rs
index 103256ad4..5f3d13d36 100644
--- a/services/tests/startup.rs
+++ b/services/tests/startup.rs
@@ -17,10 +17,17 @@ impl Drop for DroppingServer {
 }
 
 impl DroppingServer {
+    #[allow(clippy::dbg_macro)]
     fn new(schema_name: &str) -> Self {
+        let dir = geoengine_services::util::config::retrieve_settings_dir().unwrap();
+        dbg!("Settings dir: {:?}", &dir);
+
         let process = Command::cargo_bin("main")
             .unwrap()
-            .env("GEOENGINE_WEB__BACKEND", "postgres")
+            .env(
+                "GEOENGINE_SETTINGS_FILE_PATH",
+                dir.join("Settings-test.toml"),
+            )
             .env("GEOENGINE_POSTGRES__SCHEMA", schema_name)
             .stderr(Stdio::piped())
             .spawn()
@@ -57,7 +64,7 @@ async fn it_starts_without_warnings_and_accepts_connections() {
         // read log output and check for warnings
         let mut startup_succesful = false;
         for line in server.stderr_lines().take(100) {
-            // eprintln!("Line: {line}");
+            eprintln!("Line: {line}");
 
             assert!(!line.contains("WARN"), "Warning in log output: {line}");