diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1f1ac650b..3f1404861 100755
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -120,13 +120,13 @@ build/docker/%/.push: build/docker/%/$(DUMMY)
 		--password=$(DOCKER_HUB_PASSWORD)
 	@docker push $(BASENAME)-$(patsubst build/docker/%/.push,%,$@):$(IMG_TAG)
 
-common-docker: $(patsubst %,build/docker/common/%/$(DUMMY),$(COMMON_DOCKER_IMAGES)) ##@Generate docker images locally
+docker-common: $(patsubst %,build/docker/common/%/$(DUMMY),$(COMMON_DOCKER_IMAGES)) ##@Generate docker images locally
 
 agent-docker: $(patsubst %,build/docker/agent/%/$(DUMMY),$(AGENT_DOCKER_IMAGES)) ##@Generate docker images locally
 
-docker: common-docker agent-docker
+docker: docker-common agent-docker
 
-common-docker-%:
+docker-common-%:
 	@$(MAKE) build/docker/common/$*/$(DUMMY)
 
 agent-docker-%:
@@ -272,6 +272,9 @@ HELP_FUN = \
 	}; \
 	print "\n"; }
 
+api-engine: # for debug only now
+	docker build -t hyperledger/cello-api-engine:latest -f build_image/docker/common/api-engine/Dockerfile.in ./
+
 .PHONY: \
 	all \
 	check \
diff --git a/build_image/docker/common/api-engine/Dockerfile.in b/build_image/docker/common/api-engine/Dockerfile.in
index 0d62b409f..ca2f0c3ec 100644
--- a/build_image/docker/common/api-engine/Dockerfile.in
+++ b/build_image/docker/common/api-engine/Dockerfile.in
@@ -1,20 +1,25 @@
 FROM python:3.6
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y gettext-base graphviz libgraphviz-dev && \
-	apt-get autoclean && apt-get clean && apt-get autoremove && rm -rf /var/cache/apt/
-COPY src/api-engine/requirements.txt /
-RUN	cd / && \
-	pip install -r requirements.txt
+# Install software
+RUN apt-get update \
+	&& apt-get install -y gettext-base graphviz libgraphviz-dev \
+	&& apt-get autoclean \
+	&& apt-get clean \
+	&& apt-get autoremove && rm -rf /var/cache/apt/
 
-COPY src/api-engine /var/www/server
-COPY src/api-engine/docker/uwsgi/server.ini /etc/uwsgi/apps-enabled/
-COPY src/api-engine/docker/scripts /scripts
-COPY build_image/docker/common/api-engine/entrypoint.sh /
+# Set the working dir
+WORKDIR /var/www/server
 
-RUN cd /var/www/server/api_engine && cp settings.py.initial settings.py && cd .. && python manage.py collectstatic --noinput
+# Copy source code to the working dir
+COPY src/api-engine ./
 
-WORKDIR /var/www/server
+# Install python dependencies
+RUN	pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
+
+# Add uwsgi configuration file
+COPY build_image/docker/common/api-engine/server.ini /etc/uwsgi/apps-enabled/
 
 ENV RUN_MODE server
 
+COPY build_image/docker/common/api-engine/entrypoint.sh /
 CMD bash /entrypoint.sh
diff --git a/build_image/docker/common/api-engine/entrypoint.sh b/build_image/docker/common/api-engine/entrypoint.sh
index 41c83c13f..684d972d1 100755
--- a/build_image/docker/common/api-engine/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/build_image/docker/common/api-engine/entrypoint.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,25 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-bash /scripts/initial.sh;
+#bash /scripts/initial.sh;
+
+echo "Generating the settings.py for api_engine"
+LOCAL_SETTINGS="/var/www/server/api_engine/settings.py"
+RAW_LOCAL_SETTINGS="/var/www/server/api_engine/settings.py.example"
+
+envsubst < ${RAW_LOCAL_SETTINGS} > ${LOCAL_SETTINGS}
+
 holdup -t 120 tcp://${DB_HOST}:${DB_PORT};
 if [[ "$RUN_MODE" == "server" ]]; then
   python manage.py makemigrations && python manage.py migrate;
-  python manage.py create_user --username ${ADMIN_USERNAME} --password ${ADMIN_PASSWORD} --is_superuser --email ${ADMIN_EMAIL} --role operator
-  if [[ "$DEBUG" == "True" ]]; then
+  python manage.py create_user \
+    --username ${ADMIN_USERNAME:-admin} \
+    --password ${ADMIN_PASSWORD:-pass} \
+    --email ${ADMIN_EMAIL:-admin@cello} \
+    --is_superuser \
+    --role operator
+  if [[ "$DEBUG" == "True" ]]; then # For dev, use pure Django directly
     python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8080;
-  else
+  else # For production, use uwsgi in front
     uwsgi --ini /etc/uwsgi/apps-enabled/server.ini;
   fi
 else
diff --git a/src/api-engine/docker/uwsgi/server.ini b/build_image/docker/common/api-engine/server.ini
similarity index 100%
rename from src/api-engine/docker/uwsgi/server.ini
rename to build_image/docker/common/api-engine/server.ini
diff --git a/src/api-engine/api_engine/settings.py.initial b/src/api-engine/api_engine/settings.py.initial
deleted file mode 100644
index 07f644bd8..000000000
--- a/src/api-engine/api_engine/settings.py.initial
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,123 +0,0 @@
-"""
-Django settings for api_engine project.
-
-Generated by 'django-admin startproject' using Django 2.1.4.
-
-For more information on this file, see
-https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.1/topics/settings/
-
-For the full list of settings and their values, see
-https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.1/ref/settings/
-"""
-
-import os
-
-# Build paths inside the project like this: os.path.join(BASE_DIR, ...)
-BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
-
-
-# Quick-start development settings - unsuitable for production
-# See https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.1/howto/deployment/checklist/
-
-# SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret!
-SECRET_KEY = '=5-oa588z5-5ow4wd8+=xoj%uy_rd6a65edkfvn3&zw+1=qhwd'
-
-# SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production!
-DEBUG = True
-
-ALLOWED_HOSTS = []
-
-
-# Application definition
-
-INSTALLED_APPS = [
-    'django.contrib.auth',
-    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
-    'django.contrib.sessions',
-    'django.contrib.messages',
-    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
-    'rest_framework',
-    'api',
-    'drf_yasg'
-]
-
-MIDDLEWARE = [
-    'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
-    'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
-    'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
-    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
-    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
-    'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
-    'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',
-]
-
-ROOT_URLCONF = 'api_engine.urls'
-
-TEMPLATES = [
-    {
-        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
-        'DIRS': [],
-        'APP_DIRS': True,
-        'OPTIONS': {
-            'context_processors': [
-                'django.template.context_processors.debug',
-                'django.template.context_processors.request',
-                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
-                'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
-            ],
-        },
-    },
-]
-
-WSGI_APPLICATION = 'api_engine.wsgi.application'
-
-
-# Database
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.1/ref/settings/#databases
-
-DATABASES = {
-    'default': {
-        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
-        'NAME': os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'db.sqlite3'),
-    }
-}
-
-
-# Password validation
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.1/ref/settings/#auth-password-validators
-
-AUTH_PASSWORD_VALIDATORS = [
-    {
-        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.UserAttributeSimilarityValidator',
-    },
-    {
-        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.MinimumLengthValidator',
-    },
-    {
-        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.CommonPasswordValidator',
-    },
-    {
-        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.NumericPasswordValidator',
-    },
-]
-
-
-# Internationalization
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.1/topics/i18n/
-
-LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us'
-
-TIME_ZONE = 'UTC'
-
-USE_I18N = True
-
-USE_L10N = True
-
-USE_TZ = True
-
-
-# Static files (CSS, JavaScript, Images)
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.1/howto/static-files/
-
-STATIC_URL = '/static/'
-STATIC_ROOT = '/var/www/server/static'
diff --git a/src/api-engine/docker/scripts/change_local_settings.sh b/src/api-engine/docker/scripts/change_local_settings.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index dec18eee8..000000000
--- a/src/api-engine/docker/scripts/change_local_settings.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-LOCAL_SETTINGS="/var/www/server/api_engine/settings.py"
-RAW_LOCAL_SETTINGS="/var/www/server/api_engine/settings.py.example"
-
-envsubst < ${RAW_LOCAL_SETTINGS} > ${LOCAL_SETTINGS}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/api-engine/docker/scripts/initial.sh b/src/api-engine/docker/scripts/initial.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index abbe3aa97..000000000
--- a/src/api-engine/docker/scripts/initial.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-SCRIPTS_PATH=/scripts
-
-bash ${SCRIPTS_PATH}/change_local_settings.sh
-
-echo "All initial Done!!"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/api-engine/requirements.txt b/src/api-engine/requirements.txt
index c8e97b2bc..2bf045cf5 100644
--- a/src/api-engine/requirements.txt
+++ b/src/api-engine/requirements.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-Django<=2.1.4
+Django>=2.2.10,<=3.0.4
 uwsgi<=2.0.17.1
 djangorestframework<=3.9.0
 django-filter<=1.1.0
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ django-extensions<=2.1.6
 pygraphviz<=1.5
 celery<=4.2.1
 redis<=3.2.0
-docker-compose>=1.18.0,<=1.23.2
+# docker-compose>=1.18.0,<=1.25.4
 watchdog<=0.9.0
 django-allauth<=0.39.1
 django-rest-auth<=0.9.3