diff --git a/.env b/.env
deleted file mode 100644
index 1eaaf27ef..000000000
--- a/.env
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-# Defines environment variables for docker-compose.
-# Can be overridden via e.g. `MARKLOGIC_TAG=latest-10.0 docker-compose up -d --build`.
-MARKLOGIC_LOGS_VOLUME=./docker/marklogic/logs
-MARKLOGIC_IMAGE=ml-docker-db-dev-tierpoint.bed-artifactory.bedford.progress.com/marklogic/marklogic-server-ubi:latest-12
-
-# Latest public release
-# MARKLOGIC_IMAGE=progressofficial/marklogic-db:latest
diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5f26ca55f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Defines environment variables for Docker Compose.
+# Copy this file to .env and fill in the appropriate values before running `docker compose up`.
+# Can be overridden inline, e.g.: MARKLOGIC_IMAGE=progressofficial/marklogic-db:latest docker compose up -d --build
+
+MARKLOGIC_LOGS_VOLUME=./docker/marklogic/logs
+
+# Public MarkLogic image (default for open-source contributors).
+# Internal developers: replace with the appropriate internal registry image.
+MARKLOGIC_IMAGE=progressofficial/marklogic-db:latest
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d933dc310..67a25530a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ uriCache.txt
 gradle-local.properties
 bin
 repairXMLFull.xml
+.env
 xml-with-props.xml
 
 ml-development-tools/src/test/ml-modules
@@ -42,3 +43,6 @@ docker/
 .kotlin
 
 dep.txt
+
+tmp
+documents
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 25e67476e..24dcc5058 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -28,8 +28,20 @@ The tests require a MarkLogic instance with access to several ports (8000,8001,8
 be a local instance or it may be running in a Docker container. If you would like to create a Docker container with the
 instance, you may create the container with the following commands (starting in the project root directory):
 
+1. Copy `.env.example` to `.env` and fill in the appropriate values:
+
+```
+cp .env.example .env
+```
+
+The default `MARKLOGIC_IMAGE` in `.env.example` points to the public `progressofficial/marklogic-db:latest` image.
+Progress/internal developers should replace this with the appropriate internal Artifactory image before running
+`docker compose up`.
+
+2. Start the container:
+
 ```
-docker-compose up -d --build
+docker compose up -d --build
 ```
 
 Once you have a MarkLogic instance ready, the application is then deployed via the following command: