diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 1ef665b..55996ee 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@ services:
 
 
   solr:
-    image: solr:9.9.0
+    build:
+      context: .
+      dockerfile: solr.Dockerfile
     ports:
       - "8983:8983"  # Expose Solr Admin UI for development
     environment:
@@ -76,23 +78,6 @@ services:
       - SOLR_JAVA_MEM=-Xms256m -Xmx512m
     volumes:
       - solr_data:/var/solr
-      - ./solr/stories:/opt/solr-9.9.0/server/solr/configsets/storycove_stories
-      - ./solr/authors:/opt/solr-9.9.0/server/solr/configsets/storycove_authors
-    command: >
-      sh -c "
-        echo 'Starting Solr...' &&
-        solr start -f &
-        SOLR_PID=$$! &&
-        echo 'Waiting for Solr to be ready...' &&
-        sleep 15 &&
-        echo 'Creating cores...' &&
-        (solr create_core -c storycove_stories -d storycove_stories || echo 'Stories core already exists') &&
-        echo 'Stories core ready' &&
-        (solr create_core -c storycove_authors -d storycove_authors || echo 'Authors core already exists') &&
-        echo 'Authors core ready' &&
-        echo 'Both cores are available' &&
-        wait $$SOLR_PID
-      "
     deploy:
       resources:
         limits:
diff --git a/solr.Dockerfile b/solr.Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ac7b3ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/solr.Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+FROM solr:9.9.0
+
+# Switch to root to set up configuration
+USER root
+
+# Copy Solr configurations into the image
+COPY ./solr/stories /opt/solr-9.9.0/server/solr/configsets/storycove_stories
+COPY ./solr/authors /opt/solr-9.9.0/server/solr/configsets/storycove_authors
+
+# Create initialization script
+COPY <<EOF /opt/solr-init.sh
+#!/bin/bash
+echo "Starting Solr..."
+solr start -f &
+SOLR_PID=\$!
+echo "Waiting for Solr to be ready..."
+sleep 15
+echo "Creating cores..."
+(solr create_core -c storycove_stories -d storycove_stories || echo "Stories core already exists")
+echo "Stories core ready"
+(solr create_core -c storycove_authors -d storycove_authors || echo "Authors core already exists")
+echo "Authors core ready"
+echo "Both cores are available"
+wait \$SOLR_PID
+EOF
+
+# Ensure proper permissions
+RUN chown -R solr:solr /opt/solr-9.9.0/server/solr/configsets/ && \
+    chmod +x /opt/solr-init.sh && \
+    chown solr:solr /opt/solr-init.sh
+
+# Switch back to solr user
+USER solr
+
+# Set the entrypoint to our initialization script
+ENTRYPOINT ["/opt/solr-init.sh"]
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