diff --git a/docker-compose.mongo-local.yml b/docker-compose.mongo-local.yml
index 0f70fbcae6..e21e983e73 100644
--- a/docker-compose.mongo-local.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.mongo-local.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ services:
       - "27017:27017"
     restart: "unless-stopped"
     volumes:
-      - "./mongodb-docker-data:/data/db"
+      - "./mongodb-data-docker:/data/db"
     entrypoint: [ "/usr/bin/mongod", "--bind_ip_all", "--replSet", "rs" ]
   mongoinit:
     image: "mongo:7.0"
diff --git a/docker-compose.mongo-test-local.yml b/docker-compose.mongo-test-local.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3d916dcb72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-compose.mongo-test-local.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# big thanks to https://pakisan.github.io/posts/docker-compose-mongodb-single-node-replica-set/ <3
+
+networks:
+  mongodb-network:
+    name: "mongodb-network"
+    driver: bridge
+services:
+  mongodb:
+    image: "mongo:7.0"
+    container_name: "mongodb"
+    networks:
+      - mongodb-network
+    hostname: "mongodb"
+    ports:
+      - "27017:27017"
+    restart: "unless-stopped"
+    volumes:
+      - "./mongodb-data-docker-testing:/data/db"
+    entrypoint: [ "/usr/bin/mongod", "--bind_ip_all", "--replSet", "rs" ]
+  mongoinit:
+    image: "mongo:7.0"
+    container_name: "mongodb_replSet_initializer"
+    restart: "on-failure" # WITHOUT THIS, the initializer tries only once and fails
+    depends_on:
+      - mongodb
+    networks:
+      - mongodb-network
+
+    command: >
+      bash -c "
+       until mongosh --host mongodb:27017 --eval 'db.adminCommand({ping:1})' >/dev/null 2>&1; do
+         sleep 1
+       done
+       mongosh --host mongodb:27017 --eval 'try { rs.initiate({_id: \"rs\", members:[{_id:0, host: \"mongodb:27017\"}]}); } catch(e) { print(\"rs.initiate skipped or failed: \" + e); }'
+       "
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 22c7b0ec2b..65d876ebab 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@
     "mongo:dev:rs": "run-rs -v 7.0.23 -l ubuntu2214 --keep --dbpath mongodb-data-rs --number 1 --quiet",
     "mongo:test:rs": "run-rs -v 7.0.23 -l ubuntu2214 --keep --dbpath mongodb-data-rs-testing --number 1 --quiet",
     "mongo:dev:docker": "docker compose -f docker-compose.mongo-local.yml up",
+    "mongo:test:docker": "docker compose -f docker-compose.mongo-test-local.yml up",
     "mongo:test": "node scripts/start-local-mongo.mjs --test-db",
     "postinstall": "git config --global url.\"https://\".insteadOf git:// && gulp build && cd website/client && npm install",
     "apidoc": "gulp apidoc",