diff --git a/portracker/docker-compose.portainer.yml b/portracker/docker-compose.portainer.yml
index 8f00af2..c6199d2 100644
--- a/portracker/docker-compose.portainer.yml
+++ b/portracker/docker-compose.portainer.yml
@@ -19,8 +19,5 @@ services:
     volumes:
       - /volume1/docker/portracker/data:/data:rw
       - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
-    environment:
-      - PUID=${PUID:-1043}
-      - PGID=${PGID:-65538}
-      - TZ=${TZ:-America/Toronto}
+    env_file: stack.env
     restart: on-failure:5
diff --git a/portracker/stack.env b/portracker/stack.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04e9c55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/portracker/stack.env
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+PUID=1043
+PGID=65538
+TZ=America/Toronto
+# Add optional authentication if needed
+# AUTH_USER=admin
+# AUTH_PASS=password