diff --git a/backend-services/comment-service-2/src/Middleware/Auth.ts b/backend-services/comment-service-2/src/Middleware/Auth.ts
index 488ce165fca35dcfb1d4fb3384353967b6482e39..5977caa548954636d3959727966125b6fa8f0623 100644
--- a/backend-services/comment-service-2/src/Middleware/Auth.ts
+++ b/backend-services/comment-service-2/src/Middleware/Auth.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import jwt, { Secret, JwtPayload } from 'jsonwebtoken';
 import { Request, Response, NextFunction } from 'express';
 import Config from '../../config'
 
-export const SECRET_KEY: Secret = Config.JWT_SECRET;
+export const SECRET_KEY: Secret = process.env.JWT_PRIVATE_KEY || "";
 
 export interface CustomJWTRequest extends Request {
  token?: string | JwtPayload | TokenData;
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/Dockerfile b/backend-services/feed-service/Dockerfile
index 9ce26ec214215609d4d3f84a8abd0ad28d17f335..816c12e152289dfb1258fb580208b575cd30b082 100644
--- a/backend-services/feed-service/Dockerfile
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/Dockerfile
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@ RUN unzip -d svc target/universal/feed-service-1.0.0.zip \
     && rm svc/bin/*.bat \
     && mv svc/bin/* svc/bin/start
 
-# Delete the RUNNING_PID fle that incorrectly tells Play there is already an instance running
-RUN rm -f svc/RUNNING_PID
-
 EXPOSE 9000
 
-CMD svc/bin/start
+# Delete the RUNNING_PID fle that incorrectly tells Play there is already an instance running
+CMD rm -f svc/RUNNING_PID && svc/bin/start
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/app/ApplicationStart.scala b/backend-services/feed-service/app/ApplicationStart.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5b8b61b91dc2b8e80407c95fe94a6a230491db75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/app/ApplicationStart.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import scala.concurrent.Future
+import javax.inject._
+import play.api.inject.ApplicationLifecycle
+
+import utils.ConfigHelper
+import repositories.QuestionRepository
+
+// Creates an `ApplicationStart` object once at start-up and registers hook for shut-down.
+@Singleton
+class ApplicationStart @Inject() (lifecycle: ApplicationLifecycle) {
+  println("Starting...")
+
+  if (ConfigHelper.getBoolean("enable.question.db.seeding")) {
+    QuestionRepository.seedDatabase()
+  }
+
+  // Shut-down hook
+  lifecycle.addStopHook { () =>
+    Future.successful(())
+  }
+}
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/app/Module.scala b/backend-services/feed-service/app/Module.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..9feab53ffa1dedaf2beec18a291d83c6fb8eb24a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/app/Module.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import com.google.inject.AbstractModule
+
+class Module extends AbstractModule {
+  override def configure() = {
+    bind(classOf[ApplicationStart]).asEagerSingleton()
+  }
+}
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/DailyQuestion.scala b/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/DailyQuestion.scala
index b87277fddee8694e56ee0391ff7219b527cb4655..9aee375bf5ec27b60726b0e1abbde2d311abd4d5 100644
--- a/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/DailyQuestion.scala
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/DailyQuestion.scala
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global
 import scala.concurrent.{Future, Await}
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
 
-import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
+import utils.ConfigHelper
 
 import org.bson.types.ObjectId
 import java.util.Date
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ object DailyQuestion {
     }
 
     def getRandomTime(): Date = {
-        val minHour = ConfigFactory.load().getInt("dailyQuestions.min.hour")
-        val maxHour = ConfigFactory.load().getInt("dailyQuestions.max.hour")
+        val minHour = ConfigHelper.getInt("dailyQuestions.min.hour")
+        val maxHour = ConfigHelper.getInt("dailyQuestions.max.hour")
 
         val randomHour = Random.between(minHour, maxHour + 1)
         val randomMinute = Random.between(0, 60)
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/User.scala b/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/User.scala
index 9e2e40d15cf97d788a00d04225f1cdd40c24a30f..8650f71d5a17b7891bedff809e1959cc49bbace0 100644
--- a/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/User.scala
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/User.scala
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import models.HttpCall
 
 import play.api.libs.json.JsValue
 
-import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
+import utils.ConfigHelper
 import org.bson.types.ObjectId
 
 import scala.concurrent.Future
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global
 
 object User {
     def getUserFriends(userId: ObjectId, jwt: String): Future[Seq[ObjectId]] = {
-        val friendServiceUri: String = ConfigFactory.load().getString("friend.service.uri")
+        val friendServiceUri: String = ConfigHelper.getString("friend.service.uri")
 
         val url: String = s"${friendServiceUri}friends"
         val queryStringParameters: Seq[(String, String)] = Seq(("userId", userId.toString()))
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ object User {
     }
 
     def userExists(userId: ObjectId, jwt: String): Future[Boolean] = {
-        val userServiceUri: String = ConfigFactory.load().getString("user.service.uri")
+        val userServiceUri: String = ConfigHelper.getString("user.service.uri")
 
         val url: String = s"${userServiceUri}test/verifyUser"
         val queryStringParameters: Seq[(String, String)] = Seq(("userId", userId.toString()))
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/actions/AuthenticationRequest.scala b/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/actions/AuthenticationRequest.scala
index 231edd1fe59c544d00aa71c45eb138dc1b96383a..5b5c742ac8e9bc2f60dc162ae35c060db07c33e8 100644
--- a/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/actions/AuthenticationRequest.scala
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/app/models/actions/AuthenticationRequest.scala
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package models.actions
 
-import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
+import utils.ConfigHelper
 
 import play.api.mvc.{ActionTransformer, Request, WrappedRequest}
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class AuthenticationTransformer @Inject() (implicit val executionContext: Execut
      * @return The user ID specified in the JWT's payload.
      */
     def processJWT[A](request: Request[A]): (String, Option[ObjectId], Boolean) = {
-        val privateKey = ConfigFactory.load().getString("jwt.privateKey")
+        val privateKey = ConfigHelper.getString("jwt.privateKey")
 
         try {
             val authHeader = request.headers.get("Authorization").get
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/DailyQuestionRepository.scala b/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/DailyQuestionRepository.scala
index 5e85226a553204368882a08c76d6588cc4bd0d32..a417f40ffcc26903d8f21a308371864f5d6ff37c 100644
--- a/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/DailyQuestionRepository.scala
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/DailyQuestionRepository.scala
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package repositories
 import models.DailyQuestion
 import utils.MongoConnection
 
-import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
+import utils.ConfigHelper
 import org.bson.types.ObjectId
 
 import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import scala.concurrent.Future
 
 
 class DailyQuestionRepository extends Repository[DailyQuestion] (
-    ConfigFactory.load().getString("mongo.questionService.db"),
-    ConfigFactory.load().getString("mongo.dailyQuestions.collection")
+    ConfigHelper.getString("mongo.questionService.db"),
+    ConfigHelper.getString("mongo.dailyQuestions.collection")
 ) {
     /**
      * Inserts a DailyQuestion record into the database.
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/DailyRepository.scala b/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/DailyRepository.scala
index 514860f212551d4ba8f6a6cbd670a19707dcfa2d..0aebdd642cb05655970d95541b8db528b211be2e 100644
--- a/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/DailyRepository.scala
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/DailyRepository.scala
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package repositories
 import models.Daily
 import utils.MongoConnection
 
-import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
+import utils.ConfigHelper
 import org.bson.types.ObjectId
 
 import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import scala.concurrent.Future
 
 
 class DailyRepository extends Repository[Daily] (
-    ConfigFactory.load().getString("mongo.feedService.db"),
-    ConfigFactory.load().getString("mongo.dailies.collection")
+    ConfigHelper.getString("mongo.feedService.db"),
+    ConfigHelper.getString("mongo.dailies.collection")
 ) {
     /**
      * Inserts a Daily record into the database.
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/QuestionRepository.scala b/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/QuestionRepository.scala
index bc967143cd8354d50efba53383db99a8e3ccb481..053be38a1bffc55d644d8deff4ed8eed462d3f7c 100644
--- a/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/QuestionRepository.scala
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/app/repositories/QuestionRepository.scala
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package repositories
 import models.Question
 import utils.MongoConnection
 
-import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
+import utils.ConfigHelper
 import org.bson.types.ObjectId
 
 import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import scala.concurrent.Future
 
 
 class QuestionRepository extends Repository[Question] (
-    ConfigFactory.load().getString("mongo.questionService.db"),
-    ConfigFactory.load().getString("mongo.questions.collection")
+    ConfigHelper.getString("mongo.questionService.db"),
+    ConfigHelper.getString("mongo.questions.collection")
 ) {
     /**
      * Inserts a Question record into the database.
@@ -29,3 +29,22 @@ class QuestionRepository extends Repository[Question] (
         })
     }
 }
+
+object QuestionRepository {
+    def seedDatabase(): Unit = {
+        println("Seeding Question Database...")
+
+        try {
+            Question.createQuestionAsync("What is your favourite food?")
+            Question.createQuestionAsync("What is your dream holiday destination?")
+            Question.createQuestionAsync("What us your favourite local spot?")
+
+            println("Successfully seeded Question Database!")
+        } catch {
+            case ex: Throwable => {
+                println("Error seeding Question Database...")
+                println(ex)
+            }
+        }  
+    } 
+}
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/app/utils/ConfigHelper.scala b/backend-services/feed-service/app/utils/ConfigHelper.scala
index da8e39576c7ec7ddff02e6d6582f7e79f74e0215..e13c8d370621bc0c2cb481f0c55621838413137a 100644
--- a/backend-services/feed-service/app/utils/ConfigHelper.scala
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/app/utils/ConfigHelper.scala
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ import com.typesafe.config.{Config, ConfigFactory}
 
 object ConfigHelper {
   private val applicationConfig: Config = ConfigFactory.load("application.conf")
+  private val referenceConfig: Config = ConfigFactory.parseResources("reference.conf")
+  private val config: Config = referenceConfig.withFallback(applicationConfig).resolve()
 
-  def getString(key: String): String = applicationConfig.getString(key)
+  def getString(key: String): String = config.getString(key)
+  def getInt(key: String): Int = config.getInt(key)
+  def getBoolean(key: String): Boolean = config.getBoolean(key)
 }
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/conf/application.conf b/backend-services/feed-service/conf/application.conf
index df8dd7088faf0ab98ce052e1001560657b320b0b..9d3697fda5e7b0fe38d862498d1901870c20fc22 100644
--- a/backend-services/feed-service/conf/application.conf
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/conf/application.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # MongoDB Connection Strings
-mongodb.uri= "mongodb://localhost:27017/"
+mongodb.uri = "mongodb://localhost:27017/"
 mongo.feedService.db = "feed-service"
 mongo.dailies.collection = "dailies"
 
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ mongo.questionService.db = "question-service"
 mongo.questions.collection = "questions"
 mongo.dailyQuestions.collection = "daily-questions"
 
-# JWT Authenticationn
+# Whether to seed the Question DB
+enable.question.db.seeding = false
+
+# JWT Authentication
 jwt.privateKey = ""
 
 # Daily Questions
@@ -32,8 +35,5 @@ play.filters.enabled += play.filters.cors.CORSFilter
 # Use a custom error handler to not return HTML views
 play.http.errorHandler = "models.CustomErrorHandler"
 
-# --- Configuration Values to be replaced with environment variables, if present ---
-mongodb.uri = ${?MONGO_URI}
-jwt.privateKey = ${?JWT_PRIVATE_KEY}
-friend.service.uri = ${?FRIEND_SERVICE_URI}
-user.service.uri = ${?USER_SERVICE_URI}
+# Control which modules are loaded when Play starts.
+play.modules.enabled += Module
diff --git a/backend-services/feed-service/conf/reference.conf b/backend-services/feed-service/conf/reference.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2c86965b12c8edfd4c788f3c5b45436672125c20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend-services/feed-service/conf/reference.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# --- Configuration Values to be replaced with environment variables, if present ---
+
+# MongoDB Connection Strings
+mongodb.uri = ${?MONGO_URI}
+
+# Whether to seed the Question DB
+enable.question.db.seeding = ${?ENABLE_QUESTION_DB_SEEDING}
+
+# JWT Authentication
+jwt.privateKey = ${?JWT_PRIVATE_KEY}
+
+# External Service URIs
+friend.service.uri = ${?FRIEND_SERVICE_URI}
+user.service.uri = ${?USER_SERVICE_URI}
+
+# Application Secret Key - https://www.playframework.com/documentation/2.8.x/ApplicationSecret
+play.http.secret.key=${?PLAY_HTTP_SECRET_KEY}
diff --git a/backend-services/friend-service/src/Middleware/Auth.ts b/backend-services/friend-service/src/Middleware/Auth.ts
index 488ce165fca35dcfb1d4fb3384353967b6482e39..4fe35e601e8a25a6a522fa7df47dfde3167ce0c0 100644
--- a/backend-services/friend-service/src/Middleware/Auth.ts
+++ b/backend-services/friend-service/src/Middleware/Auth.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import jwt, { Secret, JwtPayload } from 'jsonwebtoken';
 import { Request, Response, NextFunction } from 'express';
 import Config from '../../config'
 
-export const SECRET_KEY: Secret = Config.JWT_SECRET;
+export const SECRET_KEY: Secret = process.env.JWT_PRIVATE_KEY || "" ;
 
 export interface CustomJWTRequest extends Request {
  token?: string | JwtPayload | TokenData;
diff --git a/backend-services/user-service/controllers/appController.js b/backend-services/user-service/controllers/appController.js
index 622dc28eaeeb64f956f03fcc45df76783ada0f81..b6d24ddf8b88c6e44db0f1e5623b0cc108f5a123 100644
--- a/backend-services/user-service/controllers/appController.js
+++ b/backend-services/user-service/controllers/appController.js
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export async function register(req, res) {
     const existUsername = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       UserModel.findOne({ username }, function (err, user) {
         if (err) reject(new Error(err));
-        if (user) reject({ error: "Please use unique username" });
+        if (user) reject({ error: "Username already exists!" });
 
         resolve();
       });
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export async function register(req, res) {
     const existEmail = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       UserModel.findOne({ email }, function (err, email) {
         if (err) reject(new Error(err));
-        if (email) reject({ error: "Please use unique Email" });
+        if (email) reject({ error: "An account with that email address already exists!" });
 
         resolve();
       });
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ export async function login(req, res) {
           .compare(password, user.password)
           .then((passwordCheck) => {
             if (!passwordCheck)
-              return res.status(400).send({ error: "Don't have Password" });
+              return res.status(400).send({ error: "Incorrect username or password!" });
 
             // create jwt token
             const token = jwt.sign(
diff --git a/backend-services/user-service/middleware/auth.js b/backend-services/user-service/middleware/auth.js
index 2381df5d27802745e715ae1f2e1fe6316fab0a76..fe431c5cf22b0bcf5f64db812a4f1e33af441649 100644
--- a/backend-services/user-service/middleware/auth.js
+++ b/backend-services/user-service/middleware/auth.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ export default async function Auth(req, res, next){
 
         const token = req.headers.authorization.split(" ")[1];
         
-        const decodedToken = await jwt.verify(token, ENV.JWT_SECRET);
+        const decodedToken = await jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_PRIVATE_KEY);
         req.user = decodedToken;
 
         next();
diff --git a/backend-services/user-service/server.js b/backend-services/user-service/server.js
index bd091dc38bf1e67d8a6b5122c6eaaddb1645d34e..59166872e0a6109f7b70def2aed6ae0928806829 100644
--- a/backend-services/user-service/server.js
+++ b/backend-services/user-service/server.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import cors from 'cors';
 import morgan from 'morgan';
 import connect from './database/conn.js'
 import router from './router/route.js'
+import bcrypt from "bcrypt";
+import UserModel from "./model/User.model.js";
 
 const app = express();
 
@@ -22,12 +24,36 @@ app.get('/', (req, res) => {
 app.use('/api', router)
 
 // Start server only when we have valid connection
-connect().then(() => {
+connect().then(async () => {
     try {
+        // Database Seeding
+        if (process.env.ENABLE_USER_DB_SEEDING) {
+            try {
+                const password = process.env.SEEDED_ADMIN_PASSWORD
+                const hashedPassword = await bcrypt.hash(password, 10);
+            
+                const admin = new UserModel({
+                    username: "admin",
+                    password: hashedPassword,
+                    email: "admin@email.com",
+                    profile: "",
+                    admin: true
+                })
+    
+                await admin.save()
+                console.log("Successfully seeded User Database!")
+            }
+            catch(error) {
+                console.log("Error seeding User Database...")
+                console.log(error)
+            }
+        }
+        
         app.listen(port, () => {
             console.log(`Server connected to http://localhost:${port}`);
         })
     } catch (error) {
+        console.log(error)
         console.log('Cannot connect to the server')
     }
 }).catch(error => {
diff --git a/daily-thought-frontend/src/components/navigation/NavBar.tsx b/daily-thought-frontend/src/components/navigation/NavBar.tsx
index b37205fe4c3e320f0644e830d34464dbc928c49f..564a560c75a76fb8a0178b4a41e6f4800d07a3f0 100644
--- a/daily-thought-frontend/src/components/navigation/NavBar.tsx
+++ b/daily-thought-frontend/src/components/navigation/NavBar.tsx
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ const NavBar: FC<PropsWithChildren<NavBarProps>> = ({ children, user, rehydrateF
                       </div>
                     </div>
                   )}
-                  <div className="pl-5" onClick={() => Router.push('/')}>
+                  <div className="pl-5 cursor-pointer" onClick={() => Router.push('/')}>
                     <h1 className="ml-5 text-2xl font-bold tracking-tight text-c-green">Daily</h1>
                   </div>
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 2eb4be2e5ca352ec987cb9b66530b9a2ba8e1f0f..143c052c6b32477b0c76fd5b483f1f1dc24434e8 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ services:
       - MONGO_URI=mongodb://feed-mongo:27017/
       - JWT_PRIVATE_KEY=yB/uX5KdyjHN9P34IE49HxAcrlQ4gfvpVJEzGbo5E/I=
       - FRIEND_SERVICE_URI=http://friend-service:9000/
+      - ENABLE_QUESTION_DB_SEEDING=true
 
   user-service:
     build:
@@ -30,6 +31,9 @@ services:
       - "9000"
     environment:
       - MONGO_URI=mongodb://user-mongo:27017/userdb
+      - JWT_PRIVATE_KEY=yB/uX5KdyjHN9P34IE49HxAcrlQ4gfvpVJEzGbo5E/I=
+      - ENABLE_USER_DB_SEEDING=true
+      - SEEDED_ADMIN_PASSWORD=doesntreallymatter
 
   friend-service:
     build:
@@ -42,6 +46,7 @@ services:
       - MONGO_HOST=friend-mongo
       - MONGO_PORT=27017
       - MONGO_DBNAME=friends
+      - JWT_PRIVATE_KEY=yB/uX5KdyjHN9P34IE49HxAcrlQ4gfvpVJEzGbo5E/I=
 
   comment-service:
     build:
@@ -54,6 +59,7 @@ services:
       - MONGO_HOST=comment-mongo
       - MONGO_PORT=27017
       - MONGO_DBNAME=comments
+      - JWT_PRIVATE_KEY=yB/uX5KdyjHN9P34IE49HxAcrlQ4gfvpVJEzGbo5E/I=
 
   frontend-service:
     build: