diff --git a/bitnami/express/docker-compose-mariadb.yml b/bitnami/express/docker-compose-mariadb.yml
index 3b11edd9b4c5..4abb488087d5 100644
--- a/bitnami/express/docker-compose-mariadb.yml
+++ b/bitnami/express/docker-compose-mariadb.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ services:
     command: npm start
     environment:
       - PORT=3000
+      - NODE_ENV=development
       - DATABASE_URL=mysql://root@mariadb/my_app_development
     depends_on:
       - mariadb
diff --git a/bitnami/express/docker-compose-postgresql.yml b/bitnami/express/docker-compose-postgresql.yml
index ee94c6a9dfa1..454b37e01283 100644
--- a/bitnami/express/docker-compose-postgresql.yml
+++ b/bitnami/express/docker-compose-postgresql.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ services:
     command: npm start
     environment:
       - PORT=3000
+      - NODE_ENV=development
       - DATABASE_URL=postgres://postgres@postgresql/my_app_development
     depends_on:
       - postgresql
diff --git a/bitnami/express/docker-compose.yml b/bitnami/express/docker-compose.yml
index 88ca7e6112a7..9dc56b6987a8 100644
--- a/bitnami/express/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/bitnami/express/docker-compose.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ services:
     command: npm start
     environment:
       - PORT=3000
+      - NODE_ENV=development
       - DATABASE_URL=mongodb://mongodb:27017/my_app_development
     depends_on:
       - mongodb