diff --git a/docker/config.sh b/docker/config.sh
index fc771491..356e9d78 100755
--- a/docker/config.sh
+++ b/docker/config.sh
@@ -1,30 +1,35 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-if ! grep -q "host.docker.internal" /etc/hosts; then
-  echo "host.docker.internal has to be in your hosts-file, to add you need sudo privileges"
-  sudo sh -c 'echo "127.0.0.1 host.docker.internal" >> /etc/hosts'
+UPDATE_HOSTS=${HAS_SUDO:-true}
+
+if [ "$UPDATE_HOSTS" = "true" ] && ! grep -q "search.uitdatabank.local" /etc/hosts; then
+  echo "search.uitdatabank.local has to be in your hosts-file, to add you need sudo privileges"
+  sudo sh -c 'echo "127.0.0.1 search.uitdatabank.local" >> /etc/hosts'
 fi
 
-DIR="../appconfig/files/uitdatabank/docker/udb3-search-service/"
+APPCONFIG_ROOTDIR=${APPCONFIG:-'../appconfig'}
+GEOJSON_DATA_ROOTDIR=${GEOJSON_DATA:-'../geojson-data'}
+
+DIR="${APPCONFIG_ROOTDIR}/files/uitdatabank/docker/udb3-search-service/"
 if [ -d "$DIR" ]; then
   cp -R "$DIR"/* .
 else
-  echo "Error: missing appconfig. The appconfig and udb3-search-service repositories must be cloned into the same parent folder."
+  echo "Error: missing appconfig. The appconfig repository must be cloned at ${APPCONFIG_ROOTDIR}."
   exit 1
 fi
 
-DIR="../appconfig/files/uitdatabank/docker/keys/"
+DIR="${APPCONFIG_ROOTDIR}/files/uitdatabank/docker/keys/"
 if [ -d "$DIR" ]; then
   cp -R "$DIR"/* .
 else
-  echo "Error: missing appconfig. The appconfig and udb3-search-service repositories must be cloned into the same parent folder."
+  echo "Error: missing appconfig. The appconfig repository must be cloned at ${APPCONFIG_ROOTDIR}."
   exit 1
 fi
 
-DIR="../geojson-data/output"
+DIR="${GEOJSON_DATA_ROOTDIR}/output"
 if [ -d "$DIR" ]; then
   cp "$DIR"/facet_mapping_regions.yml .
 else
-  echo "Error: missing geojson data. See docker.md prerequisites to fix this."
+  echo "Error: missing geojson-data. The geojson-data repository must be cloned at ${GEOJSON_DATA_ROOTDIR}."
   exit 1
-fi
\ No newline at end of file
+fi