diff --git a/.template-env b/.template-env
index 3b2dd9b..afcae33 100644
--- a/.template-env
+++ b/.template-env
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ NB_GRAPH_PASSWORD=DBPASSWORD  # REPLACE DBPASSWORD WITH YOUR GRAPH DATABASE PASS
 NB_GRAPH_DB=test_data/query
 NB_RETURN_AGG=true
 NB_API_TAG=latest
-NB_API_ALLOWED_ORIGINS="https://localhost:3000 http://localhost:3000"  # e.g., allow multiple origins from a query tool deployed locally with default port settings; edit as needed for your setup
+# To allow requests from browser tools like the query tool 
+# deployed locally with default port settings; edit as needed for your setup
+NB_API_ALLOWED_ORIGINS="https://localhost:3000 http://localhost:3000"
 NB_GRAPH_IMG=stardog/stardog:8.2.2-java11-preview
-API_QUERY_URL=http://localhost:8000/
 ## ADDITIONAL CONFIGURABLE PARAMETERS: Uncomment and modify values of the below variables as needed to use non-default values.
 # NB_API_PORT_HOST=8000
 # NB_API_PORT=8000
@@ -15,6 +16,4 @@ API_QUERY_URL=http://localhost:8000/
 # NB_GRAPH_ROOT_CONT=/var/opt/stardog
 # NB_GRAPH_ADDRESS=graph
 # NB_GRAPH_PORT_HOST=5820
-# NB_GRAPH_PORT=5820
-# NB_QUERY_TAG=latest
-# NB_QUERY_PORT_HOST=3000
+# NB_GRAPH_PORT=5820
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 12d5005..b647582 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -77,9 +77,12 @@ If needed, update your `.env` file with optional environment variables for the d
 
 > :information_source: **Note: Deploying the Neurobagel query tool**
 >
-> When you locally deploy the API with `docker compose`, you will also deploy a local version of the [Neurobagel graphical query tool](https://github.com/neurobagel/query-tool). 
-> By default you can reach your local query tool at http://localhost:3000 once it is running.
-> Similarly, the `.template-env` file in this repo also assumes you want to allow API requests from a query tool hosted at a specific port on `localhost`.
+> When you deploy the API locally with `docker compose`, 
+> you will only spin up the graph backend and the API service. 
+> If you want to use the graphical browser query tool
+> as a standalone service for your local API, 
+> you will have to deploy it manually.
+> Please refer to our [documentation for details](https://neurobagel.org/infrastructure/#as-a-standalone-service).
 
 Use Docker Compose to spin up the containers by running the following in the repository root (where the `docker-compose.yml` file is):
 ```bash
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 56bd2d3..d78b0bb 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -20,9 +20,3 @@ services:
       - "${NB_GRAPH_ROOT_HOST:-~/stardog-home}:${NB_GRAPH_ROOT_CONT:-/var/opt/stardog}"
     ports:
       - "${NB_GRAPH_PORT_HOST:-5820}:${NB_GRAPH_PORT:-5820}"
-  query:
-    image: "neurobagel/query_tool:${NB_QUERY_TAG:-latest}"
-    ports:
-      - "${NB_QUERY_PORT_HOST:-3000}:3000"
-    environment:
-      API_QUERY_URL: "${API_QUERY_URL:-http://localhost:8000/}"