diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 4c5b95e..6463563 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ LABEL description="Docker image for the survBot application"
 # install required system packages
 RUN apt update && apt install -y bind9-host iputils-ping
 
-# create user and group
+# create user and group and home directory
 RUN groupadd -r survBot && useradd -r -g survBot survBot
+RUN mkdir -p /home/survBot && chown -R survBot:survBot /home/survBot
 
 # change working directory
 WORKDIR /usr/src/app
@@ -18,21 +19,22 @@ WORKDIR /usr/src/app
 RUN --mount=type=bind,source=requirements.txt,target=/tmp/requirements.txt \
     pip install --no-cache-dir --requirement /tmp/requirements.txt
 
-# switch to user survBot
-USER survBot
-
 # copy application files
 COPY survBot.py utils.py write_utils.py LICENSE README.md ./
 
 # copy configuration files
 VOLUME /usr/src/app/conf
-COPY parameters.yaml mailing_list.yaml simulate_fail.json conf/
+COPY parameters.yaml mailing_list.yam[l] simulate_fail.jso[n] conf/
 RUN ln -s conf/simulate_fail.json simulate_fail.json
 
 # copy www files
 VOLUME /usr/src/app/www
-COPY logo.png stylesheets/desktop.css stylesheets/mobile.css www/
-RUN ln -s www/index.html survBot_out.html
+COPY logo.pn[g] stylesheets/desktop.css stylesheets/mobile.css www/
+RUN ln -s www/survBot_out.html www/index.html
 
-# run the application
+# change ownership of working directory
+RUN chown -R survBot:survBot /usr/src/app
+
+# run the application as user survBot
+USER survBot
 CMD [ "python", "./survBot.py", "-html", "www", "-parfile", "conf/parameters.yaml" ]