diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 43970b20..b6bbd710 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ RUN npm install
 # Copy the rest of the frontend source code
 COPY frontend/ ./
 
+# Add the build argument for the backend API URL to be used by the frontend
+ARG VITE_API_URL
+
+# Set the environment variable so Vite can access the backend API URL during build
+ENV VITE_API_URL=${VITE_API_URL}
+
 # Build the frontend
 RUN npm run build
 
diff --git a/backend/.env.example b/backend/.env.example
index fde5f6ba..6fb7fbfa 100644
--- a/backend/.env.example
+++ b/backend/.env.example
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
-# GEMINI_API_KEY=
\ No newline at end of file
+# GEMINI_API_KEY=
+# LANGSMITH_API_KEY=
+# VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:8123
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 6cec5c05..708db0f1 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ services:
       retries: 5
       interval: 5s
   langgraph-api:
+    build:
+      context: .
+      dockerfile: Dockerfile
+      args:
+        VITE_API_URL: ${VITE_API_URL}  
     image: gemini-fullstack-langgraph
     container_name: langgraph-api
     ports:
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index d06d4021..1be708cb 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ export default function App() {
     max_research_loops: number;
     reasoning_model: string;
   }>({
-    apiUrl: import.meta.env.DEV
+    apiUrl: import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL || (import.meta.env.DEV
       ? "http://localhost:2024"
-      : "http://localhost:8123",
+      : "http://localhost:8123"),
     assistantId: "agent",
     messagesKey: "messages",
     onUpdateEvent: (event: any) => {