diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b9374ba..85037b9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -39,6 +39,3 @@ exmr-*.tar
 # In case you use Node.js/npm, you want to ignore these.
 npm-debug.log
 /assets/node_modules/
-
-# ignore release artifacts
-/rel/
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 2c6b13a..82c6b0e 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -38,12 +38,14 @@ ENV MIX_ENV="prod"
 COPY mix.exs mix.lock ./
 RUN mix deps.get --only $MIX_ENV
 RUN mkdir config
+RUN mkdir rel
+RUN mix phx.gen.release
 
 # copy compile-time config files before we compile dependencies
 # to ensure any relevant config change will trigger the dependencies
 # to be re-compiled.
 COPY config/config.exs config/${MIX_ENV}.exs config/
-RUN mix deps.compile
+RUN mix deps.compile --only $MIX_ENV
 
 COPY priv priv
 
diff --git a/rel/overlays/bin/migrate b/rel/overlays/bin/migrate
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6e73f0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/overlays/bin/migrate
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -eu
+
+cd -P -- "$(dirname -- "$0")"
+exec ./exmr eval Exmr.Release.migrate
diff --git a/rel/overlays/bin/migrate.bat b/rel/overlays/bin/migrate.bat
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..88fc0ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/overlays/bin/migrate.bat
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+call "%~dp0\exmr" eval Exmr.Release.migrate
diff --git a/rel/overlays/bin/server b/rel/overlays/bin/server
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..1280527
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/overlays/bin/server
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -eu
+
+cd -P -- "$(dirname -- "$0")"
+PHX_SERVER=true exec ./exmr start
diff --git a/rel/overlays/bin/server.bat b/rel/overlays/bin/server.bat
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e4734b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rel/overlays/bin/server.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+set PHX_SERVER=true
+call "%~dp0\exmr" start