diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3b1591818..055ea674e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,17 +2,21 @@ SHELL=bash
 # MAKE=make -d
 
 export CONTAINER_COMMAND ?= podman
-export CONTAINER_PORTS ?= --network=host
+export CONTAINER_RUN ?= $(CONTAINER_COMMAND) run -it --network=host
+
 export IN_CONTAINER ?= false
 export IN_CI ?= false
+
 export WATCH
 export db ?= -cf
+
 export DEV_PORT_HTTP
 export DEV_PORT_HTTPS
 
-export MEMCACHED_IMAGE = docker.io/memcached:latest
-export MINIO_IMAGE = docker.io/minio/minio:latest
-export MAILDEV_IMAGE = docker.io/maildev/maildev:latest
+export IMAGE_REGISTRY = docker.io
+export MEMCACHED_IMAGE = $(IMAGE_REGISTRY)/memcached:latest
+export MINIO_IMAGE = $(IMAGE_REGISTRY)/minio/minio:latest
+export MAILDEV_IMAGE = $(IMAGE_REGISTRY)/maildev/maildev:latest
 
 # HELP HEADER START
 # To see the definition of all available targets, take a look into the Makefile.
@@ -33,7 +37,7 @@ export MAILDEV_IMAGE = docker.io/maildev/maildev:latest
 # HELP: print out this help message
 help:
 	@if [ -z "$$(which perl 2>/dev/null)" ] ; then \
-	$(CONTAINER_COMMAND) run -v .:/mnt 'debian:12.5' '/mnt/utils/makehelp.pl' '/mnt/Makefile' ; \
+	$(CONTAINER_RUN) .:/mnt 'debian:12.5' '/mnt/utils/makehelp.pl' '/mnt/Makefile' ; \
 	else \
 	utils/makehelp.pl Makefile ; \
 	fi
@@ -66,7 +70,7 @@ release:
 	MOUNT_DIR=/mnt/fradrive ; \
 	FRADRIVE_SERVICE=$* ; \
 	$(MAKE) -- --image-build FRADRIVE_SERVICE=$${FRADRIVE_SERVICE} ; \
-	$(CONTAINER_COMMAND) run -it -v $(PWD):$${MOUNT_DIR} $(CONTAINER_PORTS) --env IN_CONTAINER=true --entrypoint /bin/bash --name fradrive.$${FRADRIVE_SERVICE}.interactive.$$(date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S') fradrive/$${FRADRIVE_SERVICE}
+	$(CONTAINER_RUN) -v $(PWD):$${MOUNT_DIR} --env IN_CONTAINER=true --entrypoint /bin/bash --name fradrive.$${FRADRIVE_SERVICE}.interactive.$$(date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S') fradrive/$${FRADRIVE_SERVICE}
 
 ##### GENERAL TARGETS #####
 ###########################
@@ -214,10 +218,6 @@ PHONY: --db-%-backend
 --.stack: stack.yaml stack.yaml.lock
 	stack build --fast --only-dependencies $(stackopts)
 
-# TODO: deprecated, remove
-# .stack-work.lock:
-# 	[ "${FLOCKER}" != "$0" ] && exec env FLOCKER="$0" flock -en .stack-work.lock "$0" "$@" || :
-
 ##### BACKEND TARGETS #####
 ###########################
 
@@ -231,19 +231,18 @@ serve-database: --containerized-database;
 
 --containerized-database: FRADRIVE_SERVICE=database
 # port forwarding is disabled in --network=host mode; nevertheless it is stated here for documentation reasons
-# --containerized-database: CONTAINER_PORTS=--network=host -p 5432:5432/tcp
 --containerized-database: docker/database/initdb.sh docker/database/pg_hba.conf docker/database/postgresql.conf docker/database/schema.sql --image-build
 	if [ "$(IN_CONTAINER)" == "false" ] ; then \
-	  $(CONTAINER_COMMAND) run -it $(CONTAINER_PORTS) --name fradrive.$(FRADRIVE_SERVICE).$$(date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S') fradrive/$(FRADRIVE_SERVICE) ; \
+	  $(CONTAINER_RUN) --name fradrive.$(FRADRIVE_SERVICE).$$(date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S') fradrive/$(FRADRIVE_SERVICE) ; \
 	fi
 
 .PHONY: serve-memcached
 serve-memcached:
-	$(CONTAINER_COMMAND) run -it --network=host $(MEMCACHED_IMAGE)
+	$(CONTAINER_RUN) $(MEMCACHED_IMAGE)
 
 .PHONY: serve-minio
 serve-minio:
-	$(CONTAINER_COMMAND) run -it --network=host $(MINIO_IMAGE) -- server $$(mktemp)
+	$(CONTAINER_RUN) $(MINIO_IMAGE) -- server $$(mktemp)
 
 ##### DATABASE TARGETS #####
 ############################
@@ -254,13 +253,10 @@ serve-minio:
 
 .PHONY: --containerized-%-frontend
 --containerized-%-frontend: FRADRIVE_SERVICE=frontend
-#--containerized-%-frontend: --image-build --image-run-%-frontend;
 --containerized-%-frontend: --image-build
 	$(MAKE) -- --image-run-$*-frontend
 
 --containerized-%-backend: FRADRIVE_SERVICE=backend
-#--containerized-%-backend: --image-build --image-run-%-backend;
-# --containerized-%-backend: CONTAINER_PORTS=--network=host -p $(DEV_PORT_HTTP):3000 -p $(DEV_PORT_HTTPS):3443
 --containerized-%-backend: --image-build
 	$(MAKE) -- --image-run-$*-backend 
 
@@ -285,7 +281,7 @@ image-rebuild-%:
 	if [ "$(IN_CONTAINER)" == "true" ] ; then \
 	  $(MAKE) -- $* ; \
 	else \
-	  $(CONTAINER_COMMAND) run -it -v $(PWD):$${MOUNT_DIR} $(CONTAINER_PORTS) --env IN_CONTAINER=true --env FRADRIVE_MAKE_TARGET=$* --env WATCH=$(WATCH) --name fradrive.$(FRADRIVE_SERVICE).$$(date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S') localhost/fradrive/$(FRADRIVE_SERVICE) ; \
+	  $(CONTAINER_RUN) -v $(PWD):$${MOUNT_DIR} --env IN_CONTAINER=true --env FRADRIVE_MAKE_TARGET=$* --env WATCH=$(WATCH) --name fradrive.$(FRADRIVE_SERVICE).$$(date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S') localhost/fradrive/$(FRADRIVE_SERVICE) ; \
 	fi
 
 ##### CONTAINER TARGETS #####