diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 6ca328a..2a6b34b 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ version = 3
 
 [[package]]
 name = "ahab"
-version = "0.1.0"
+version = "0.0.1"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "clap",
+ "dotenvy",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -125,6 +126,12 @@ version = "1.0.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "acbf1af155f9b9ef647e42cdc158db4b64a1b61f743629225fde6f3e0be2a7c7"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "dotenvy"
+version = "0.15.7"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "1aaf95b3e5c8f23aa320147307562d361db0ae0d51242340f558153b4eb2439b"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "errno"
 version = "0.3.1"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index bad935b..89f0eff 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ repository = "https://github.com/janezicmatej/ahab.git"
 [dependencies]
 clap = { version = "4.3.0", features = ["derive"] }
 anyhow = "1.0.71"
-
+dotenvy = "0.15.7"
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 958fff8..dc67c20 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ use anyhow::Result;
 use clap::Parser;
 
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    // always load dotenv on start
+    dotenvy::dotenv().ok();
+
     let args = cli::Ahab::parse();
 
     match args.command {
diff --git a/src/scripts/docker_compose.rs b/src/scripts/docker_compose.rs
index 9b633d2..7463bef 100644
--- a/src/scripts/docker_compose.rs
+++ b/src/scripts/docker_compose.rs
@@ -1,21 +1,34 @@
+use super::DockerCommand;
+
+// simple commands
 pub fn build() {
-    todo!()
+    DockerCommand::docker_compose().args("build").spawn_wait();
 }
+
 pub fn down() {
-    todo!()
-}
-pub fn rebuild() {
-    todo!()
-}
-pub fn restart() {
-    todo!()
+    DockerCommand::docker_compose().args("down").spawn_wait();
 }
+
 pub fn start() {
-    todo!()
+    DockerCommand::docker_compose().args("start").spawn_wait();
 }
+
 pub fn stop() {
-    todo!()
+    DockerCommand::docker_compose().args("stop").spawn_wait();
 }
+
 pub fn up() {
-    todo!()
+    DockerCommand::docker_compose().args("up -d").spawn_wait();
+}
+
+// shortcuts
+pub fn rebuild() {
+    stop();
+    build();
+    start();
+}
+
+pub fn restart() {
+    stop();
+    start();
 }
diff --git a/src/scripts/mod.rs b/src/scripts/mod.rs
index d9e926b..1985547 100644
--- a/src/scripts/mod.rs
+++ b/src/scripts/mod.rs
@@ -2,3 +2,44 @@ pub mod django;
 pub mod docker;
 pub mod docker_compose;
 pub mod postgres;
+
+use std::{ffi::OsStr, process::Command};
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+
+struct DockerCommand {
+    command: Command,
+}
+
+impl DockerCommand {
+    fn new<T>(program: T) -> Self
+    where
+        T: AsRef<OsStr>,
+    {
+        DockerCommand {
+            command: Command::new(program),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn docker() -> Self {
+        Self::new("docker")
+    }
+
+    fn docker_compose() -> Self {
+        Self::new("docker").args("compose -f docker/local/docker-compose.yaml")
+    }
+
+    fn args(mut self, args: &str) -> Self {
+        self.command.args(args.split_whitespace());
+        self
+    }
+
+    fn spawn_wait(mut self) -> Result<()> {
+        self.command
+            .spawn()
+            .context("failed spawning command")?
+            .wait()
+            .context("failed while waiting")?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}