diff --git a/app/data/compose/docker-compose-fixturenet-optimism.yml b/app/data/compose/docker-compose-fixturenet-optimism.yml
index 142a2251..24c3d5b5 100644
--- a/app/data/compose/docker-compose-fixturenet-optimism.yml
+++ b/app/data/compose/docker-compose-fixturenet-optimism.yml
@@ -7,11 +7,17 @@ services:
   fixturenet-optimism-contracts:
     hostname: fixturenet-optimism-contracts
     image: cerc/optimism-contracts:local
-    env_file:
-      - ../config/fixturenet-optimism/l1-params.env
+    environment:
+      CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG: ${CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG}
+      L1_CHAIN_ID: ${L1_CHAIN_ID}
+      L1_RPC: ${L1_RPC}
+      L1_ADDRESS: ${L1_ADDRESS}
+      L1_PRIV_KEY: ${L1_PRIV_KEY}
+      L1_ADDRESS_2: ${L1_ADDRESS_2}
+      L1_PRIV_KEY_2: ${L1_PRIV_KEY_2}
     # Waits for L1 endpoint to be up before running the script
     command: |
-      "./wait-for-it.sh -h $${L1_HOST} -p $${L1_PORT} -s -t 60 -- ./run.sh"
+      "./wait-for-it.sh -h ${L1_HOST} -p ${L1_PORT} -s -t 60 -- ./run.sh"
     volumes:
       - ../config/wait-for-it.sh:/app/packages/contracts-bedrock/wait-for-it.sh
       - ../container-build/cerc-optimism-contracts/hardhat-tasks/verify-contract-deployment.ts:/app/packages/contracts-bedrock/tasks/verify-contract-deployment.ts
@@ -31,8 +37,9 @@ services:
     depends_on:
       fixturenet-optimism-contracts:
         condition: service_completed_successfully
-    env_file:
-      - ../config/fixturenet-optimism/l1-params.env
+    environment:
+      CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG: ${CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG}
+      L1_RPC: ${L1_RPC}
     volumes:
       - ../config/fixturenet-optimism/generate-l2-config.sh:/app/generate-l2-config.sh
       - l1_deployment:/contracts-bedrock:ro
@@ -65,12 +72,13 @@ services:
 
   # Runs the L2 consensus client (Sequencer node)
   op-node:
-    env_file:
-      - ../config/fixturenet-optimism/l1-params.env
+    image: cerc/optimism-op-node:local
     depends_on:
       op-geth:
         condition: service_healthy
-    image: cerc/optimism-op-node:local
+    environment:
+      CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG: ${CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG}
+      L1_RPC: ${L1_RPC}
     volumes:
       - ../config/fixturenet-optimism/run-op-node.sh:/app/run-op-node.sh
       - l2_config:/op-node-data:ro
@@ -89,14 +97,15 @@ services:
 
   # Runs the batcher (takes transactions from the Sequencer and publishes them to L1)
   op-batcher:
-    env_file:
-      - ../config/fixturenet-optimism/l1-params.env
+    image: cerc/optimism-op-batcher:local
     depends_on:
       op-node:
         condition: service_healthy
       op-geth:
         condition: service_healthy
-    image: cerc/optimism-op-batcher:local
+    environment:
+      CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG: ${CERC_SCRIPT_DEBUG}
+      L1_RPC: ${L1_RPC}
     volumes:
       - ../config/wait-for-it.sh:/wait-for-it.sh
       - ../config/fixturenet-optimism/run-op-batcher.sh:/run-op-batcher.sh
@@ -104,7 +113,7 @@ services:
     entrypoint: ["sh", "-c"]
     # Waits for L1 endpoint to be up before running the batcher
     command: |
-      "/wait-for-it.sh -h $${L1_HOST} -p $${L1_PORT} -s -t 60 -- /run-op-batcher.sh"
+      "/wait-for-it.sh -h ${L1_HOST} -p ${L1_PORT} -s -t 60 -- /run-op-batcher.sh"
     extra_hosts:
     - "host.docker.internal:host-gateway"
 
diff --git a/app/data/stacks/fixturenet-optimism/README.md b/app/data/stacks/fixturenet-optimism/README.md
index 61ca97b3..1eeb1bc5 100644
--- a/app/data/stacks/fixturenet-optimism/README.md
+++ b/app/data/stacks/fixturenet-optimism/README.md
@@ -39,10 +39,12 @@ This should create the required docker images in the local image registry:
 
 ## Deploy
 
+Create an env file to be used in the next step with contents from [l1-params.env](../../config/fixturenet-optimism/l1-params.env)
+
 Deploy the stack:
 
 ```bash
-laconic-so --stack fixturenet-optimism deploy up
+laconic-so --stack fixturenet-optimism deploy --env-file <PATH_TO_ENV_FILE> up
 ```
 
 The `fixturenet-optimism-contracts` service may take a while (`~15 mins`) to complete running as it:
diff --git a/app/data/stacks/fixturenet-optimism/l2-only.md b/app/data/stacks/fixturenet-optimism/l2-only.md
index a1c33717..5da7fbb6 100644
--- a/app/data/stacks/fixturenet-optimism/l2-only.md
+++ b/app/data/stacks/fixturenet-optimism/l2-only.md
@@ -35,16 +35,14 @@ This should create the required docker images in the local image registry:
 
 ## Deploy
 
-Update the [l1-params.env](../../config/fixturenet-optimism/l1-params.env) file with L1 endpoint (`L1_RPC`, `L1_HOST` and `L1_PORT`) and other params
+Create an env file to be used in the next step with contents from [l1-params.env](../../config/fixturenet-optimism/l1-params.env); update it with L1 endpoint (`L1_RPC`, `L1_HOST` and `L1_PORT`) and other params
 
-* NOTE:
-  * Stack Orchestrator needs to be run in [`dev`](/docs/CONTRIBUTING.md#install-developer-mode) mode to be able to edit the env file
-  * If L1 is running on the host machine, use `host.docker.internal` as the hostname to access the host port
+* NOTE: If L1 is running on the host machine, use `host.docker.internal` as the hostname to access the host port
 
 Deploy the stack:
 
 ```bash
-laconic-so --stack fixturenet-optimism deploy up --include fixturenet-optimism
+laconic-so --stack fixturenet-optimism deploy --include fixturenet-optimism --env-file <PATH_TO_ENV_FILE> up
 ```
 
 The `fixturenet-optimism-contracts` service may take a while (`~15 mins`) to complete running as it: