diff --git a/docker/.env.example b/docker/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..91934506a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+############
+# Secrets
+# YOU MUST CHANGE THESE BEFORE GOING INTO PRODUCTION
+############
+
+LITELLM_MASTER_KEY="sk-1234"
+
+############
+# Database - You can change these to any PostgreSQL database that has logical replication enabled.
+############
+
+# LITELLM_DATABASE_URL="your-postgres-db-url" 
+
+
+############
+# User Auth - SMTP server details for email-based auth for users to create keys 
+############
+
+# SMTP_HOST = "fake-mail-host"
+# SMTP_USERNAME = "fake-mail-user"
+# SMTP_PASSWORD="fake-mail-password"
+# SMTP_SENDER_EMAIL="fake-sender-email"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker/README.md b/docker/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8dbc59d01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# LiteLLM Docker 
+
+This is a minimal Docker Compose setup for self-hosting LiteLLM.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
index c6eae23e7..c5249943d 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/proxy_server.py
@@ -306,7 +306,9 @@ async def user_api_key_auth(
 def prisma_setup(database_url: Optional[str]):
     global prisma_client, proxy_logging_obj, user_api_key_cache
 
-    if database_url is not None:
+    if (
+        database_url is not None and prisma_client is None
+    ):  # don't re-initialize prisma client after initial init
         try:
             prisma_client = PrismaClient(
                 database_url=database_url, proxy_logging_obj=proxy_logging_obj
@@ -663,7 +665,9 @@ def load_router_config(router: Optional[litellm.Router], config_file_path: str):
         ## COST TRACKING ##
         cost_tracking()
         ### MASTER KEY ###
-        master_key = general_settings.get("master_key", None)
+        master_key = general_settings.get(
+            "master_key", litellm.get_secret("LITELLM_MASTER_KEY", None)
+        )
         if master_key and master_key.startswith("os.environ/"):
             master_key = litellm.get_secret(master_key)
         ### CUSTOM API KEY AUTH ###
diff --git a/litellm/proxy/utils.py b/litellm/proxy/utils.py
index fcc58920d..bb855d9f7 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/utils.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/utils.py
@@ -579,10 +579,11 @@ async def _cache_user_row(user_id: str, cache: DualCache, db: PrismaClient):
     response = cache.get_cache(key=cache_key)
     if response is None:  # Cache miss
         user_row = await db.get_data(user_id=user_id)
-        cache_value = user_row.model_dump_json()
-        cache.set_cache(
-            key=cache_key, value=cache_value, ttl=600
-        )  # store for 10 minutes
+        if user_row is not None:
+            cache_value = user_row.model_dump_json()
+            cache.set_cache(
+                key=cache_key, value=cache_value, ttl=600
+            )  # store for 10 minutes
     return