diff --git a/cmd/system_update.go b/cmd/system_update.go
index 774b733..64567cc 100644
--- a/cmd/system_update.go
+++ b/cmd/system_update.go
@@ -135,18 +135,20 @@ func (si systemupdate) Run(context wisski_distillery.Context) (err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// create the docker network
+	// create the docker networks
 	{
 		logging.LogMessage(context.Stderr, context.Context, "Configuring docker networks")
-		name := dis.Config.Docker.Network
-		id, existed, err := dis.Docker().CreateNetwork(context.Context, name)
-		if err != nil {
-			return errNetworkCreateFailed.Wrap(err)
-		}
-		if existed {
-			context.Printf("Network %s (id %s) already existed\n", name, id)
-		} else {
-			context.Printf("Network %s (id %s) created\n", name, id)
+
+		for _, name := range dis.Config.Docker.Networks() {
+			id, existed, err := dis.Docker().CreateNetwork(context.Context, name)
+			if err != nil {
+				return errNetworkCreateFailed.Wrap(err)
+			}
+			if existed {
+				context.Printf("Network %s (id %s) already existed\n", name, id)
+			} else {
+				context.Printf("Network %s (id %s) created\n", name, id)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/config/config.yml b/internal/config/config.yml
index 458cda3..7dab9a4 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.yml
+++ b/internal/config/config.yml
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ theme:
   home: null
 
 docker:
-  # The name of the (global) docker network to run the distillery services in.
+  # The distillery uses several global docker networks.
+  # This determines the prefix to use for those networks.
   network: null
 
 # Configuration of the sql backend
diff --git a/internal/config/docker.go b/internal/config/docker.go
index bb8a699..420e321 100644
--- a/internal/config/docker.go
+++ b/internal/config/docker.go
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 package config
 
 type DockerConfig struct {
-	// name of docker network to use
-	Network string `yaml:"network" default:"distillery" validate:"nonempty"`
+	NetworkPrefix string `yaml:"network" default:"distillery" validate:"nonempty"`
+}
+
+// Networks returns a list of all docker networks to be created for purposes of the distillery.
+func (dc DockerConfig) Networks() []string {
+	return []string{dc.Network()}
+}
+
+// Network returns the name of the default network to attach all docker containers to.
+func (dc DockerConfig) Network() string {
+	return dc.NetworkPrefix
 }
diff --git a/internal/config/template.go b/internal/config/template.go
index 72b7f92..cfc841b 100644
--- a/internal/config/template.go
+++ b/internal/config/template.go
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ type Template struct {
 	SQLAdminUsername string
 	SQLAdminPassword string
 
-	DockerNetworkName string
-	SessionSecret     string
+	DockerNetworkPrefix string
+	SessionSecret       string
 }
 
 // SetDefaults sets defaults on the template
@@ -58,12 +58,12 @@ func (tpl *Template) SetDefaults() (err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if tpl.DockerNetworkName == "" {
-		tpl.DockerNetworkName, err = password.Generate(rand.Reader, 10, passwordx.Identifier)
+	if tpl.DockerNetworkPrefix == "" {
+		tpl.DockerNetworkPrefix, err = password.Generate(rand.Reader, 10, passwordx.Identifier)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		tpl.DockerNetworkName = `distillery-` + tpl.DockerNetworkName
+		tpl.DockerNetworkPrefix = `distillery-` + tpl.DockerNetworkPrefix
 	}
 
 	if tpl.SessionSecret == "" {
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func (tpl Template) Generate() Config {
 			ExtraDomains:  []string{},
 		},
 		Docker: DockerConfig{
-			tpl.DockerNetworkName,
+			NetworkPrefix: tpl.DockerNetworkPrefix,
 		},
 		SQL: SQLConfig{
 			DatabaseConfig: DatabaseConfig{
diff --git a/internal/dis/component/binder/binder.go b/internal/dis/component/binder/binder.go
index 0c308dd..7545b0a 100644
--- a/internal/dis/component/binder/binder.go
+++ b/internal/dis/component/binder/binder.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (binder *Binder) Stack() component.StackWithResources {
 		},
 
 		EnvContext: map[string]string{
-			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": binder.Config.Docker.Network,
+			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": binder.Config.Docker.Network(),
 		},
 	})
 }
diff --git a/internal/dis/component/server/stack.go b/internal/dis/component/server/stack.go
index c0c0ea6..addfe6d 100644
--- a/internal/dis/component/server/stack.go
+++ b/internal/dis/component/server/stack.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func (server *Server) Stack() component.StackWithResources {
 		EnvPath:     "server.env",
 
 		EnvContext: map[string]string{
-			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": server.Config.Docker.Network,
+			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": server.Config.Docker.Network(),
 			"HOST_RULE":           server.Config.HTTP.DefaultHostRule(),
 			"HTTPS_ENABLED":       server.Config.HTTP.HTTPSEnabledEnv(),
 
diff --git a/internal/dis/component/solr/solr.go b/internal/dis/component/solr/solr.go
index b2441a7..cb706a0 100644
--- a/internal/dis/component/solr/solr.go
+++ b/internal/dis/component/solr/solr.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func (solr *Solr) Stack() component.StackWithResources {
 
 		EnvPath: "solr.env",
 		EnvContext: map[string]string{
-			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": solr.Config.Docker.Network,
+			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": solr.Config.Docker.Network(),
 		},
 
 		MakeDirs: []string{
diff --git a/internal/dis/component/sql/sql.go b/internal/dis/component/sql/sql.go
index 22f0113..b5c6779 100644
--- a/internal/dis/component/sql/sql.go
+++ b/internal/dis/component/sql/sql.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func (sql *SQL) Stack() component.StackWithResources {
 
 		EnvPath: "sql.env",
 		EnvContext: map[string]string{
-			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": sql.Config.Docker.Network,
+			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": sql.Config.Docker.Network(),
 			"HTTPS_ENABLED":       sql.Config.HTTP.HTTPSEnabledEnv(),
 		},
 
diff --git a/internal/dis/component/ssh2/stack.go b/internal/dis/component/ssh2/stack.go
index 9a4e1df..fa7b82a 100644
--- a/internal/dis/component/ssh2/stack.go
+++ b/internal/dis/component/ssh2/stack.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ func (ssh *SSH2) Stack() component.StackWithResources {
 		EnvPath:     "ssh2.env",
 
 		EnvContext: map[string]string{
-			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": ssh.Config.Docker.Network,
+			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": ssh.Config.Docker.Network(),
 			"HOST_RULE":           ssh.Config.HTTP.DefaultHostRule(),
 
 			"CONFIG_PATH": ssh.Config.ConfigPath,
diff --git a/internal/dis/component/triplestore/triplestore.go b/internal/dis/component/triplestore/triplestore.go
index 06de7ca..7094449 100644
--- a/internal/dis/component/triplestore/triplestore.go
+++ b/internal/dis/component/triplestore/triplestore.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func (ts *Triplestore) Stack() component.StackWithResources {
 
 		EnvPath: "triplestore.env",
 		EnvContext: map[string]string{
-			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": ts.Config.Docker.Network,
+			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": ts.Config.Docker.Network(),
 		},
 
 		MakeDirs: []string{
diff --git a/internal/dis/component/web/web.go b/internal/dis/component/web/web.go
index c3decf4..fd0ec84 100644
--- a/internal/dis/component/web/web.go
+++ b/internal/dis/component/web/web.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (web *Web) Stack() component.StackWithResources {
 	stack.EnvPath = "web.env"
 
 	stack.EnvContext = map[string]string{
-		"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": web.Config.Docker.Network,
+		"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": web.Config.Docker.Network(),
 		"CERT_EMAIL":          web.Config.HTTP.CertbotEmail,
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/wisski/ingredient/barrel/stack.go b/internal/wisski/ingredient/barrel/stack.go
index aeb932c..20991ad 100644
--- a/internal/wisski/ingredient/barrel/stack.go
+++ b/internal/wisski/ingredient/barrel/stack.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ func (barrel *Barrel) Stack() component.StackWithResources {
 		EnvPath:     filepath.Join("barrel.env"),
 
 		EnvContext: map[string]string{
-			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": barrel.Malt.Config.Docker.Network,
+			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": barrel.Malt.Config.Docker.Network(),
 
 			"SLUG":          barrel.Slug,
 			"VIRTUAL_HOST":  barrel.Domain(),
diff --git a/internal/wisski/ingredient/reserve/reserve.go b/internal/wisski/ingredient/reserve/reserve.go
index 29b3488..172cdc8 100644
--- a/internal/wisski/ingredient/reserve/reserve.go
+++ b/internal/wisski/ingredient/reserve/reserve.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func (reserve *Reserve) Stack() component.StackWithResources {
 		EnvPath:     filepath.Join("reserve.env"),
 
 		EnvContext: map[string]string{
-			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": reserve.Malt.Config.Docker.Network,
+			"DOCKER_NETWORK_NAME": reserve.Malt.Config.Docker.Network(),
 
 			"SLUG":          reserve.Slug,
 			"VIRTUAL_HOST":  reserve.Domain(),