diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index abbc169..90042d3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@ $(wildcard all-apps/ghost/*) \
 $(wildcard all-apps/dozzle/*)
 
 	rm -Rf app/
-	cp -a all-apps app && touch $@
+	mkdir app/
+	cp all-apps/app.service app/
+	cp all-apps/docker-compose.yaml app/
+	cp all-apps/.env app/
+	./copy-apps.sh $(apps_config) && touch $@
 
 # compose .env files
 # (compose only supports one .env file at the root by default)
@@ -96,7 +100,7 @@ restic-snapshots: $(apps_config) restic-password
 .PHONY: archive
 archive:
 	tar -cf nassella-latest.tar all-apps cl.yaml init-restic.sh main.tf make-caddyfile.sh Makefile \
-		make-generated.sh make-nextcloud-env.sh make-ghost-env.sh make-restic-generated.sh make-restic-password.sh restic-snapshots.sh \
+		make-generated.sh make-nextcloud-env.sh make-ghost-env.sh make-restic-generated.sh make-restic-password.sh restic-snapshots.sh copy-apps.sh \
 		.terraform .terraform.lock.hcl
 	cp nassella-latest.tar src/
 
diff --git a/copy-apps.sh b/copy-apps.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..27477a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/copy-apps.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# this script copys over the docker configs
+# for in-use apps
+
+# it depends on apps.config which should define:
+# ROOT_DOMAIN - the root domain for all apps
+# APP_CONFIGS - app-subdomain pairs, configured via a comma, like:
+#   app1,subdomain1 app2,subdomain2 app3,subdomain3
+# full example:
+#   ROOT_DOMAIN=nassella.cc
+#   APP_CONFIGS="app1,subdomain1 app2,subdomain2 app3,subdomain3"
+
+set -e
+
+. $1 # source the apps.config file with then env vars
+
+read -r -a APP_CONFIGS <<< "$APP_CONFIGS"
+APP_CONFIGS+=('lb,root')
+
+
+for config_string in ${APP_CONFIGS[@]}; do
+    IFS=','
+    read -r -a config <<< "$config_string"
+
+    app=${config[0]}
+    cp -a all-apps/$app app/
+done
+
+
+