diff --git a/filter_plugins/has_env.py b/filter_plugins/has_env.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a93b298
--- /dev/null
+++ b/filter_plugins/has_env.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import os
+
+def has_env(application_id, base_dir='.'):
+    """
+    Check if env.j2 exists under roles/{{ application_id }}/templates/env.j2
+    """
+    path = os.path.join(base_dir, 'roles', application_id, 'templates', 'env.j2')
+    return os.path.isfile(path)
+
+class FilterModule(object):
+    def filters(self):
+        return {
+            'has_env': has_env,
+        }
diff --git a/roles/docker-container/templates/base.yml.j2 b/roles/docker-container/templates/base.yml.j2
index e9164393..ce44783f 100644
--- a/roles/docker-container/templates/base.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/docker-container/templates/base.yml.j2
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 {# Base for docker services #}
 
     restart: {{docker_restart_policy}}
+{% if application_id | has_env  %}
     env_file:
       - "{{docker_compose.files.env}}"
+{% endif %}
     logging:
       driver: journald
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/filter_plugins/test_has_env.py b/tests/unit/filter_plugins/test_has_env.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3004976d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/filter_plugins/test_has_env.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import unittest
+import os
+import shutil
+
+# Import the filter directly
+from filter_plugins.has_env import has_env
+
+class TestHasEnvFilter(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        # Create a test directory structure
+        self.base_dir = './testdata'
+        self.app_with_env = 'app_with_env'
+        self.app_without_env = 'app_without_env'
+        os.makedirs(os.path.join(self.base_dir, 'roles', self.app_with_env, 'templates'), exist_ok=True)
+        os.makedirs(os.path.join(self.base_dir, 'roles', self.app_without_env, 'templates'), exist_ok=True)
+
+        # Create an empty env.j2 file
+        with open(os.path.join(self.base_dir, 'roles', self.app_with_env, 'templates', 'env.j2'), 'w') as f:
+            f.write('')
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        # Clean up the test data
+        if os.path.exists(self.base_dir):
+            shutil.rmtree(self.base_dir)
+
+    def test_env_exists(self):
+        """Test that has_env returns True if env.j2 exists."""
+        self.assertTrue(has_env(self.app_with_env, base_dir=self.base_dir))
+
+    def test_env_not_exists(self):
+        """Test that has_env returns False if env.j2 does not exist."""
+        self.assertFalse(has_env(self.app_without_env, base_dir=self.base_dir))
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()