diff --git a/packages/api/package.json b/packages/api/package.json
index 1fc94b17c..b358c82ab 100644
--- a/packages/api/package.json
+++ b/packages/api/package.json
@@ -7,8 +7,12 @@
     "@t3-oss/env-core": "^0.7.1",
     "@trpc/server": "^10.44.1",
     "@usevenice/trpc-openapi": "^1.3.8",
+    "express": ">=5.0.0-beta.1",
     "trpc-panel": "^1.3.4",
     "zod": "^3.22.4",
     "zod-openapi": "^2.11.0"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "@types/express": "^4.17.17"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/api/router.ts b/packages/api/router.ts
index 4205363c5..459b640a0 100644
--- a/packages/api/router.ts
+++ b/packages/api/router.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,12 @@
 import { createHTTPServer } from '@trpc/server/adapters/standalone';
-import { createOpenApiHttpHandler, generateOpenApiDocument } from '@usevenice/trpc-openapi';
-import http from 'http';
+import { createOpenApiExpressMiddleware, generateOpenApiDocument } from '@usevenice/trpc-openapi';
+import express from 'express';
 import { renderTrpcPanel } from 'trpc-panel';
 import { z } from 'zod';
 import { createContext, t } from './context';
 import { engagementRouter } from './routers/engagement';
 
 export const metaRouter = t.router({
-  hello: t.procedure
-    .meta({ openapi: { method: 'GET', path: '/hello' } })
-    .input(z.void())
-    .output(z.string())
-    .query(() => 'world'),
   getOpenApiSpec: t.procedure
     .meta({ openapi: { method: 'GET', path: '/openapi.json' } })
     .input(z.void())
@@ -21,36 +16,45 @@ export const metaRouter = t.router({
 
 export const appRouter = t.mergeRouters(t.router({ engagement: engagementRouter }), metaRouter);
 
+const port = 3000;
+
 export const openApiSpec = generateOpenApiDocument(appRouter, {
   title: 'Supaglue OpenAPI',
   openApiVersion: '3.1.0',
   version: '0.0.1',
-  baseUrl: 'http://localhost:3000',
+  baseUrl: `http://localhost:${port}`,
 });
 
 if (require.main === module) {
-  // trpc server
+  // openapi server, running in the Docker container with express
+  const app = express();
+  app.get('/', (_req, res) => {
+    res.send('Our current API routes');
+  });
+  app.use(
+    createOpenApiExpressMiddleware({
+      router: appRouter,
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+      createContext: ({ req }) => createContext({ headers: req.headers }),
+    })
+  );
+
+  app.listen(port, () => {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+    console.log(`Server is running on port ${port}`);
+  });
+
+  // trpc server, running in api routes in next.js for our internal management ui use
   createHTTPServer({
     router: appRouter,
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
     createContext: ({ req }) => createContext({ headers: req.headers }),
     middleware(req, res, next) {
       if (req.url === '/_panel') {
-        res.end(renderTrpcPanel(appRouter, { url: 'http://localhost:3000' }));
+        res.end(renderTrpcPanel(appRouter, { url: 'http://localhost:3001' }));
         return;
       }
       next();
     },
-  }).listen(3000);
-
-  // openapi server
-  http
-    .createServer(
-      createOpenApiHttpHandler({
-        router: appRouter,
-        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-        createContext: ({ req }) => createContext({ headers: req.headers }),
-      })
-    )
-    .listen(3001);
+  }).listen(3001);
 }