diff --git a/.env b/.env
index b013eff..65a53d9 100644
--- a/.env
+++ b/.env
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ POSTGRES_PASS=zammad
 POSTGRES_USER=zammad
 RESTART=always
 # don't forget to add the minus before the version
-VERSION=-3.4.0-4
+VERSION=-3.5.0-2
diff --git a/.examples/proxy/docker-compose.proxy-example.yml b/.examples/proxy/docker-compose.proxy-example.yml
index d562911..31f2747 100644
--- a/.examples/proxy/docker-compose.proxy-example.yml
+++ b/.examples/proxy/docker-compose.proxy-example.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ services:
   zammad-nginx:
     environment:
       - VIRTUAL_HOST=helpdesk.domain.tld
+      - NGINX_SERVER_SCHEME=https
     networks:
       - default
       - proxy_2_zammad
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index abba102..8d26cef 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ Like this, you can add your `docker-compose.prod.yml` to a branch of your Git re
 
 * RANCHER_URL=http://RANCHER_HOST:8080 rancher-compose --env-file=.env up
 
+## Running without Elasticsearch
+
+Elasticsearch is an optional, but strongly recommended dependency for Zammad. More details can be found in the [documentation](https://docs.zammad.org/en/latest/prerequisites/software.html#elasticsearch-optional). There are however certain scenarios when running without Elasticsearch may be desired, e.g. for very small teams, for teams with limited budget or as a temporary solution for an unplanned Elasticsearch downtime or planned cluster upgrade.
+
+Elasticsearch is enabled by default in the example `docker-compose.yml` file. It is also by default required to run the "zammad-init" command. Disabling Elasticsearch is possible by setting a special environment variable: `ELASTICSEARCH_ENABLED=false` for the `zammad-init` container and removing all references to Elasticsearch everywhere else: the `zammad-elasticsearch` container, it's volume and links to it.
+
 ## Upgrading
 
 ### From =< 3.3.0-12
diff --git a/containers/zammad-elasticsearch/Dockerfile b/containers/zammad-elasticsearch/Dockerfile
index 8a7a417..b9e5dd4 100644
--- a/containers/zammad-elasticsearch/Dockerfile
+++ b/containers/zammad-elasticsearch/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM docker.elastic.co/elasticsearch/elasticsearch:7.6.1
+FROM docker.elastic.co/elasticsearch/elasticsearch:7.9.1
 ARG BUILD_DATE
 
 LABEL org.label-schema.build-date="$BUILD_DATE" \
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ LABEL org.label-schema.build-date="$BUILD_DATE" \
       org.label-schema.vcs-url="https://github.com/zammad/zammad" \
       org.label-schema.vcs-type="Git" \
       org.label-schema.vendor="Zammad" \
-      org.label-schema.schema-version="3.4.0" \
+      org.label-schema.schema-version="3.5.0" \
       org.label-schema.docker.cmd="sysctl -w vm.max_map_count=262144;docker-compose up"
 
 SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-e", "-o", "pipefail", "-c"]
diff --git a/containers/zammad-postgresql/Dockerfile b/containers/zammad-postgresql/Dockerfile
index 9694b99..298df22 100644
--- a/containers/zammad-postgresql/Dockerfile
+++ b/containers/zammad-postgresql/Dockerfile
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ LABEL org.label-schema.build-date="$BUILD_DATE" \
       org.label-schema.vcs-url="https://github.com/zammad/zammad" \
       org.label-schema.vcs-type="Git" \
       org.label-schema.vendor="Zammad" \
-      org.label-schema.schema-version="3.4.0" \
+      org.label-schema.schema-version="3.5.0" \
       org.label-schema.docker.cmd="sysctl -w vm.max_map_count=262144;docker-compose up"
 
 SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-e", "-o", "pipefail", "-c"]
diff --git a/containers/zammad/Dockerfile b/containers/zammad/Dockerfile
index a78dd59..22276bc 100644
--- a/containers/zammad/Dockerfile
+++ b/containers/zammad/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM ruby:2.6.5-slim AS builder
+FROM ruby:2.6.6-slim AS builder
 # note: zammad is currently incompatible to alpine because of: 
 # https://github.com/docker-library/ruby/issues/113
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ RUN chmod +x /tmp/setup.sh; \
     /tmp/setup.sh install
 
 
-FROM ruby:2.6.5-slim
+FROM ruby:2.6.6-slim
 
 ARG BUILD_DATE
 ARG DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ LABEL org.label-schema.build-date="$BUILD_DATE" \
       org.label-schema.vcs-url="https://github.com/zammad/zammad" \
       org.label-schema.vcs-type="Git" \
       org.label-schema.vendor="Zammad" \
-      org.label-schema.schema-version="3.4.0" \
+      org.label-schema.schema-version="3.5.0" \
       org.label-schema.docker.cmd="sysctl -w vm.max_map_count=262144;docker-compose up"
 
 ENV GIT_BRANCH stable
diff --git a/containers/zammad/docker-entrypoint.sh b/containers/zammad/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 694d711..355fa76 100755
--- a/containers/zammad/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/containers/zammad/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@
 set -e
 
 : "${AUTOWIZARD_JSON:=''}"
+: "${ELASTICSEARCH_ENABLED:=true}"
 : "${ELASTICSEARCH_HOST:=zammad-elasticsearch}"
 : "${ELASTICSEARCH_PORT:=9200}"
 : "${ELASTICSEARCH_SCHEMA:=http}"
 : "${ELASTICSEARCH_NAMESPACE:=zammad}"
+: "${ELASTICSEARCH_REINDEX:=true}"
 : "${ELASTICSEARCH_SSL_VERIFY:=true}"
 : "${MEMCACHED_HOST:=zammad-memcached}"
 : "${MEMCACHED_PORT:=11211}"
@@ -74,32 +76,38 @@ if [ "$1" = 'zammad-init' ]; then
   else
     bundle exec rake db:migrate
   fi
- 
+
   # es config
   echo "changing settings..."
-  bundle exec rails r "Setting.set('es_url', '${ELASTICSEARCH_SCHEMA}://${ELASTICSEARCH_HOST}:${ELASTICSEARCH_PORT}')"
-
-  bundle exec rails r "Setting.set('es_index', '${ELASTICSEARCH_NAMESPACE}')"
-
-  if [ -n "${ELASTICSEARCH_USER}" ] && [ -n "${ELASTICSEARCH_PASS}" ]; then
-    bundle exec rails r "Setting.set('es_user', \"${ELASTICSEARCH_USER}\")"
-    bundle exec rails r "Setting.set('es_password', \"${ELASTICSEARCH_PASS}\")"
-  fi
-
-  until (echo > /dev/tcp/${ELASTICSEARCH_HOST}/${ELASTICSEARCH_PORT}) &> /dev/null; do
-    echo "zammad railsserver waiting for elasticsearch server to be ready..."
-    sleep 5
-  done
-
-  if [ "${ELASTICSEARCH_SSL_VERIFY}" == "false" ]; then
-    SSL_SKIP_VERIFY="-k"
+  if [ "${ELASTICSEARCH_ENABLED}" == "false" ]; then
+    bundle exec rails r "Setting.set('es_url', '')"
   else
-    SSL_SKIP_VERIFY=""
-  fi
-  
-  if ! curl -s ${SSL_SKIP_VERIFY} ${ELASTICSEARCH_SCHEMA}://${ELASTICSEARCH_HOST}:${ELASTICSEARCH_PORT}/_cat/indices | grep -q zammad; then
-    echo "rebuilding es searchindex..."
-    bundle exec rake searchindex:rebuild
+    bundle exec rails r "Setting.set('es_url', '${ELASTICSEARCH_SCHEMA}://${ELASTICSEARCH_HOST}:${ELASTICSEARCH_PORT}')"
+
+    bundle exec rails r "Setting.set('es_index', '${ELASTICSEARCH_NAMESPACE}')"
+
+    if [ -n "${ELASTICSEARCH_USER}" ] && [ -n "${ELASTICSEARCH_PASS}" ]; then
+      bundle exec rails r "Setting.set('es_user', \"${ELASTICSEARCH_USER}\")"
+      bundle exec rails r "Setting.set('es_password', \"${ELASTICSEARCH_PASS}\")"
+    fi
+
+    until (echo > /dev/tcp/${ELASTICSEARCH_HOST}/${ELASTICSEARCH_PORT}) &> /dev/null; do
+      echo "zammad railsserver waiting for elasticsearch server to be ready..."
+      sleep 5
+    done
+
+    if [ "${ELASTICSEARCH_SSL_VERIFY}" == "false" ]; then
+      SSL_SKIP_VERIFY="-k"
+    else
+      SSL_SKIP_VERIFY=""
+    fi
+
+    if [ "${ELASTICSEARCH_REINDEX}" == "true" ]; then
+      if ! curl -s ${SSL_SKIP_VERIFY} ${ELASTICSEARCH_SCHEMA}://${ELASTICSEARCH_HOST}:${ELASTICSEARCH_PORT}/_cat/indices | grep -q zammad; then
+        echo "rebuilding es searchindex..."
+        bundle exec rake searchindex:rebuild
+      fi
+    fi  
   fi
 
   # chown everything to zammad user
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 59909c2..72a76c4 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ services:
 
   zammad-memcached:
     command: memcached -m 256M
-    image: memcached:1.5.22-alpine
+    image: memcached:1.6.7-alpine
     restart: ${RESTART}
 
   zammad-nginx: