diff --git a/home/fhirvalidation.py b/home/fhirvalidation.py
index 96585aa..bfba22c 100644
--- a/home/fhirvalidation.py
+++ b/home/fhirvalidation.py
@@ -9,8 +9,12 @@ from tqdm.auto import tqdm
 
 class Validator():
     def __init__(self, fhir_base_url=None):
-        self.fhir_base_url = fhir_base_url
 
+        self.validator_api_url = 'http://fhir-validation-server:8080/fhir/{{resource_type}}/$validate'
+        if (os.environ.get('FHIR_VALIDATION_VALIDATOR_API_URL')):
+            self.validator_api_url = os.environ.get('FHIR_VALIDATION_VALIDATOR_API_URL')
+
+        self.fhir_base_url = fhir_base_url
         if not self.fhir_base_url:
             self.fhir_base_url = os.environ.get('FHIR_VALIDATION_DATASOURCE_BASEURL')
 
@@ -37,8 +41,11 @@ class Validator():
         else:
             data = json.dumps(resource)
 
-        # todo: use environment variable and set it in docker-compose
-        r = requests.post('http://fhir-validation-server:8080/fhir/' + resource_type + '/$validate', headers=headers,
+        validator_api_url = self.validator_api_url
+        validator_api_url = validator_api_url.replace('{{resource_type}}', resource_type)
+        validator_api_url = validator_api_url.replace('{{ resource_type }}', resource_type)
+
+        r = requests.post(validator_api_url, headers=headers,
                           data=data)
         outcome = r.json()
         return outcome