diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 579295fb7a88a..18622eb0ad0d9 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@ services:
       - ./superset-websocket:/home/superset-websocket
       - /home/superset-websocket/node_modules
       - /home/superset-websocket/dist
+
+      # Mounting a config file that contains a dummy secret required to boot up.
+      # do no not use this docker-compose in production
+      - ./docker/superset-websocket/config.json:/home/superset-websocket/config.json
     environment:
       - PORT=8080
       - REDIS_HOST=redis
diff --git a/docker/superset-websocket/config.json b/docker/superset-websocket/config.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..8f6afdcc22aeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/superset-websocket/config.json
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+  "port": 8080,
+  "logLevel": "info",
+  "logToFile": false,
+  "logFilename": "app.log",
+  "statsd": {
+    "host": "127.0.0.1",
+    "port": 8125,
+    "globalTags": []
+  },
+  "redis": {
+    "port": 6379,
+    "host": "127.0.0.1",
+    "password": "",
+    "db": 0,
+    "ssl": false
+  },
+  "redisStreamPrefix": "async-events-",
+  "jwtAlgorithms": ["HS256"],
+  "jwtSecret": "CHANGE-ME-IN-PRODUCTION-GOTTA-BE-LONG-AND-SECRET",
+  "jwtCookieName": "async-token"
+}
diff --git a/superset-websocket/src/index.ts b/superset-websocket/src/index.ts
index ced46f18bbabf..96d056a92ff3c 100644
--- a/superset-websocket/src/index.ts
+++ b/superset-websocket/src/index.ts
@@ -94,8 +94,17 @@ export const statsd = new StatsD({
 });
 
 // enforce JWT secret length
-if (startServer && opts.jwtSecret.length < 32)
-  throw new Error('Please provide a JWT secret at least 32 bytes long');
+if (startServer && opts.jwtSecret.length < 32) {
+  console.error('ERROR: Please provide a JWT secret at least 32 bytes long');
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
+if (startServer && opts.jwtSecret.startsWith('CHANGE-ME')) {
+  console.warn(
+    'WARNING: it appears you secret in your config.json is insecure',
+  );
+  console.warn('DO NOT USE IN PRODUCTION');
+}
 
 export const buildRedisOpts = (baseConfig: RedisConfig) => {
   const redisOpts: RedisOptions = {