diff --git a/pixelfed.yaml b/pixelfed.yaml
index f60140e..e77f13e 100644
--- a/pixelfed.yaml
+++ b/pixelfed.yaml
@@ -79,9 +79,11 @@ services:
       - ./pixelfed/env.production
 
   # add the subdomain nginx configuration into the nginx volume
+  # as well as the storage directory for direct sendfile of static data
   nginx:
     volumes:
       - ./pixelfed/nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/templates/pixelfed.conf.template:ro
+      - ./data/pixelfed/storage:/pixelfed/storage:ro
 
   # add the subdomain client secrets to the keycloak-setup volume
   keycloak:
diff --git a/pixelfed/nginx.conf b/pixelfed/nginx.conf
index 5e01fbf..06dfdde 100644
--- a/pixelfed/nginx.conf
+++ b/pixelfed/nginx.conf
@@ -13,7 +13,29 @@ server {
 
 	proxy_read_timeout 1800s;
 
+# "GET /storage/m/_v2/502109601351254017/a48ad3dc0-89cf68/8vRxOkz65vOO/h4LB3lmyWrcyMxwcKeyJ8WTf3sEv3RVM8q5UYqA8.jpg HTTP/1.0"
+# should go to data/pixelfed/storage/app/public/m/_v2/502109601351254017/a48ad3dc0-89cf68/8vRxOkz65vOO/h4LB3lmyWrcyMxwcKeyJ8WTf3sEv3RVM8q5UYqA8.jpg
+# mapped to /pixelfed/storage
+
+	location /storage/ {
+        	add_header X-Cache-Status STATIC;
+		alias /pixelfed/storage/app/public/;
+		#access_log off;
+	}
+
 	location / {
+        	proxy_cache mycache;
+        	add_header X-Cache-Status $upstream_cache_status;
+
+		# PHP adds an Expires header that is causing cache miss
+        	proxy_ignore_headers Cache-Control Set-Cookie Expires;
+        	proxy_cache_valid any 1m;
+
+		# logged in sessions and PUT bypass the cache
+		proxy_cache_methods GET HEAD;
+		proxy_no_cache      $cookie_rl_user_id;
+		proxy_cache_bypass  $cookie_rl_user_id;
+  
 		proxy_pass http://pixelfed-app/;
 		#proxy_pass http://172.17.0.1:8080/;
 		proxy_set_header Host $host;