diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -32,15 +32,6 @@
       - "./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro"
     ports:
       - 5080:80
-    depends_on:
-      - amqp
-      - flower
-      - swh-web
-      - swh-deposit
-      - swh-scheduler-api
-      - swh-storage
-      - swh-objstorage
-      - swh-idx-storage
 
 # Scheduler
 
diff --git a/nginx.conf b/nginx.conf
--- a/nginx.conf
+++ b/nginx.conf
@@ -10,11 +10,30 @@
   sendfile           on;
   keepalive_timeout  65;
 
+  # Built-in Docker resolver. Needed to allow on-demand resolution of proxy
+  # upstreams.
+  resolver           127.0.0.11 valid=30s;
+
   server {
-    rewrite ^/(flower|rabbitmq)[^/]$ /$1/ permanent;
+    # Add a trailing slash to top level requests (e.g. http://localhost/flower)
+
+    rewrite ^/([^/]+)$ /$1/ permanent;
+
+    # In this pile of proxies, all upstreams are set using a variable. This
+    # makes nginx DNS-resolve the name of the upstream when clients request
+    # them, rather than on start. This avoids an unstarted container preventing
+    # nginx from starting.
+    #
+    # Variables need to be set as early as possible, as they're statements from
+    # the rewrite module and `rewrite [...] break;` will prevent these
+    # statements from being executed.
+
     location /flower/ {
+      set $upstream "http://flower:5555";
+
       rewrite ^/flower/(.*)$ /$1 break;
-      proxy_pass http://flower:5555;
+      proxy_pass $upstream;
+
       proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
       proxy_set_header Host $host;
       proxy_redirect off;
@@ -23,34 +42,49 @@
       proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
       }
     location /rabbitmq/ {
+      set $upstream "http://amqp:15672";
+
       rewrite ^/rabbitmq/(.*)$ /$1 break;
-      proxy_pass http://amqp:15672/;
+      proxy_pass $upstream;
     }
     location /scheduler {
+      set $upstream "http://swh-scheduler-api:5008";
+
       rewrite ^/scheduler/(.*)$ /$1 break;
-      proxy_pass http://swh-scheduler-api:5008;
+      proxy_pass $upstream;
     }
     location /storage {
+      set $upstream "http://swh-storage:5002";
+
       rewrite ^/storage/(.*)$ /$1 break;
-      proxy_pass http://swh-storage:5002;
+      proxy_pass $upstream;
     }
     location /indexer-storage {
+      set $upstream "http://swh-idx-storage:5007";
+
       rewrite ^/indexer-storage/(.*)$ /$1 break;
-      proxy_pass http://swh-idx-storage:5007;
+
+      proxy_pass $upstream;
     }
     location /deposit {
+      set $upstream "http://swh-deposit:5006";
+
       rewrite ^/deposit/(.*)$ /$1 break;
-      proxy_pass http://swh-deposit:5006;
+      proxy_pass $upstream;
+
       proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
       proxy_set_header Host $host;
       proxy_redirect off;
     }
     location /objstorage {
+      set $upstream "http://swh-objstorage:5003";
+
       rewrite ^/objstorage/(.*)$ /$1 break;
-      proxy_pass http://swh-objstorage:5003;
+      proxy_pass $upstream;
     }
     location / {
-      proxy_pass http://swh-web:5004;
+      set $upstream "http://swh-web:5004";
+      proxy_pass $upstream;
     }
   }
 }