diff --git a/services/backend/services/v4/config/.dev.env b/services/backend/services/v4/config/.dev.env
index c2faf9bd..f269e752 100644
--- a/services/backend/services/v4/config/.dev.env
+++ b/services/backend/services/v4/config/.dev.env
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-MONGODB_URI=mongodb://mongodb:27017/dev_be_next
+MONGODB_URI=mongodb://mongodb:27017/dev-dacat-next
 ADMIN_GROUPS=admin,adminingestor
 CREATE_DATASET_GROUPS=group1,group2,group3
 CREATE_DATASET_WITH_PID_GROUPS=group2
diff --git a/services/mongodb/README.md b/services/mongodb/README.md
index 8a62cc6e..687ab8a9 100644
--- a/services/mongodb/README.md
+++ b/services/mongodb/README.md
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ These files are ingested into the database using mongo funcionalities and bypass
 
 In the default configuration [init.sh](./config/init.sh), the seeding creates data in the mongodb database used by the `backend` service (either [v4](../backend/services/v4/), by default, or [v3](../backend/services/v3/) if specified otherwise by setting `BE_VERSION`).
 
+When `DEV=true` and `BE_VERSION=v4` the seeding writes to `dev-dacat-next`.
+
 For an explanation of how setting `BE_VERSION` changes the environment creation see [here](../../README.md#docker-compose-profiles-and-env-variables-configuration-options).
 
 ## Dependency on `BE_VERSION`
diff --git a/services/mongodb/compose.yaml b/services/mongodb/compose.yaml
index 76ed4530..4c2568a4 100644
--- a/services/mongodb/compose.yaml
+++ b/services/mongodb/compose.yaml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ services:
       - ./config/seed:/seed
     environment:
       BE_VERSION: ${BE_VERSION:-v4}
+      DEV: ${DEV:+dev-}
     restart: on-failure
 
 volumes:
diff --git a/services/mongodb/config/init.sh b/services/mongodb/config/init.sh
index 045000ea..83300219 100755
--- a/services/mongodb/config/init.sh
+++ b/services/mongodb/config/init.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 cd /seed || exit
 
-[ "${BE_VERSION}" = "v4" ] && DB="dacat-next" || DB="dacat"
+[ "${BE_VERSION}" = "v4" ] && DB="${DEV}dacat-next" || DB="dacat"
 
 for FILE_NAME in *.json
 do