diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/boot_server_in_docker b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/boot_server_in_docker
index c02dec4a..7ef966b7 100755
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/boot_server_in_docker
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/boot_server_in_docker
@@ -79,15 +79,19 @@ if [[ "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_RUN_DATA_SETUP:-}" != "false" ]]; then
   poetry run python bin/save_all_bpmn.py
 fi
 
-if [[ -n "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY:-}" ]]; then
-  if [[ -z "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH:-}" ]]; then
+if [[ -z "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH:-}" ]]; then
+  if [[ -n "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY:-}" ]]; then
     export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH=$(mktemp /tmp/ssh_private_key.XXXXXX)
+    chmod 600 "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH}"
+    echo "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY}" >"${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH}"
   fi
-  chmod 600 "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH}"
-  echo "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY}" >"${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH}"
 fi
 
-# Assure that the the Process Models Directory is initialized as a git repo
+if [[ -n "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_CLONE_PROCESS_MODELS:-}" ]]; then
+  ./bin/clone_process_models
+fi
+
+# ensure that the Process Models Directory is initialized as a git repo
 log_info "Running git init"
 git init "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BPMN_SPEC_ABSOLUTE_DIR}"
 git config --global --add safe.directory "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BPMN_SPEC_ABSOLUTE_DIR}"
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/clone_process_models b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/clone_process_models
index 9156fa27..90fee5f7 100755
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/clone_process_models
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/clone_process_models
@@ -22,12 +22,12 @@ if [[ -z "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BPMN_SPEC_ABSOLUTE_DIR:-}" ]]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-if [[ -n "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY:-}" ]]; then
-  if [[ -z "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH:-}" ]]; then
+if [[ -z "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH:-}" ]]; then
+  if [[ -n "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY:-}" ]]; then
     export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH=$(mktemp /tmp/ssh_private_key.XXXXXX)
+    chmod 600 "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH}"
+    echo "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY}" >"${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH}"
   fi
-  chmod 600 "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH}"
-  echo "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY}" >"${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_GIT_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH}"
 fi
 
 if [[ ! -d "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_BPMN_SPEC_ABSOLUTE_DIR}/.git" ]]; then