diff --git a/backend/config/settings.py b/backend/config/settings.py
index 1d740db156..482f98c77b 100644
--- a/backend/config/settings.py
+++ b/backend/config/settings.py
@@ -170,11 +170,6 @@
 
 WSGI_APPLICATION = "config.wsgi.application"
 
-
-# Database
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.0/ref/settings/#databases
-
-
 POSTGREST = {
     "URL": env.str("POSTGREST_URL", "http://api:3000"),
     "LOCAL": env.str("POSTGREST_URL", "http://api:3000"),
@@ -232,12 +227,22 @@
 # Environment specific configurations
 DEBUG = False
 if ENVIRONMENT not in ["DEVELOPMENT", "PREVIEW", "STAGING", "PRODUCTION"]:
-
     DATABASES = {
         "default": env.dj_db_url(
             "DATABASE_URL", default="postgres://postgres:password@0.0.0.0/backend"
         ),
     }
+    STORAGES = {
+        "default": {
+            "BACKEND": "report_submission.storages.S3PrivateStorage",
+        },
+        "staticfiles": {
+            "BACKEND": "whitenoise.storage.CompressedManifestStaticFilesStorage"
+        },
+    }
+    # Per whitenoise docs, insert into middleware list directly after Django
+    # security middleware: https://whitenoise.readthedocs.io/en/stable/django.html#enable-whitenoise
+    MIDDLEWARE.insert(1, "whitenoise.middleware.WhiteNoiseMiddleware")
 
     # Local environment and Testing environment (CI/CD/GitHub Actions)
 
@@ -248,10 +253,6 @@
 
     CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS += ["http://0.0.0.0:8000", "http://127.0.0.1:8000"]
 
-    STATICFILES_STORAGE = "whitenoise.storage.CompressedManifestStaticFilesStorage"
-    MIDDLEWARE.append("whitenoise.middleware.WhiteNoiseMiddleware")
-    DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE = "report_submission.storages.S3PrivateStorage"
-
     # Private bucket
     AWS_PRIVATE_STORAGE_BUCKET_NAME = "gsa-fac-private-s3"
 
@@ -284,8 +285,14 @@
 
 else:
     # One of the Cloud.gov environments
-    STATICFILES_STORAGE = "storages.backends.s3boto3.S3ManifestStaticStorage"
-    DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE = "report_submission.storages.S3PrivateStorage"
+    STORAGES = {
+        "default": {
+            "BACKEND": "report_submission.storages.S3PrivateStorage",
+        },
+        "staticfiles": {
+            "BACKEND": "storages.backends.s3boto3.S3ManifestStaticStorage",
+        },
+    }
 
     vcap = json.loads(env.str("VCAP_SERVICES"))
 
diff --git a/backend/manifests/vars/vars-staging.yml b/backend/manifests/vars/vars-staging.yml
index de419aaac4..f35a00a90b 100644
--- a/backend/manifests/vars/vars-staging.yml
+++ b/backend/manifests/vars/vars-staging.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-app_name: gsa-fac
-mem_amount: 2G
-cf_env_name: STAGING
-env_name: staging
-service_name: staging
-endpoint: fac-staging.app.cloud.gov
-instances: 1
-
+app_name: gsa-fac
+mem_amount: 4G
+cf_env_name: STAGING
+env_name: staging
+service_name: staging
+endpoint: fac-staging.app.cloud.gov
+instances: 1
+