Configuring HTTPS Reverse Proxy Settings for Bold Reports Docker to Prevent Protocol Mismatch Issues
Overview
When deploying Bold Reports Docker behind a reverse proxy such as NGINX, IIS, Azure Application Gateway, HAProxy, or Apache, HTTPS traffic is often terminated at the proxy layer before being forwarded to the Docker containers.
In such deployments, additional configuration is required to ensure Bold Reports correctly identifies the original HTTPS protocol used by client requests.
Why Is This Required?
A reverse proxy may forward traffic to Docker containers using HTTP while externally serving HTTPS traffic to users.
If Bold Reports is unaware of the original request protocol, it may:
- Generate HTTP URLs instead of HTTPS URLs.
- Cause redirect loops.
- Produce mixed content warnings.
- Impact authentication flows.
- Result in internal service communication failures.
Configuration
Set the following environment variable:
BOLD_SERVICES_REVERSE_PROXY=true
This setting ensures that Bold Reports trusts the protocol information forwarded by the reverse proxy and correctly handles HTTPS requests.
Docker Compose Example
environment:
- BOLD_SERVICES_REVERSE_PROXY=true
Docker Run Example
docker run \
-e BOLD_SERVICES_REVERSE_PROXY=true \
...
Verification
After updating the configuration:
- Restart all Bold Reports Docker containers.
- Access the application using HTTPS.
- Verify that:
- Report Viewer loads successfully.
- Report Designer functions correctly.
- No HTTP resources are loaded.
- Authentication and navigation work as expected.
Reference
For the complete list of supported Docker environment variables, refer to:
https://github.com/boldreports/boldreports-server-in-docker/blob/master/docs/environment-variable.md
Best Practice
Always enable BOLD_SERVICES_REVERSE_PROXY when Bold Reports Docker is deployed behind an HTTPS reverse proxy. This helps ensure consistent protocol handling and prevents issues caused by HTTP and HTTPS mismatches.
Conclusion
Proper reverse proxy configuration is essential for HTTPS deployments. Enabling BOLD_SERVICES_REVERSE_PROXY allows Bold Reports Docker to correctly interpret forwarded protocol information and avoid protocol-related application issues.
