diff --git a/.env b/.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6efcec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+LISTEN=:8080
+NATS=nats://localhost:4222
+SECRET=secret
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index c2ee563..ae3b43c 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -3,12 +3,13 @@ FROM golang:1.11-rc-alpine as build
 RUN apk add --no-cache git=2.18.1-r0
 
 WORKDIR /src
-COPY go.mod go.sum *.go ./
+COPY go.mod go.sum .env *.go ./
 RUN go get -d -v ./...
 RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 go build -ldflags "-s -w"
 
 FROM scratch
 
 COPY --from=build /src/publish /publish
+COPY --from=build /src/.env /.env
 
 ENTRYPOINT ["/publish"]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 79a1dd6..64bc2d4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,14 +8,15 @@ Beep backend accepts PUT requests and publishes a protobuf-ed version to a [NATS
 go build && ./backend-publish
 ```
 
-## Flags
+## Environment Variables
 
-Flags are supplied to the compiled go program in the form ```-flag=stuff```.
+Supply environment variables by either exporting them or editing ```.env```.
 
-| Flag | Description | Default |
+| ENV | Description | Default |
 | ---- | ----------- | ------- |
-| listen | Port number to listen on | 8080 |
-| nats | URL of NATS | nats://localhost:4222 |
+| LISTEN | Host and port number to listen on | :8080 |
+| NATS | Host and port of nats | nats://localhost:4222 |
+| SECRET | JWT secret | secret |
 
 ## API
 
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index f108e67..2cde816 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/golang/protobuf v1.2.1-0.20190205222052-c823c79ea157
 	github.com/gopherjs/gopherjs v0.0.0-20181103185306-d547d1d9531e // indirect
 	github.com/gorilla/mux v1.7.0 // indirect
+	github.com/joho/godotenv v1.3.0
 	github.com/jtolds/gls v4.2.1+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/julienschmidt/httprouter v1.2.0
 	github.com/nats-io/gnatsd v1.4.1 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index eafa853..33d329b 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -4,12 +4,14 @@ github.com/codegangsta/negroni v1.0.0 h1:+aYywywx4bnKXWvoWtRfJ91vC59NbEhEY03sZjQ
 github.com/codegangsta/negroni v1.0.0/go.mod h1:v0y3T5G7Y1UlFfyxFn/QLRU4a2EuNau2iZY63YTKWo0=
 github.com/dgrijalva/jwt-go v3.2.0+incompatible h1:7qlOGliEKZXTDg6OTjfoBKDXWrumCAMpl/TFQ4/5kLM=
 github.com/dgrijalva/jwt-go v3.2.0+incompatible/go.mod h1:E3ru+11k8xSBh+hMPgOLZmtrrCbhqsmaPHjLKYnJCaQ=
-github.com/golang/protobuf v1.2.0 h1:P3YflyNX/ehuJFLhxviNdFxQPkGK5cDcApsge1SqnvM=
-github.com/golang/protobuf v1.2.0/go.mod h1:6lQm79b+lXiMfvg/cZm0SGofjICqVBUtrP5yJMmIC1U=
+github.com/golang/protobuf v1.2.1-0.20190205222052-c823c79ea157 h1:SdQMHsZ18/XZCHuwt3IF+dvHgYTO2XMWZjv3XBKQqAI=
+github.com/golang/protobuf v1.2.1-0.20190205222052-c823c79ea157/go.mod h1:Qd/q+1AKNOZr9uGQzbzCmRO6sUih6GTPZv6a1/R87v0=
 github.com/gopherjs/gopherjs v0.0.0-20181103185306-d547d1d9531e h1:JKmoR8x90Iww1ks85zJ1lfDGgIiMDuIptTOhJq+zKyg=
 github.com/gopherjs/gopherjs v0.0.0-20181103185306-d547d1d9531e/go.mod h1:wJfORRmW1u3UXTncJ5qlYoELFm8eSnnEO6hX4iZ3EWY=
 github.com/gorilla/mux v1.7.0 h1:tOSd0UKHQd6urX6ApfOn4XdBMY6Sh1MfxV3kmaazO+U=
 github.com/gorilla/mux v1.7.0/go.mod h1:1lud6UwP+6orDFRuTfBEV8e9/aOM/c4fVVCaMa2zaAs=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.3.0 h1:Zjp+RcGpHhGlrMbJzXTrZZPrWj+1vfm90La1wgB6Bhc=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.3.0/go.mod h1:7hK45KPybAkOC6peb+G5yklZfMxEjkZhHbwpqxOKXbg=
 github.com/jtolds/gls v4.2.1+incompatible h1:fSuqC+Gmlu6l/ZYAoZzx2pyucC8Xza35fpRVWLVmUEE=
 github.com/jtolds/gls v4.2.1+incompatible/go.mod h1:QJZ7F/aHp+rZTRtaJ1ow/lLfFfVYBRgL+9YlvaHOwJU=
 github.com/julienschmidt/httprouter v1.2.0 h1:TDTW5Yz1mjftljbcKqRcrYhd4XeOoI98t+9HbQbYf7g=
@@ -28,9 +30,12 @@ github.com/smartystreets/goconvey v0.0.0-20181108003508-044398e4856c h1:Ho+uVpke
 github.com/smartystreets/goconvey v0.0.0-20181108003508-044398e4856c/go.mod h1:XDJAKZRPZ1CvBcN2aX5YOUTYGHki24fSF0Iv48Ibg0s=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20181203042331-505ab145d0a9 h1:mKdxBk7AujPs8kU4m80U72y/zjbZ3UcXC7dClwKbUI0=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20181203042331-505ab145d0a9/go.mod h1:6SG95UA2DQfeDnfUPMdvaQW0Q7yPrPDi9nlGo2tz2b4=
+golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20180906233101-161cd47e91fd/go.mod h1:mL1N/T3taQHkDXs73rZJwtUhF3w3ftmwwsq0BUmARs4=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190213061140-3a22650c66bd h1:HuTn7WObtcDo9uEEU7rEqL0jYthdXAmZ6PP+meazmaU=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190213061140-3a22650c66bd/go.mod h1:mL1N/T3taQHkDXs73rZJwtUhF3w3ftmwwsq0BUmARs4=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20180314180146-1d60e4601c6f/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20181221193216-37e7f081c4d4 h1:YUO/7uOKsKeq9UokNS62b8FYywz3ker1l1vDZRCRefw=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20181221193216-37e7f081c4d4/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190215142949-d0b11bdaac8a h1:1BGLXjeY4akVXGgbC9HugT3Jv3hCI0z56oJR5vAMgBU=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190215142949-d0b11bdaac8a/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
+google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20180831171423-11092d34479b/go.mod h1:JiN7NxoALGmiZfu7CAH4rXhgtRTLTxftemlI0sWmxmc=
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 930c903..3130073 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 package main;
 
 import (
-  "flag"
   "io/ioutil"
   "net/http"
   "log"
+  "os"
   "regexp"
   "strconv"
 
+  "github.com/joho/godotenv"
   "github.com/golang/protobuf/proto"
   "github.com/julienschmidt/httprouter"
   "github.com/nats-io/go-nats"
@@ -24,12 +25,14 @@ var secret []byte
 var nats_conn *nats.Conn
 
 func main() {
-  // Parse flags
-  var s string
-	flag.StringVar(&listen, "listen", ":8080", "host and port to listen on")
-  flag.StringVar(&natsHost, "nats", "nats://localhost:4222", "host and port of NATS")
-  flag.StringVar(&s, "secret", "secret", "JWT secret")
-  flag.Parse()
+  // Load .env
+  err := godotenv.Load()
+  if err != nil {
+    log.Fatal("Error loading .env file")
+  }
+  listen = os.Getenv("LISTEN")
+  natsHost = os.Getenv("NATS")
+  s := os.Getenv("SECRET")
 
   secret = []byte(s)