diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 65067b7..a0a6398 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 node_modules/
 build/
+.env
 *~
 *.swp
diff --git a/cmd/htmlhouse/main.go b/cmd/htmlhouse/main.go
index adaa2d6..f2c0650 100644
--- a/cmd/htmlhouse/main.go
+++ b/cmd/htmlhouse/main.go
@@ -1,9 +1,21 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
 	"github.com/writeas/htmlhouse"
+	"os"
 )
 
 func main() {
+	source := os.Getenv("CONFIG_SOURCE")
+	if source == "" {
+		source = ".env"
+	}
+	err := godotenv.Load(source)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("unable to load configuration file", source, ":", err)
+	}
+
 	htmlhouse.Serve()
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 8bd6fb1..a1b1d21 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/garyburd/go-oauth v0.0.0-20180319155456-bca2e7f09a17 // indirect
 	github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.6.0
 	github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.0
+	github.com/joho/godotenv v1.3.0
 	github.com/juju/errgo v0.0.0-20140925100237-08cceb5d0b53
 	github.com/writeas/impart v1.1.1
 	github.com/writeas/nerds v1.0.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 891a9b4..7c49b56 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.6.0/go.mod h1:DCzpHaOWr8IXmIStZouvnhqoel9Qv2LB
 github.com/gofrs/uuid v3.3.0+incompatible/go.mod h1:b2aQJv3Z4Fp6yNu3cdSllBxTCLRxnplIgP/c0N/04lM=
 github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.0 h1:i40aqfkR1h2SlN9hojwV5ZA91wcXFOvkdNIeFDP5koI=
 github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.0/go.mod h1:DVbg23sWSpFRCP0SfiEN6jmj59UnW/n46BH5rLB71So=
+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/juju/errgo v0.0.0-20140925100237-08cceb5d0b53 h1:tGpfbOOO0SV3qtMUx8O9RbJeei6VDBwnpQQ0JYIFaVg=
 github.com/juju/errgo v0.0.0-20140925100237-08cceb5d0b53/go.mod h1:ZtgUe3RyZisw/AlQjgU9DeO3hqUH9E/bkreI2FLg/QY=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.1.0 h1:L/CwN0zerZDmRFUapSPitk6f+Q3+0za1rQkzVuMiMFI=