diff --git a/.env b/.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..458ba1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+PORT=5000
+SESSION_SECRET=super_duper_secret_secret
+SERVER_URL=http://localhost:5000
+PRIVATE_DIR=/home/jeff/private/videos
+PUBLIC_DIR=/home/jeff/public/videos
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/conf.json b/conf.json
index 66e3d2a..867e35d 100644
--- a/conf.json
+++ b/conf.json
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 {
-    "port": 5000,
-    "sessionSecret": "super_duper_secret_secret",
     "users": [
         {
             "username": "admin",
@@ -10,8 +8,5 @@
             "admin": true,
             "api": "e8d4fd1267e14660bde678be259b86af413be4aca234bafa773a7c9fd535e9e2"
         }
-    ],
-    "serverURL": "http://localhost:5000",
-    "privateDir": "/home/jeff/private/videos",
-    "publicDir": "/home/jeff/public/videos"
+    ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/configManager.js b/configManager.js
index c0c0597..4b21944 100644
--- a/configManager.js
+++ b/configManager.js
@@ -15,35 +15,17 @@ module.exports=
             fileIO.writeJSONToFile(CONFIG_FILE_NAME, config);
         },
 
-        getRootDirectory: function()
-        {
-            return config.privateDir;
-        },
-
-        getPublicDirectory: function()
-        {
-            return config.publicDir;
-        },
-
-        getServerURL: function()
-        {
-            return config.serverURL;
-        },
-
         updateSystem: function(host, publicDir, privateDir)
         {
-            config.serverURL = host;
-            config.privateDir = privateDir;
-            config.publicDir = publicDir;
+            process.env.SERVER_URL = host;
+            process.env.PRIVATE_DIR = privateDir;
+            process.env.PUBLIC_DIR = publicDir;
 
-            module.exports.syncToDisk();
+            fileIO.syncEnv();
         },
 
         getUserCount: function()
         {
             return (config.hasOwnProperty('users')) ? config.users.length : 0;
         }
-
-
-
     };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/fileIO.js b/fileIO.js
index 85a9668..15aa90f 100644
--- a/fileIO.js
+++ b/fileIO.js
@@ -4,7 +4,18 @@ const fs = require('fs');
 
 module.exports =
     {
-        writeJSONToFile: function(fileName, jsonObject)
+        syncEnv: function()
+        {
+            const envVars = ["PORT", "SESSION_SECRET", "SERVER_URL", "PRIVATE_DIR", "PUBLIC_DIR"];
+            const data = envVars.map(function(envVar) {
+                return `${envVar}=${process.env[envVar]}`
+            }).join("\r\n");
+            fs.writeFile('.env', data, 'utf8', function() {
+                console.log("Wrote to .env file");
+            });
+        },
+
+        writEnvToFile: function(fileName, jsonObject)
         {
             const json = JSON.stringify(jsonObject, null, 4);
             fs.writeFile(fileName, json, 'utf8', function()
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7580710..5c697d8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
   "homepage": "https://github.com/jrtechs/HomeBrewPlex#readme",
   "dependencies": {
     "crypto": "^1.0.1",
+    "dotenv": "^8.2.0",
     "download-file": "^0.1.5",
     "express": "^4.16.4",
     "express-session": "^1.15.6",
diff --git a/routes/system/index.js b/routes/system/index.js
index f691faf..02b7c57 100644
--- a/routes/system/index.js
+++ b/routes/system/index.js
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ const videoManager = require("../../videoManager");
 
 function getSystemInformation(templateContext, request)
 {
-    templateContext.serverURL = configLoader.getServerURL();
-    templateContext.privateDir = configLoader.getRootDirectory();
-    templateContext.publicDir = configLoader.getPublicDirectory();
+    templateContext.serverURL = process.env.SERVER_URL;
+    templateContext.privateDir = process.env.PRIVATE_DIR;
+    templateContext.publicDir = process.env.PUBLIC_DIR;
     templateContext.publicVideoCount = videoManager.getPublicVideoCount();
     templateContext.privateVideoCount = videoManager.getPrivateVideoCount();
     templateContext.userCount = configLoader.getUserCount();
diff --git a/routes/video.js b/routes/video.js
index 302d769..0fa7508 100644
--- a/routes/video.js
+++ b/routes/video.js
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ const utils = require("../utils");
 
 const userUtils = require("../user");
 
-const configManager = require("../configManager");
-
 const fs = require('fs');
 
 const videoManager = require("../videoManager");
@@ -19,8 +17,8 @@ routes.get('/', (request, result) =>
         videoManager.isPublicVideo(videoID))
     {
         const rootDir= (videoManager.isPublicVideo(videoID)) ?
-            configManager.getPublicDirectory() :
-            configManager.getRootDirectory();
+            process.env.PUBLIC_DIR :
+            process.env.PRIVATE_DIR;
 
         const path = rootDir + videoID;
         const stat = fs.statSync(path);
diff --git a/routes/watch.js b/routes/watch.js
index 626adb8..8ced57a 100644
--- a/routes/watch.js
+++ b/routes/watch.js
@@ -2,14 +2,12 @@ const routes = require('express').Router();
 
 const utils = require("../utils");
 
-const configManager = require("../configManager");
-
 const videoManager = require("../videoManager");
 
 function getVideoTemplateInfo(templateContext, request)
 {
     templateContext.api = request.session.API;
-    templateContext.serverURL = configManager.getServerURL();
+    templateContext.serverURL = process.env.SERVER_URL;
     templateContext.videoURL = request.query.v.split(" ").join("%20");
 
     if(utils.checkPrivilege(request) === utils.PRIVILEGE.NOBODY
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index 58e1792..0b6e9cd 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 /** express app for routing */
 const express = require("express");
+const dotenv = require("dotenv");
+dotenv.config();
 
 /**session data for login and storing preferences*/
 const session = require('express-session');
 
-const configLoader = require('./configManager.js');
-
 const app = express();
 
 /**Initializes sessions for login */
 app.use(session(
-    { secret: configLoader.getConfiguration().sessionSecret,
+    { secret: process.env.SESSION_SECRET,
             cookie: { maxAge: 6000000 }}
     ));
 
@@ -26,6 +26,6 @@ app.use('/', routes);
 
 
 
-app.listen(configLoader.getConfiguration().port, () =>
-    console.log(`App listening on port ${configLoader.getConfiguration().port}!`)
+app.listen(process.env.PORT, () =>
+    console.log(`App listening on port ${process.env.PORT}!`)
 );
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/videoManager.js b/videoManager.js
index 6042c8d..1ed545a 100644
--- a/videoManager.js
+++ b/videoManager.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-const configManager = require('./configManager');
-
 const recursive = require('./recursiveTraversal');
 
 const generatePreview = require('ffmpeg-generate-video-preview')
@@ -91,12 +89,12 @@ module.exports =
                 if(templateKey === "public")
                 {
                     videos = publicVideos;
-                    rootDir = configManager.getPublicDirectory();
+                    rootDir = process.env.PUBLIC_DIR
                 }
                 else
                 {
                     videos = privateVideos;
-                    rootDir = configManager.getRootDirectory();
+                    rootDir = process.env.PRIVATE_DIR
                 }
 
                 if(videos === null)
@@ -126,8 +124,7 @@ module.exports =
             if(publicVideos == null)
             {
                 publicVideos = [];
-                rootDir = configManager.getPublicDirectory();
-                module.exports.indexVideos(rootDir, publicVideos, "public").then(function()
+                module.exports.indexVideos(process.env.PUBLIC_DIR, publicVideos, "public").then(function()
                 {
                     for(var i = 0; i < publicVideos.length; i++)
                     {
@@ -163,8 +160,8 @@ module.exports =
         {
             publicVideos = [];
             privateVideos = [];
-            module.exports.indexVideos(configManager.getPublicDirectory(), publicVideos, "public");
-            module.exports.indexVideos(configManager.getRootDirectory(), privateVideos, "private");
+            module.exports.indexVideos(process.env.PUBLIC_DIR, publicVideos, "public");
+            module.exports.indexVideos(process.env.PRIVATE_DIR, privateVideos, "private");
         },
 
         getPublicVideoCount: function()