diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d8c6d44..6a88558 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -55,8 +55,10 @@ typings/
 .yarn-integrity
 
 # dotenv environment variables file
-.env
-.env.test
+# local .env* files
+.env*
+.env.local
+.env.*.local
 
 # parcel-bundler cache (https://parceljs.org/)
 .cache
diff --git a/app/config/config.js b/app/config/config.js
index 105c2fa..f4f0480 100644
--- a/app/config/config.js
+++ b/app/config/config.js
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 require('dotenv/config');
 
 module.exports = {
-	local: {
+	development: {
 		username: 'root',
 		password: 'water',
 		database: 'ucharify',
 		host: 'localhost',
 		dialect: 'mysql'
 	},
-	staging: {
+	test: {
 		username: 'root',
 		password: null,
 		database: 'database_test',
diff --git a/app/config/db.config.js b/app/config/db.config.js
index a3e4194..6fba5db 100644
--- a/app/config/db.config.js
+++ b/app/config/db.config.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const Sequelize = require('sequelize'),
 	UserModel = require('../models/user.model.js'),
 	PaymentPlanModel = require('../models/paymentplan.model'),
 	ChargeModel = require('../models/charge.model');
-associate = require('./associate');
+	associate = require('./associate');
 
 const connection_uri = process.env.JAWSDB_MARIA_URL;
 
diff --git a/bin/dev.js b/bin/dev.js
index 5e632d7..6aa62a1 100644
--- a/bin/dev.js
+++ b/bin/dev.js
@@ -1,2 +1,6 @@
-require('dotenv/config');
+process.env.NODE_ENV =  process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';
+
+require('dotenv-flow').config({
+    node_env: process.env.NODE_ENV
+  });
 require('../server');
diff --git a/bin/test.js b/bin/test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..212619a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+process.env.NODE_ENV =  process.env.NODE_ENV || 'test';
+
+require('dotenv-flow').config({
+    node_env: process.env.NODE_ENV
+  });
+require('../server');
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 637e5bc..6d4b5d5 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -131,6 +131,15 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-HygQCKUBSFl8wKQZBSemMywRWcEDNidvNbjGVyZu3nbZ8qq9ubiPoGLMdRDpfSrpkkm9BXYFkpKxxFX38o/76w==",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "dotenv-flow": {
+      "version": "0.2.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dotenv-flow/-/dotenv-flow-0.2.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-Lmw/iJmgvMMZ/TStj+RrsT38WlaFy+5y6jwmHKoCh4MJp8U2etajnXMjhcIdBYKEkjqXzle4UbRVLhFx0t5YKg==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "requires": {
+        "dotenv": "^6.0.0"
+      }
+    },
     "dottie": {
       "version": "2.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dottie/-/dottie-2.0.1.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d3d568e..19de818 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -4,10 +4,13 @@
 	"description": "Backend API for Ucharify. Completely separate infrastructure that connects to DB.",
 	"main": "index.js",
 	"scripts": {
-		"test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1",
-		"start": "node server.js",
 		"dev": "nodemon bin/dev.js",
-		"drop": "DROP_TABLES=true & nodemon bin/dev.js"
+		"test": "nodemon bin/test.js",
+		
+		"drop:local": "DROP_TABLES=true node bin/dev.js",
+		"drop:test": "DROP_TABLES=true node bin/test.js",
+
+		"start": "node server.js"
 	},
 	"repository": {
 		"type": "git",
@@ -30,6 +33,6 @@
 		"stripe": "^6.22.0"
 	},
 	"devDependencies": {
-		"dotenv": "^6.2.0"
+		"dotenv-flow": "^0.2.0"
 	}
 }
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index e90bfa7..d57f761 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -30,15 +30,14 @@ app.use((req, res, next) => {
 db.sequelize
 	.authenticate()
 	.then(() => {
-		console.log('Connection has been established successfully.');
+		console.log('Connection has been established successfully: ' + process.env.NODE_ENV);
 	})
 	.catch(err => {
 		console.error('Unable to connect to the database:', err);
 	});
 
-	console.log(process.env.DROP_TABLES);
 //force: true will drop the table if it already exists
-const drop_tables = false;
+const drop_tables = process.env.DROP_TABLES;
 db.sequelize.sync({ force: drop_tables }).then(() => {
 	console.log(`Drop and Resync with { force: ${drop_tables} }`);
 });