diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 788b9be1..82c31e64 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ CMD ["npm", "start"]
 
 FROM development as build
 ENV NODE_ENV production
+COPY .env ./
 RUN npm run build
 
 FROM base as production
@@ -25,7 +26,6 @@ COPY package.json package-lock.json ./
 RUN npm install --production
 RUN npm rebuild node-sass
 RUN npm install pm2 -g
-COPY index.js ./
-COPY ecosystem.json ./
+COPY index.js ecosystem.json .env ./
 COPY --from=build /usr/src/app/dist ./dist
 CMD ["pm2-runtime", "ecosystem.json"]
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index f99dabf7..289a8997 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
-let parsed = require('dotenv').config();
+// let parsed = require('dotenv').config();
 if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
+  try {
+    require('dotenv').config();
+  } catch(error) {
+    console.log('.env file does not exist. Assuming environment variables are pre-loaded.');
+  }
   process.env.webpackAssets = JSON.stringify(require('./dist/static/manifest.json'));
   process.env.webpackChunkAssets = JSON.stringify(require('./dist/static/chunk-manifest.json'));
   require('./dist/server.bundle.js');
 } else {
+  let parsed = require('dotenv').config();
   require('babel-register')({
     "plugins": [
       [
diff --git a/nginx/Dockerfile b/nginx/Dockerfile
index 9372b789..49d6b29a 100644
--- a/nginx/Dockerfile
+++ b/nginx/Dockerfile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 FROM nginx:1.13.12
 
+RUN mkdir -p /etc/nginx/sites-enabled
 COPY nginx.conf /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
-RUN mkdir /etc/nginx/sites-enabled
 COPY alpha.editor.p5js.org.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/webpack.config.prod.js b/webpack.config.prod.js
index 1a59fd96..64bae5ff 100644
--- a/webpack.config.prod.js
+++ b/webpack.config.prod.js
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@ const cssnext = require('postcss-cssnext');
 const postcssFocus = require('postcss-focus');
 const postcssReporter = require('postcss-reporter');
 const cssnano = require('cssnano');
-require('dotenv').config();
+try {
+  require('dotenv').config();
+} catch (error) {
+  console.log('.env file does not exist. Assuming environment variables are pre-loaded.');
+}
 
 module.exports = {
   devtool: 'source-map',