diff --git a/src/main/java/fhirspark/FhirSpark.java b/src/main/java/fhirspark/FhirSpark.java
index f051b36..b0c2ca7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/fhirspark/FhirSpark.java
+++ b/src/main/java/fhirspark/FhirSpark.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ public final class FhirSpark {
 
     private static JsonFhirMapper jsonFhirMapper;
     private static JsonHl7v2Mapper jsonHl7v2Mapper;
+    private static Settings settings;
     private static Client client = new Client();
     private static ObjectMapper objectMapper = new ObjectMapper(new JsonFactory());
 
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ public static void main(final String[] args) throws Exception {
             settingsYaml = new FileInputStream(args[0]);
         }
         ConfigurationLoader configLoader = new ConfigurationLoader();
-        final Settings settings = configLoader.loadConfiguration(settingsYaml, Settings.class);
+        settings = configLoader.loadConfiguration(settingsYaml, Settings.class);
         HgncGeneName.initialize(settings.getHgncPath());
         OncoKbDrug.initalize(settings.getOncokbPath());
         jsonFhirMapper = new JsonFhirMapper(settings);
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ public static void main(final String[] args) throws Exception {
         */
         get("/mtb/:patientId/permission", (req, res) -> {
             if (settings.getLoginRequired()
-                && (!validateRequest(req, settings) || !validateManipulation(req, settings))) {
+                && (!validateRequest(req) || !validateManipulation(req))) {
                 res.status(HttpStatus.FORBIDDEN_403);
                 return res;
             }
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ public static void main(final String[] args) throws Exception {
         });
 
         get("/mtb/:patientId", (req, res) -> {
-            if (settings.getLoginRequired() && !validateRequest(req, settings)) {
+            if (settings.getLoginRequired() && !validateRequest(req)) {
                 res.status(HttpStatus.FORBIDDEN_403);
                 return res;
             }
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ public static void main(final String[] args) throws Exception {
 
         put("/mtb/:patientId", (req, res) -> {
             if (settings.getLoginRequired()
-                && (!validateRequest(req, settings) || !validateManipulation(req, settings))) {
+                && (!validateRequest(req) || !validateManipulation(req))) {
                 res.status(HttpStatus.FORBIDDEN_403);
                 return res;
             }
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ public static void main(final String[] args) throws Exception {
 
         delete("/mtb/:patientId", (req, res) -> {
             if (settings.getLoginRequired()
-                && (!validateRequest(req, settings) || !validateManipulation(req, settings))) {
+                && (!validateRequest(req) || !validateManipulation(req))) {
                 res.status(HttpStatus.FORBIDDEN_403);
                 return res;
             }
@@ -213,7 +214,7 @@ public static void main(final String[] args) throws Exception {
      * @param req Incoming Java Spark Request
      * @return Boolean if the session if able to access the data
      */
-    private static boolean validateRequest(Request req, Settings settings) {
+    private static boolean validateRequest(Request req) {
         String portalDomain = settings.getPortalUrl();
         String validatePath = "api/studies/" + settings.getMtbStudy() + "/patients/"
                 + req.params(":patientId");
@@ -242,7 +243,7 @@ private static boolean validateRequest(Request req, Settings settings) {
      * @param req Incoming Java Spark Request
      * @return Boolean if the session is able to access the data
      */
-    private static boolean validateManipulation(Request req, Settings settings) {
+    private static boolean validateManipulation(Request req) {
         String requestedPatientId = req.params(":patientId");
         String mtbStudy = settings.getMtbStudy();
         String userRoles = req.headers("X-USERROLES");
diff --git a/src/main/resources/settings.yaml b/src/main/resources/settings.yaml
index 3939c70..fec08ed 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/settings.yaml
+++ b/src/main/resources/settings.yaml
@@ -4,12 +4,12 @@ specimenSystem: ${FHIRSPARK_SPECIMENSYSTEM:-https://cbioportal.org/specimen/}
 diagnosticReportSystem: ${FHIRSPARK_DIAGNOSTICREPORTSYSTEM:-https://cbioportal.org/mtb/}
 observationSystem: ${FHIRSPARK_OBSERVATIONSYSTEM:-https://cbioportal.org/therapyrecommendation/}
 patientSystem: ${FHIRSPARK_PATIENTSYSTEM:-https://cbioportal.org/patient/}
-hgncPath: ${FHIRSPARK_HGNCPATH:-hgnc.csv}
-portalUrl: ${FHIRSPARK_PORTALURL:-http://localhost:8080/}
+portalUrl: ${FHIRSPARK_PORTALURL:-http://cbioportal/}
 mtbStudy: ${FHIRSPARK_MTBSTUDY:-MTB}
 loginRequired: ${FHIRSPARK_LOGINREQUIRED:-true}
+hgncPath: ${FHIRSPARK_HGNCPATH:-hgnc.csv}
 oncokbPath: ${FHIRSPARK_ONCOKBPATH:-drugs.json}
 hl7v2config:
- - sendv2: ${FHIRSPARK_SENDHL7V2:-true}
+ - sendv2: ${FHIRSPARK_SENDHL7V2:-false}
    server: ${FHIRSPARK_HL7V2SERVER:-localhost}
    port: ${FHIRSPARK_HL7V2PORT:-1011}