diff --git a/configure-aspen.py b/configure-aspen.py
index abd9460c04..e7e602bd12 100644
--- a/configure-aspen.py
+++ b/configure-aspen.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 website.github_callback = os.environ['GITHUB_CALLBACK'].decode('ASCII')
 
 website.hooks.inbound_early.register(gittip.canonize)
+website.hooks.inbound_early.register(gittip.configure_payments)
 website.hooks.inbound_early.register(gittip.csrf.inbound) 
 website.hooks.inbound_early.register(gittip.authentication.inbound) 
 website.hooks.outbound_late.register(gittip.authentication.outbound) 
diff --git a/gittip/__init__.py b/gittip/__init__.py
index 1873d481f6..4ae5f0de9b 100644
--- a/gittip/__init__.py
+++ b/gittip/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 import datetime
 import locale
+import os
 from decimal import Decimal
 
+import balanced
+
 
 try:  # XXX This can't be right.
     locale.setlocale(locale.LC_ALL, "en_US.utf8")
@@ -232,3 +235,8 @@ def canonize(request):
             # For non-idempotent methods, redirect to homepage.
             url += '/'
         request.redirect(url, permanent=True)
+
+
+def configure_payments(request):
+    # Work-around for https://github.com/balanced/balanced-python/issues/5
+    balanced.configure(os.environ['BALANCED_API_SECRET'])