diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 53b284b..f81deb4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 .db
 node_modules
 components/routes/_*
+.env
diff --git a/bot.js b/bot.js
index b598062..810a0dc 100644
--- a/bot.js
+++ b/bot.js
@@ -51,8 +51,10 @@ This bot demonstrates many of the core features of Botkit:
     -> http://howdy.ai/botkit
 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*/
-var env = require('node-env-file');
-env(__dirname + '/.env');
+if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+  var env = require('node-env-file');
+  env(__dirname + '/.env');
+}
 
 
 if (!process.env.clientId || !process.env.clientSecret || !process.env.PORT) {