diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ecf6a7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+TLS_CERT_PATH=
+TLS_KEY_PATH=
+DOCUMENT_ROOT=
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 279e085..000dc20 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const {createServer, DEFAULT_PORT} = require('@derhuerst/gemini')
 const fs = require('fs');
 
+require('dotenv').config()
 // handlers
 var fileServer = require("./handlers/fileServer");
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 36a3f21..3c23c05 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
   "private": false,
   "dependencies": {
     "@derhuerst/gemini": "^1.1.1",
+    "dotenv": "^8.2.0",
     "mime-types": "^2.1.28"
   }
 }
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index cc89ccb..b2ee633 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ debug@^4.1.1:
   dependencies:
     ms "2.1.2"
 
+dotenv@^8.2.0:
+  version "8.2.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/dotenv/-/dotenv-8.2.0.tgz#97e619259ada750eea3e4ea3e26bceea5424b16a"
+  integrity sha512-8sJ78ElpbDJBHNeBzUbUVLsqKdccaa/BXF1uPTw3GrvQTBgrQrtObr2mUrE38vzYd8cEv+m/JBfDLioYcfXoaw==
+
 es6-promisify@^6.0.0:
   version "6.1.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/es6-promisify/-/es6-promisify-6.1.1.tgz#46837651b7b06bf6fff893d03f29393668d01621"