diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b512c09..37d7e73 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-node_modules
\ No newline at end of file
+node_modules
+.env
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cf61c16..72a4e97 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
     "@atproto/uri": "^0.0.2",
     "@atproto/xrpc-server": "^0.1.0",
     "better-sqlite3": "^8.3.0",
+    "dotenv": "^16.0.3",
     "express": "^4.18.2",
     "kysely": "^0.22.0"
   },
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index b8bbe81..8770d69 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,27 @@
+import dotenv from 'dotenv'
 import FeedGenerator from './server'
 
 const run = async () => {
-  // we'll add .env soon
-  const server = FeedGenerator.create()
+  dotenv.config()
+  const server = FeedGenerator.create({
+    port: maybeInt(process.env.FEEDGEN_PORT),
+    sqliteLocation: maybeStr(process.env.FEEDGEN_SQLITE_LOCATION),
+    subscriptionEndpoint: maybeStr(process.env.FEEDGEN_SUBSCRIPTION_ENDPOINT),
+  })
   await server.start()
   console.log(`🤖 running feed generator at localhost${server.cfg.port}`)
 }
 
+const maybeStr = (val?: string) => {
+  if (!val) return undefined
+  return val
+}
+
+const maybeInt = (val?: string) => {
+  if (!val) return undefined
+  const int = parseInt(val, 10)
+  if (isNaN(int)) return undefined
+  return int
+}
+
 run()
diff --git a/src/server.ts b/src/server.ts
index f86fd55..9b59d75 100644
--- a/src/server.ts
+++ b/src/server.ts
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ export class FeedGenerator {
     const cfg = {
       port: config?.port ?? 3000,
       sqliteLocation: config?.sqliteLocation ?? 'test.sqlite',
-      subscriptionEndpoint:
-        config?.subscriptionEndpoint ?? 'https://bsky.social',
+      subscriptionEndpoint: config?.subscriptionEndpoint ?? 'wss://bsky.social',
     }
     const app = express()
     const db = createDb(cfg.sqliteLocation)
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index b2e8e28..781bace 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -517,6 +517,11 @@ diff@^4.0.1:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/diff/-/diff-4.0.2.tgz#60f3aecb89d5fae520c11aa19efc2bb982aade7d"
   integrity sha512-58lmxKSA4BNyLz+HHMUzlOEpg09FV+ev6ZMe3vJihgdxzgcwZ8VoEEPmALCZG9LmqfVoNMMKpttIYTVG6uDY7A==
 
+dotenv@^16.0.3:
+  version "16.0.3"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/dotenv/-/dotenv-16.0.3.tgz#115aec42bac5053db3c456db30cc243a5a836a07"
+  integrity sha512-7GO6HghkA5fYG9TYnNxi14/7K9f5occMlp3zXAuSxn7CKCxt9xbNWG7yF8hTCSUchlfWSe3uLmlPfigevRItzQ==
+
 ee-first@1.1.1:
   version "1.1.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/ee-first/-/ee-first-1.1.1.tgz#590c61156b0ae2f4f0255732a158b266bc56b21d"