diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f91c7aa4..5f8e07ad 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -143,10 +143,10 @@ Currently only `Rails` is supported.
   * **Default:** `true`
 * `app['framework']['assets_precompilation_command']`
   * A command which will be invoked to precompile assets.
-* `app['framework']['rails_env']`
+* `app['framework']['deploy_env']`
   * **Default:** `production`
-  * `rails` framework only. Sets the `RAILS_ENV` variable for all the ruby-related
-    actions in the project (server, worker, etc.)
+  * Sets the "environment" for all the app-related (for example `RAILS_ENV` in
+    Rails) actions in the project (server, worker, etc.)
 
 ### appserver
 
diff --git a/attributes/default.rb b/attributes/default.rb
index 06fa0601..ef5becdc 100644
--- a/attributes/default.rb
+++ b/attributes/default.rb
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@
 ## common
 
 default['defaults']['framework']['adapter'] = 'rails'
+default['defaults']['framework']['deploy_env'] = 'production'
 
 ## rails
 
@@ -84,7 +85,6 @@
   '&& /usr/local/bin/bundle exec rake db:migrate || /usr/local/bin/bundle exec rake db:setup'
 default['defaults']['framework']['assets_precompile'] = true
 default['defaults']['framework']['assets_precompilation_command'] = '/usr/local/bin/bundle exec rake assets:precompile'
-default['defaults']['framework']['rails_env'] = 'production'
 
 # worker
 ## common
diff --git a/libraries/drivers_appserver_unicorn.rb b/libraries/drivers_appserver_unicorn.rb
index 42730732..7b71904e 100644
--- a/libraries/drivers_appserver_unicorn.rb
+++ b/libraries/drivers_appserver_unicorn.rb
@@ -46,19 +46,22 @@ def add_unicorn_config(context)
         end
       end
 
+      # rubocop:disable Metrics/MethodLength, Metrics/AbcSize
       def add_unicorn_service_script(context)
         deploy_to = deploy_dir(app)
         app_shortname = app['shortname']
-        rails_env = app['attributes']['rails_env'] || 'production'
+        deploy_env = node['deploy'][app['shortname']].try(:[], 'framework').try(:[], 'deploy_env') ||
+                     app['attributes']['rails_env'] || 'production'
 
         context.template File.join(deploy_to, File.join('shared', 'scripts', 'unicorn.service')) do
           owner node['deployer']['user']
           group www_group
           mode '0755'
           source 'unicorn.service.erb'
-          variables app_shortname: app_shortname, deploy_dir: deploy_to, rails_env: rails_env
+          variables app_shortname: app_shortname, deploy_dir: deploy_to, deploy_env: deploy_env
         end
       end
+      # rubocop:enable Metrics/MethodLength, Metrics/AbcSize
 
       def add_unicorn_service_context(context)
         deploy_to = deploy_dir(app)
diff --git a/libraries/drivers_db_base.rb b/libraries/drivers_db_base.rb
index e1269aa1..980ae31b 100644
--- a/libraries/drivers_db_base.rb
+++ b/libraries/drivers_db_base.rb
@@ -17,21 +17,23 @@ def setup(context)
         handle_packages(context)
       end
 
+      # rubocop:disable Metrics/MethodLength, Metrics/AbcSize
       def configure(context)
         return unless applicable_for_configuration?
 
         database = out
-        rails_env = app['attributes']['rails_env']
+        deploy_env = node['deploy'][app['shortname']].try(:[], 'framework').try(:[], 'deploy_env') ||
+                     app['attributes']['rails_env']
+
         context.template File.join(deploy_dir(app), 'shared', 'config', 'database.yml') do
           source 'database.yml.erb'
           mode '0660'
           owner node['deployer']['user'] || 'root'
           group www_group
-          variables(database: database, environment: rails_env)
+          variables(database: database, environment: deploy_env)
         end
       end
 
-      # rubocop:disable Metrics/AbcSize
       def out
         if configuration_data_source == :node_engine
           return out_defaults.merge(
diff --git a/libraries/drivers_framework_rails.rb b/libraries/drivers_framework_rails.rb
index b0e5a14e..67e2745c 100644
--- a/libraries/drivers_framework_rails.rb
+++ b/libraries/drivers_framework_rails.rb
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ class Rails < Drivers::Framework::Base
       allowed_engines :rails
       output filter: [
         :migrate, :migration_command, :deploy_environment, :assets_precompile, :assets_precompilation_command,
-        :rails_env
+        :deploy_env
       ]
       packages debian: 'zlib1g-dev', rhel: 'zlib-devel'
 
       def raw_out
-        super.merge(deploy_environment: { 'RAILS_ENV' => super[:rails_env] })
+        super.merge(deploy_environment: { 'RAILS_ENV' => super[:deploy_env] })
       end
 
       def deploy_before_restart(context)
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/node.rb b/spec/fixtures/node.rb
index 18cb7e40..543f847b 100644
--- a/spec/fixtures/node.rb
+++ b/spec/fixtures/node.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def node(override = {})
         },
         framework: {
           adapter: 'rails',
-          rails_env: 'staging',
+          deploy_env: 'staging',
           migrate: false
         },
         worker: {
diff --git a/spec/unit/libraries/drivers_framework_rails_spec.rb b/spec/unit/libraries/drivers_framework_rails_spec.rb
index 1309ce35..89a61354 100644
--- a/spec/unit/libraries/drivers_framework_rails_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/libraries/drivers_framework_rails_spec.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
       deploy_environment: { 'RAILS_ENV' => 'staging' },
       migration_command: 'rake db:migrate',
       migrate: false,
-      rails_env: 'staging'
+      deploy_env: 'staging'
     )
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/recipes/configure_spec.rb b/spec/unit/recipes/configure_spec.rb
index 6a55fd18..3ef3b625 100644
--- a/spec/unit/recipes/configure_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/recipes/configure_spec.rb
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
       expect(db_config[:adapter]).to eq 'postgresql'
       expect(chef_run)
         .to render_file("/srv/www/#{aws_opsworks_app['shortname']}/shared/config/database.yml").with_content(
-          JSON.parse({ development: db_config, production: db_config }.to_json).to_yaml
+          JSON.parse({ development: db_config, production: db_config, staging: db_config }.to_json).to_yaml
         )
     end
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
         .with_content("ROOT_PATH=\"/srv/www/#{aws_opsworks_app['shortname']}\"")
       expect(chef_run)
         .to render_file("/srv/www/#{aws_opsworks_app['shortname']}/shared/scripts/unicorn.service")
-        .with_content('unicorn_rails --env production')
+        .with_content('unicorn_rails --env staging')
     end
 
     it 'defines unicorn service' do
@@ -303,14 +303,14 @@
 
       expect(chef_run)
         .to render_file("/srv/www/#{aws_opsworks_app['shortname']}/shared/config/database.yml").with_content(
-          JSON.parse({ development: db_config, production: db_config }.to_json).to_yaml
+          JSON.parse({ development: db_config, production: db_config, staging: db_config }.to_json).to_yaml
         )
     end
   end
 
   context 'Sqlite3' do
     let(:dummy_node) do
-      node(deploy: { dummy_project: { database: { adapter: 'sqlite3' } } })
+      node(deploy: { dummy_project: { database: { adapter: 'sqlite3' }, framework: { deploy_env: 'staging' } } })
     end
     let(:chef_run) do
       ChefSpec::SoloRunner.new(platform: 'ubuntu', version: '14.04') do |solo_node|
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@
       expect(db_config[:database]).to eq 'db/data.sqlite3'
       expect(chef_run)
         .to render_file("/srv/www/#{aws_opsworks_app['shortname']}/shared/config/database.yml").with_content(
-          JSON.parse({ development: db_config, production: db_config }.to_json).to_yaml
+          JSON.parse({ development: db_config, production: db_config, staging: db_config }.to_json).to_yaml
         )
     end
   end
@@ -344,6 +344,9 @@
                  password: 'password_936',
                  host: 'dummy-project.936.us-west-2.rds.amazon.com',
                  database: 'database_936'
+               },
+               framework: {
+                 deploy_env: 'staging'
                }
              }
            })
@@ -368,7 +371,7 @@
       expect(db_config[:database]).to eq 'database_936'
       expect(chef_run)
         .to render_file("/srv/www/#{aws_opsworks_app['shortname']}/shared/config/database.yml").with_content(
-          JSON.parse({ development: db_config, production: db_config }.to_json).to_yaml
+          JSON.parse({ development: db_config, production: db_config, staging: db_config }.to_json).to_yaml
         )
     end
   end
diff --git a/templates/default/unicorn.service.erb b/templates/default/unicorn.service.erb
index 36e151b5..b9028d74 100644
--- a/templates/default/unicorn.service.erb
+++ b/templates/default/unicorn.service.erb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def different_gemfile?
 end
 
 def start_unicorn
-  run_and_ignore_exitcode_and_print_command "cd #{ROOT_PATH}/current && /usr/local/bin/bundle exec unicorn_rails --env <%= @rails_env %> --daemonize -c #{ROOT_PATH}/shared/config/unicorn.conf"
+  run_and_ignore_exitcode_and_print_command "cd #{ROOT_PATH}/current && /usr/local/bin/bundle exec unicorn_rails --env <%= @deploy_env %> --daemonize -c #{ROOT_PATH}/shared/config/unicorn.conf"
 end
 
 def stop_unicorn