diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 2703373a..97776a9d 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ services:
       - DB_PREFIX=chq_
       - APP_KEY=${APP_KEY:-null}
       - APP_LOG=errorlog
+      - APP_ENV=${APP_ENV:-production}
+      - APP_DEBUG=false
       - DEBUG=false
     depends_on:
       - postgres
diff --git a/test/test.full.bats b/test/test.full.bats
index c234996b..40d1fd8d 100755
--- a/test/test.full.bats
+++ b/test/test.full.bats
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ load docker_helpers
 load "lib/batslib"
 load "lib/output"
 
-export APP_KEY="base64:v2LwHrdgnE+RavEXdnF8LgWIibjvEcFkU2qaX5Ji708="
-
 @test "[$TEST_FILE] testing Cachet Docker image build" {
   command docker-compose build --no-cache cachet
 }
diff --git a/test/test.mysql.bats b/test/test.mysql.bats
index 0cb6bd0b..293a3888 100755
--- a/test/test.mysql.bats
+++ b/test/test.mysql.bats
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ load docker_helpers
 load "lib/batslib"
 load "lib/output"
 
-export APP_KEY="base64:v2LwHrdgnE+RavEXdnF8LgWIibjvEcFkU2qaX5Ji708="
-
 @test "[$TEST_FILE] docker-compose up" {
   command docker-compose -f test/docker-compose-mysql.yml up -d
 }
diff --git a/test/test.sqlite.bats b/test/test.sqlite.bats
index f0e83aa7..f20153d2 100755
--- a/test/test.sqlite.bats
+++ b/test/test.sqlite.bats
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ load docker_helpers
 load "lib/batslib"
 load "lib/output"
 
-export APP_KEY="base64:v2LwHrdgnE+RavEXdnF8LgWIibjvEcFkU2qaX5Ji708="
-
 @test "[$TEST_FILE] docker-compose up" {
   command docker-compose -f test/docker-compose-sqlite.yml up -d
 }
diff --git a/test/test_helpers.bash b/test/test_helpers.bash
index 6cdffe7c..d12bb010 100644
--- a/test/test_helpers.bash
+++ b/test/test_helpers.bash
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 	type docker &>/dev/null || ( echo "docker is not available"; exit 1 )
 )>&2
 
+# ENV vars for tests
+export APP_ENV=development
+export APP_KEY="base64:v2LwHrdgnE+RavEXdnF8LgWIibjvEcFkU2qaX5Ji708="
+
 TEST_FILE=$(basename $BATS_TEST_FILENAME .bats)
 
 # stop all containers with the "bats-type" label (matching the optionally supplied value)