diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ad94d15..e7909d0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,11 +33,13 @@ There is a `rails_upgrade` branch where some of this work has been started and p
 
 4. Create database.yml in the config folder. You can `cp config/database.example.yml config/database.yml` to get a starting point.
 
-5. Setup the database (create DB, load schema, load seed data)
+5. Create the `.env` file. You can `cp sample.env .env` to get a starting point.
+
+6. Setup the database (create DB, load schema, load seed data)
 
     `rake db:setup`
 
-6. Start the app
+7. Start the app
 
     `foreman start`
 
diff --git a/config/initializers/secret_token.rb b/config/initializers/secret_token.rb
index 79b1f7e..53a6d2b 100644
--- a/config/initializers/secret_token.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/secret_token.rb
@@ -7,8 +7,5 @@
 
 # Set the session secret as an environment variable.
 # Generate a new secret with `rake secret`
-if ENV["SECRET_TOKEN"]
-  SplendidBacon::Application.config.secret_token = ENV["SECRET_TOKEN"]
-else
-  raise "You must set the SECRET_TOKEN environment variable!"
-end
+
+SplendidBacon::Application.config.secret_token = ENV["SECRET_TOKEN"]
diff --git a/sample.env b/sample.env
index 29709a9..6376675 100644
--- a/sample.env
+++ b/sample.env
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+RACK_ENV=development
 SECRET_TOKEN=fd739b6b4445a829c21ad88a33cea6e327676bd8d345697e2ea3339531210b1971d2cf41362eec4471f78483ea6f5dfe3c84c73b3d3b75bff8daf3155f02a0b3
-HOST=example.herokuapp.com
+HOST=localhost:5000
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index fd9ef7e..d0219e8 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # This file is copied to spec/ when you run 'rails generate rspec:install'
 ENV["RAILS_ENV"] ||= 'test'
+ENV["SECRET_TOKEN"] ||= "ThisIsAReallyBadSecretBecauseItIsHardCoded45697e2ea3339531210b1971d2cf41362eec4471f78483ea6f5dfe3c84c73b3d3b75bff8daf3155f02a0b3"
 require File.expand_path("../../config/environment", __FILE__)
 require 'rspec/rails'