diff --git a/packages/probation-search-frontend/data/probationSearchClient.ts b/packages/probation-search-frontend/data/probationSearchClient.ts
index c798330..b2f8853 100644
--- a/packages/probation-search-frontend/data/probationSearchClient.ts
+++ b/packages/probation-search-frontend/data/probationSearchClient.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import superagent from 'superagent'
 import OAuthClient from './oauthClient'
-import config, { Environment } from '../config'
+import environments, { EnvironmentConfig } from '../environments'
 
 export default class ProbationSearchClient {
   constructor(
     private oauthClient: OAuthClient,
-    private dataSource: Environment | ProbationSearchResult[],
+    private dataSource: 'dev' | 'preprod' | 'prod' | EnvironmentConfig | ProbationSearchResult[],
   ) {}
 
   async search({
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export default class ProbationSearchClient {
       return Promise.resolve(this.localSearch(this.dataSource, pageNumber, pageSize))
     }
     const token = await this.oauthClient.getSystemClientToken(asUsername)
-    const apiConfig = config[this.dataSource].searchApi
+    const apiConfig = this.getApiConfig(this.dataSource).searchApi
     const response = await superagent
       .post(`${apiConfig.url}/phrase?page=${pageNumber - 1}&size=${pageSize}}`)
       .auth(token, { type: 'bearer' })
@@ -40,10 +40,15 @@ export default class ProbationSearchClient {
       content,
       probationAreaAggregations: [],
       size: content.length,
-      totalElements: this.dataSource.length,
-      totalPages: Math.ceil(this.dataSource.length / size),
+      totalElements: data.length,
+      totalPages: Math.ceil(data.length / size),
     }
   }
+
+  private getApiConfig(dataSource: 'dev' | 'preprod' | 'prod' | EnvironmentConfig): EnvironmentConfig {
+    if (dataSource === 'dev' || dataSource === 'preprod' || dataSource === 'prod') return environments[dataSource]
+    return dataSource
+  }
 }
 
 export interface ProbationSearchRequest {
diff --git a/packages/probation-search-frontend/config.ts b/packages/probation-search-frontend/environments.ts
similarity index 69%
rename from packages/probation-search-frontend/config.ts
rename to packages/probation-search-frontend/environments.ts
index 9ee0001..598c440 100644
--- a/packages/probation-search-frontend/config.ts
+++ b/packages/probation-search-frontend/environments.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
-export type Environment = 'dev' | 'preprod' | 'prod'
+export type Environment = 'local' | 'dev' | 'preprod' | 'prod'
 export interface ApiConfig {
   url: string
   timeout: number
 }
-export interface EnvironmentConfig {
+export type EnvironmentConfig = {
   searchApi: ApiConfig
 }
 
-const config: { [key in Environment]: EnvironmentConfig } = {
+const environments: { [key in Environment]: EnvironmentConfig } = {
+  local: null,
   dev: {
     searchApi: { url: 'https://probation-offender-search-dev.hmpps.service.justice.gov.uk', timeout: 5000 },
   },
@@ -19,4 +20,4 @@ const config: { [key in Environment]: EnvironmentConfig } = {
   },
 }
 
-export default config
+export default environments
diff --git a/packages/probation-search-frontend/routes/search.ts b/packages/probation-search-frontend/routes/search.ts
index ceb054e..9acec7f 100644
--- a/packages/probation-search-frontend/routes/search.ts
+++ b/packages/probation-search-frontend/routes/search.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import getPaginationLinks, { Pagination } from '../utils/pagination'
 import getSuggestionLinks, { SuggestionLink } from '../utils/suggestions'
 import wrapAsync from '../utils/middleware'
 import addParameters from '../utils/url'
+import { Environment, EnvironmentConfig } from '../environments'
 
 export default function probationSearchRoutes({
   environment,
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ interface PostOptions {
 }
 
 export type ProbationSearchRouteOptions = {
-  environment: 'local' | 'dev' | 'preprod' | 'prod'
+  environment: Environment | EnvironmentConfig
   oauthClient: OAuthClient
   router: Router
   localData?: ProbationSearchResult[]
diff --git a/server/config.ts b/server/config.ts
index 3c41fe3..cc192a4 100755
--- a/server/config.ts
+++ b/server/config.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { Environment } from '@ministryofjustice/probation-search-frontend/environments'
+
 const production = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production'
 
 function get<T>(name: string, fallback: T, options = { requireInProduction: false }): T | string {
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ export interface ApiConfig {
 
 export default {
   buildNumber: get('BUILD_NUMBER', '1_0_0', requiredInProduction),
-  environment: get('ENVIRONMENT', 'local', requiredInProduction) as 'local' | 'dev' | 'preprod' | 'prod',
+  environment: customApiUrl() ?? (get('ENVIRONMENT', 'local', requiredInProduction) as Environment),
   productId: get('PRODUCT_ID', 'UNASSIGNED', requiredInProduction),
   gitRef: get('GIT_REF', 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx', requiredInProduction),
   production,
@@ -94,3 +96,14 @@ export default {
   },
   domain: get('INGRESS_URL', 'http://localhost:3000', requiredInProduction),
 }
+
+function customApiUrl() {
+  return process.env.API_URL
+    ? {
+        searchApi: {
+          url: process.env.API_URL,
+          timeout: +get('API_TIMEOUT', 5000),
+        },
+      }
+    : null
+}