diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a8c8e04..db41768 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -56,6 +56,23 @@ stackify.environment=YOUR_ENVIRONMENT
 
 Note: *If you are logging from a device that has the stackify-agent installed, the environment setting is optional. We will use the environment associated to your device in Stackify.*
 
+#### Programmatic Configuration (Optional)
+
+Instead of providing a properties file in your classpath, you can configure the Metrics API programmatically:
+```
+ApiConfiguration.Builder builder = ApiConfiguration.newBuilder();
+builder.apiKey("YOUR_API_KEY");
+builder.application("YOUR_APPLICATION_NAME");
+builder.environment("YOUR_ENVIRONMENT");
+ApiConfiguration config = builder.build();
+		
+MetricManager.configure(config);
+```
+
+This needs to be done at application startup before any other interactions with the Metrics API.
+
+Note: *If you are logging from a device that has the stackify-agent installed, the environment setting is optional. We will use the environment associated to your device in Stackify.*
+
 #### Gauge Metric
 
 ```java
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/stackify/metric/MetricManager.java b/src/main/java/com/stackify/metric/MetricManager.java
index 2b5de67..0b0c36d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/stackify/metric/MetricManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/stackify/metric/MetricManager.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import com.stackify.api.common.ApiConfiguration;
 import com.stackify.api.common.ApiConfigurations;
 import com.stackify.api.common.AppIdentityService;
+import com.stackify.api.common.EnvironmentDetails;
 import com.stackify.metric.impl.MetricBackgroundService;
 import com.stackify.metric.impl.MetricCollector;
 import com.stackify.metric.impl.MetricMonitorService;
@@ -70,15 +71,42 @@ public static MetricCollector getCollector() {
 		
 		return COLLECTOR;
 	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * Manually configure the metrics api
+	 * @param config API configuration
+	 */
+	public static synchronized void configure(final ApiConfiguration config) {
+		
+		ApiConfiguration.Builder builder = ApiConfiguration.newBuilder();
 		
+		builder.apiUrl(config.getApiUrl());
+		builder.apiKey(config.getApiKey());
+		builder.application(config.getApplication());
+		builder.environment(config.getEnvironment());
+		
+		if (config.getEnvDetail() == null)
+		{
+			builder.envDetail(EnvironmentDetails.getEnvironmentDetail(config.getApplication(), config.getEnvironment()));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			builder.envDetail(config.getEnvDetail());
+		}
+		
+		CONFIG = builder.build();
+	}
+	
 	/**
 	 * Start up the background thread that is processing metrics
 	 */
 	private static synchronized void startup() {
 		
 		try {
-			CONFIG = ApiConfigurations.fromProperties();
-							
+			if (CONFIG == null) {
+				CONFIG = ApiConfigurations.fromProperties();
+			}
+			
 			ObjectMapper objectMapper = new ObjectMapper();
 			
 			AppIdentityService appIdentityService = new AppIdentityService(CONFIG, objectMapper, true);
@@ -105,6 +133,8 @@ public static synchronized void shutdown() {
 			} catch (Throwable t) {
 				LOGGER.error("Exception stopping Stackify Metrics API service", t);
 			}
+			
+			INITIALIZED.compareAndSet(true, false);
 		}
 	}
 	
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/stackify/metric/MetricManagerTest.java b/src/test/java/com/stackify/metric/MetricManagerTest.java
index 0c770be..7c1cfed 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/stackify/metric/MetricManagerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/stackify/metric/MetricManagerTest.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package com.stackify.metric;
 
+import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
@@ -23,6 +24,8 @@
 import org.powermock.core.classloader.annotations.PrepareForTest;
 import org.powermock.modules.junit4.PowerMockRunner;
 
+import com.stackify.api.common.ApiConfiguration;
+import com.stackify.api.common.ApiConfigurations;
 import com.stackify.api.common.AppIdentityService;
 import com.stackify.metric.impl.MetricBackgroundService;
 import com.stackify.metric.impl.MetricCollector;
@@ -34,9 +37,17 @@
  * @author Eric Martin
  */
 @RunWith(PowerMockRunner.class)
-@PrepareForTest({MetricManager.class, AppIdentityService.class, MetricMonitorService.class, MetricSender.class, MetricBackgroundService.class})
+@PrepareForTest({MetricManager.class, AppIdentityService.class, MetricMonitorService.class, MetricSender.class, MetricBackgroundService.class, ApiConfigurations.class})
 public class MetricManagerTest {
 
+	/**
+	 * tearDown
+	 */
+	@After
+	public void tearDown() {
+		MetricManager.shutdown();
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * testGetCollectorAndShutdown
 	 * @throws Exception 
@@ -73,4 +84,40 @@ public void testGetCollectorAndShutdown() throws Exception {
 		
 		Mockito.verify(background).stop();
 	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * testManualConfig
+	 * @throws Exception 
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void testManualConfig() throws Exception {
+
+		PowerMockito.mockStatic(ApiConfigurations.class);
+		PowerMockito.when(ApiConfigurations.fromProperties()).thenThrow(new RuntimeException());
+		
+		ApiConfiguration config = Mockito.mock(ApiConfiguration.class);
+
+		MetricManager.configure(config);
+				
+		AppIdentityService ais = Mockito.mock(AppIdentityService.class);
+		PowerMockito.whenNew(AppIdentityService.class).withAnyArguments().thenReturn(ais);
+
+		MetricMonitorService mms = Mockito.mock(MetricMonitorService.class);
+		PowerMockito.whenNew(MetricMonitorService.class).withAnyArguments().thenReturn(mms);
+
+		MetricSender sender = Mockito.mock(MetricSender.class);
+		PowerMockito.whenNew(MetricSender.class).withAnyArguments().thenReturn(sender);
+
+		MetricBackgroundService background = PowerMockito.mock(MetricBackgroundService.class);
+		PowerMockito.whenNew(MetricBackgroundService.class).withAnyArguments().thenReturn(background);
+				
+		MetricCollector collector = MetricManager.getCollector();
+		Assert.assertNotNull(collector);
+		
+		Mockito.verify(background).start();
+				
+		MetricManager.shutdown();
+		
+		Mockito.verify(background).stop();
+	}
 }