diff --git a/lib/s3-utils.js b/lib/s3-utils.js
index e684b59de..c7e535a28 100644
--- a/lib/s3-utils.js
+++ b/lib/s3-utils.js
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ module.exports = function createUtils({ resources, env, aws }) {
         }).promise();
     }
     function getBucket(bucket) {
+        if (typeof bucket !== 'string') {
+            throw new Error('expected string bucket name');
+        }
         debug(`wrapping ${bucket} bucket`);
         let api = {
             get: key => get({ key, bucket }),
diff --git a/lib/samplebot/bot.js b/lib/samplebot/bot.js
index 6c67b41b0..6c3e0ed5c 100644
--- a/lib/samplebot/bot.js
+++ b/lib/samplebot/bot.js
@@ -20,7 +20,15 @@ const _1 = require("../");
 const DEFAULT_CONF = require("./default-conf");
 function createBotFromEnv(env) {
     const { PRODUCTS, ORG_DOMAIN, AUTO_VERIFY_FORMS, AUTO_APPROVE_APPS, AUTO_APPROVE_EMPLOYEES, GRAPHQL_AUTH, IS_LOCAL } = env;
-    _1.tradle.env.set(env);
+    _1.tradle.env.set({
+        PRODUCTS,
+        ORG_DOMAIN,
+        AUTO_VERIFY_FORMS,
+        AUTO_APPROVE_APPS,
+        AUTO_APPROVE_EMPLOYEES,
+        GRAPHQL_AUTH,
+        IS_LOCAL
+    });
     const NAMESPACE = ORG_DOMAIN.split('.').reverse().join('.');
     const deploymentModels = deployment_models_1.default(NAMESPACE);
     const DEPLOYMENT = deploymentModels.deployment.id;
@@ -37,9 +45,10 @@ function createBotFromEnv(env) {
         autoApprove: yn(AUTO_APPROVE_APPS),
         graphqlRequiresAuth: yn(GRAPHQL_AUTH)
     });
+    const confBucket = bot.resources.buckets.PublicConf;
     const CONF_FILE = 'bot-conf.json';
-    const putConf = (conf) => bot.resources.buckets.PublicConf.put(CONF_FILE, conf);
-    const cacheableConf = bot.resources.buckets.PublicConf.getCacheable({
+    const putConf = (conf) => confBucket.put(CONF_FILE, conf);
+    const cacheableConf = confBucket.getCacheable({
         key: CONF_FILE,
         ttl: 60000,
         parse: JSON.parse.bind(JSON)
diff --git a/lib/samplebot/default-conf.json b/lib/samplebot/default-conf.json
index d5513e114..69b134d1c 100644
--- a/lib/samplebot/default-conf.json
+++ b/lib/samplebot/default-conf.json
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 {
   "org": {
-    "logo": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/tradle-public-images/safe-re.png",
-    "domain": "safere.io",
-    "name": "SafeRe",
+    "LOGO": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/tradle-public-images/safe-re.png",
+    "DOMAIN": "safere.io",
+    "NAME": "SafeRe"
+  },
+  "products": {
     "products": "nl.tradle.DigitalPassport,tradle.CorporateBankAccount,tradle.LifeInsurance,tradle.MortgageProduct,tradle.CurrentAccount,tradle.OnfidoVerification",
     "autoApprove": false,
     "autoVerify": false
diff --git a/lib/samplebot/strategy/products.js b/lib/samplebot/strategy/products.js
index 6cdf4336f..b79c9afb5 100644
--- a/lib/samplebot/strategy/products.js
+++ b/lib/samplebot/strategy/products.js
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ const DONT_FORWARD_FROM_EMPLOYEE = [
     'tradle.AssignRelationshipManager'
 ];
 function createProductsBot(opts = {}) {
-    const { tradle = defaultTradleInstance, models = baseModels, products = DEFAULT_PRODUCTS, namespace = 'test.bot', approveAllEmployees, autoVerify, autoApprove, graphqlRequiresAuth } = opts;
+    const { tradle, models = baseModels, products = DEFAULT_PRODUCTS, namespace = 'test.bot', approveAllEmployees, autoVerify, autoApprove, graphqlRequiresAuth } = opts;
     const { ONFIDO_API_KEY } = process.env;
     const productsAPI = createProductsStrategy({
         namespace,
diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index 3cb229023..feddd2653 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ const string_utils_1 = require("./string-utils");
 const constants_1 = require("./constants");
 const errors_1 = require("./errors");
 const debug = require('debug')('tradle:sls:utils');
+const notNull = obj => obj != null;
 const isPromise = obj => obj && typeof obj.then === 'function';
 exports.isPromise = isPromise;
 const { omitVirtual, setVirtual, pickVirtual } = buildResource;
@@ -576,5 +577,4 @@ exports.getRequestIps = (req) => {
         req.get('x-real-ip')
     ].filter(notNull);
 };
-const notNull = obj => obj != null;
 //# sourceMappingURL=utils.js.map
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/s3-utils.ts b/src/s3-utils.ts
index 62f432db5..cd4120b5f 100644
--- a/src/s3-utils.ts
+++ b/src/s3-utils.ts
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@ module.exports = function createUtils ({ resources, env, aws }) {
   }
 
   function getBucket (bucket) {
+    if (typeof bucket !== 'string') {
+      throw new Error('expected string bucket name')
+    }
+
     debug(`wrapping ${bucket} bucket`)
     let api = {
       get: key => get({ key, bucket }),
diff --git a/src/samplebot/bot.ts b/src/samplebot/bot.ts
index 3d6198921..d8cb511ca 100644
--- a/src/samplebot/bot.ts
+++ b/src/samplebot/bot.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,17 @@ export default function createBotFromEnv (env) {
     IS_LOCAL
   } = env
 
-  tradle.env.set(env)
+  // important: don't set all props from env
+  // as in testing mode it overrides resources like R_BUCKET_...
+  tradle.env.set({
+    PRODUCTS,
+    ORG_DOMAIN,
+    AUTO_VERIFY_FORMS,
+    AUTO_APPROVE_APPS,
+    AUTO_APPROVE_EMPLOYEES,
+    GRAPHQL_AUTH,
+    IS_LOCAL
+  })
 
   const NAMESPACE = ORG_DOMAIN.split('.').reverse().join('.')
   const deploymentModels = createDeploymentModels(NAMESPACE)
@@ -44,9 +54,10 @@ export default function createBotFromEnv (env) {
     graphqlRequiresAuth: yn(GRAPHQL_AUTH)
   })
 
+  const confBucket = bot.resources.buckets.PublicConf
   const CONF_FILE = 'bot-conf.json'
-  const putConf = (conf) => bot.resources.buckets.PublicConf.put(CONF_FILE, conf)
-  const cacheableConf = bot.resources.buckets.PublicConf.getCacheable({
+  const putConf = (conf) => confBucket.put(CONF_FILE, conf)
+  const cacheableConf = confBucket.getCacheable({
     key: CONF_FILE,
     ttl: 60000,
     parse: JSON.parse.bind(JSON)
diff --git a/src/samplebot/default-conf.json b/src/samplebot/default-conf.json
index 5a0434bd5..69b134d1c 100644
--- a/src/samplebot/default-conf.json
+++ b/src/samplebot/default-conf.json
@@ -1,4 +1,21 @@
 {
+  "org": {
+    "LOGO": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/tradle-public-images/safe-re.png",
+    "DOMAIN": "safere.io",
+    "NAME": "SafeRe"
+  },
+  "products": {
+    "products": "nl.tradle.DigitalPassport,tradle.CorporateBankAccount,tradle.LifeInsurance,tradle.MortgageProduct,tradle.CurrentAccount,tradle.OnfidoVerification",
+    "autoApprove": false,
+    "autoVerify": false
+  },
+  "style": {
+    "_t": "tradle.StylesPack",
+    "backgroundImage": {
+      "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/tradle-public-images/blue-underwater-gradient-opacity-15.png"
+    },
+    "logoNeedsText": true
+  },
   "plugins": {
     "customize-message": {
       "tradle.FormRequest": {
diff --git a/src/samplebot/strategy/products.ts b/src/samplebot/strategy/products.ts
index ca5277807..89c042ad2 100644
--- a/src/samplebot/strategy/products.ts
+++ b/src/samplebot/strategy/products.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const DONT_FORWARD_FROM_EMPLOYEE = [
 
 export default function createProductsBot (opts={}) {
   const {
-    tradle=defaultTradleInstance,
+    tradle,
     models=baseModels,
     products=DEFAULT_PRODUCTS,
     namespace='test.bot',
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index 266d1d70b..975e5126f 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import Resources = require('./resources')
 import { ExecutionTimeout } from './errors'
 
 const debug = require('debug')('tradle:sls:utils')
+const notNull = obj => obj != null
 const isPromise = obj => obj && typeof obj.then === 'function'
 const { omitVirtual, setVirtual, pickVirtual } = buildResource
 const LAUNCH_STACK_BASE_URL = 'https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudformation/home'
@@ -689,5 +690,3 @@ export const getRequestIps = (req) => {
     req.get('x-real-ip')
   ].filter(notNull)
 }
-
-const notNull = obj => obj != null