diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 62d333d..878761c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ This helps us solve two major different problems:
 #Example .env file
 KEY=value
 NAME=Oberyn Martell
-SECRET=${secret-identifier}
+SECRET=!{secret-identifier}
 ```
 
 ### Secrets
-Secrets are denoted in a `.env` file by surrounding the identifier with `${}`.
+Secrets are denoted in a `.env` file by surrounding the identifier with `!{}`.
 Serum will pass this identifer to the specified `SecretProvider` for decryption. If the decryption is successful,
 the value will be injected into the running process' environment using the specified key.
 
diff --git a/internal/envparser/envparser.go b/internal/envparser/envparser.go
index 36245dc..cdcb0d4 100644
--- a/internal/envparser/envparser.go
+++ b/internal/envparser/envparser.go
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ import (
 const (
 	commentToken = "#"
 	kvSeparator  = "="
-	secretRegex  = `^\${(?P<secretval>.+)}$`
+	secretRegex  = `^!{(?P<secretval>.+)}$`
+	emptySecret  = "!{}"
 )
 
 var secretRe *regexp.Regexp
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ func parseLine(envVars *EnvVars, l string) error {
 	//key is first index, value is second
 	k := strings.TrimSpace(splits[0])
 	v := strings.TrimSpace(splits[1])
-	if k == "" {
+	if k == "" || v == emptySecret {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid format %q", l)
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/envparser/envparser_test.go b/internal/envparser/envparser_test.go
index a219f8b..fc783ce 100644
--- a/internal/envparser/envparser_test.go
+++ b/internal/envparser/envparser_test.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func TestParseFile(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "plain and secrets",
 			envFile: `
 				PLAIN=plaintext
-				SECRET=${keep it secret, keep it safe}
+				SECRET=!{keep it secret, keep it safe}
 			`,
 			plain: map[string]string{
 				"PLAIN": "plaintext",
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func TestParseFile(t *testing.T) {
 			envFile: `
 				#yoyo
 				PLAIN=plaintext
-				SECRET=${keep it secret, keep it safe}
+				SECRET=!{keep it secret, keep it safe}
 			`,
 			plain: map[string]string{
 				"PLAIN": "plaintext",
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ func TestParseFile(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "only secrets and comments",
 			envFile: `
 				#yoyo
-				SECRET=${keep it secret, keep it safe}
+				SECRET=!{keep it secret, keep it safe}
 			`,
 			plain: map[string]string{},
 			secrets: map[string]string{
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func TestParseFile(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "only secrets",
 			envFile: `
-				SECRET_PASSWORD=${is it the red or the white?}
+				SECRET_PASSWORD=!{is it the red or the white?}
 			`,
 			plain: map[string]string{},
 			secrets: map[string]string{
@@ -163,6 +163,13 @@ func TestParseFileError(t *testing.T) {
 			envFile:     kvSeparator,
 			expectedErr: errors.New("invalid format"),
 		},
+		{
+			name: "empty secret",
+			envFile: `
+				SECRET=!{}
+			`,
+			expectedErr: errors.New("invalid format"),
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range tt {