diff --git a/cmd/accumulated/run/marshal.go b/cmd/accumulated/run/config.go
similarity index 70%
rename from cmd/accumulated/run/marshal.go
rename to cmd/accumulated/run/config.go
index a9d4c8fb9..7d34703c9 100644
--- a/cmd/accumulated/run/marshal.go
+++ b/cmd/accumulated/run/config.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ package run
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
@@ -16,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
+	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
 	"gitlab.com/accumulatenetwork/accumulate/pkg/errors"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
@@ -58,7 +61,31 @@ func (c *Config) Load(b []byte, format func([]byte, any) error) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return json.Unmarshal(b, c)
+	err = json.Unmarshal(b, c)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return c.applyDotEnv()
+}
+
+func (c *Config) applyDotEnv() error {
+	if !setDefaultPtr(&c.DotEnv, false) {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	file := ".env"
+	if c.file != "" {
+		dir := filepath.Dir(c.file)
+		file = filepath.Join(dir, file)
+	}
+
+	env, err := godotenv.Read(file)
+	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return errors.Join(expandEnv(reflect.ValueOf(c), env)...)
 }
 
 func (c *Config) Save() error {
@@ -165,3 +192,43 @@ func float2int(v reflect.Value) any {
 		return v.Interface()
 	}
 }
+
+func expandEnv(v reflect.Value, env map[string]string) (errs []error) {
+	switch v.Kind() {
+	case reflect.String:
+		s := v.String()
+		s = os.Expand(s, func(name string) string {
+			value, ok := env[name]
+			if ok {
+				return value
+			}
+			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("%q is not defined", name))
+			return fmt.Sprintf("#!MISSING(%q)", name)
+		})
+		v.SetString(s)
+
+	case reflect.Pointer, reflect.Interface:
+		errs = append(errs, expandEnv(v.Elem(), env)...)
+
+	case reflect.Slice, reflect.Array:
+		for i, n := 0, v.Len(); i < n; i++ {
+			errs = append(errs, expandEnv(v.Index(i), env)...)
+		}
+
+	case reflect.Map:
+		it := v.MapRange()
+		for it.Next() {
+			errs = append(errs, expandEnv(it.Key(), env)...)
+			errs = append(errs, expandEnv(it.Value(), env)...)
+		}
+
+	case reflect.Struct:
+		typ := v.Type()
+		for i, n := 0, typ.NumField(); i < n; i++ {
+			if typ.Field(i).IsExported() {
+				errs = append(errs, expandEnv(v.Field(i), env)...)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return errs
+}
diff --git a/cmd/accumulated/run/config.yml b/cmd/accumulated/run/config.yml
index 6a84f7dcd..f7b9ddc6e 100644
--- a/cmd/accumulated/run/config.yml
+++ b/cmd/accumulated/run/config.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ Config:
     - name: file
       type: string
       marshal-as: none
+    - name: DotEnv
+      type: bool
+      pointer: true
     - name: Network
       type: string
     - name: Logging
diff --git a/cmd/accumulated/run/types_gen.go b/cmd/accumulated/run/types_gen.go
index d55d1c592..4543b2d5d 100644
--- a/cmd/accumulated/run/types_gen.go
+++ b/cmd/accumulated/run/types_gen.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ type CometPrivValFile struct {
 
 type Config struct {
 	file            string
+	DotEnv          *bool            `json:"dotEnv,omitempty" form:"dotEnv" query:"dotEnv" validate:"required"`
 	Network         string           `json:"network,omitempty" form:"network" query:"network" validate:"required"`
 	Logging         *Logging         `json:"logging,omitempty" form:"logging" query:"logging" validate:"required"`
 	Instrumentation *Instrumentation `json:"instrumentation,omitempty" form:"instrumentation" query:"instrumentation" validate:"required"`
@@ -359,6 +360,10 @@ func (v *CometPrivValFile) CopyAsInterface() interface{} { return v.Copy() }
 func (v *Config) Copy() *Config {
 	u := new(Config)
 
+	if v.DotEnv != nil {
+		u.DotEnv = new(bool)
+		*u.DotEnv = *v.DotEnv
+	}
 	u.Network = v.Network
 	if v.Logging != nil {
 		u.Logging = (v.Logging).Copy()
@@ -976,6 +981,14 @@ func (v *CometPrivValFile) Equal(u *CometPrivValFile) bool {
 }
 
 func (v *Config) Equal(u *Config) bool {
+	switch {
+	case v.DotEnv == u.DotEnv:
+		// equal
+	case v.DotEnv == nil || u.DotEnv == nil:
+		return false
+	case !(*v.DotEnv == *u.DotEnv):
+		return false
+	}
 	if !(v.Network == u.Network) {
 		return false
 	}
@@ -1948,6 +1961,7 @@ func (v *CometPrivValFile) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 
 func (v *Config) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	u := struct {
+		DotEnv          *bool                                          `json:"dotEnv,omitempty"`
 		Network         string                                         `json:"network,omitempty"`
 		Logging         *Logging                                       `json:"logging,omitempty"`
 		Instrumentation *Instrumentation                               `json:"instrumentation,omitempty"`
@@ -1955,6 +1969,9 @@ func (v *Config) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 		Configurations  *encoding.JsonUnmarshalListWith[Configuration] `json:"configurations,omitempty"`
 		Services        *encoding.JsonUnmarshalListWith[Service]       `json:"services,omitempty"`
 	}{}
+	if !(v.DotEnv == nil) {
+		u.DotEnv = v.DotEnv
+	}
 	if !(len(v.Network) == 0) {
 		u.Network = v.Network
 	}
@@ -2667,6 +2684,7 @@ func (v *CometPrivValFile) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 
 func (v *Config) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 	u := struct {
+		DotEnv          *bool                                          `json:"dotEnv,omitempty"`
 		Network         string                                         `json:"network,omitempty"`
 		Logging         *Logging                                       `json:"logging,omitempty"`
 		Instrumentation *Instrumentation                               `json:"instrumentation,omitempty"`
@@ -2675,6 +2693,7 @@ func (v *Config) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 		Services        *encoding.JsonUnmarshalListWith[Service]       `json:"services,omitempty"`
 	}{}
 
+	u.DotEnv = v.DotEnv
 	u.Network = v.Network
 	u.Logging = v.Logging
 	u.Instrumentation = v.Instrumentation
@@ -2685,6 +2704,7 @@ func (v *Config) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	v.DotEnv = u.DotEnv
 	v.Network = u.Network
 	v.Logging = u.Logging
 	v.Instrumentation = u.Instrumentation
diff --git a/cmd/accumulated/run/utils.go b/cmd/accumulated/run/utils.go
index 0c35bd4d0..ac062329c 100644
--- a/cmd/accumulated/run/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/accumulated/run/utils.go
@@ -38,11 +38,11 @@ var (
 
 func Ptr[T any](v T) *T { return &v }
 
-func setDefaultPtr[V any](ptr **V, def V) *V {
+func setDefaultPtr[V any](ptr **V, def V) V {
 	if *ptr == nil {
 		*ptr = &def
 	}
-	return *ptr
+	return **ptr
 }
 
 func setDefaultVal[V any](ptr *V, def V) V {
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 0e82a12f1..b49ee4c60 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/jingyugao/rowserrcheck v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/jirfag/go-printf-func-name v0.0.0-20200119135958-7558a9eaa5af // indirect
 	github.com/jmhodges/levigo v1.0.0 // indirect
+	github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1
 	github.com/jonboulle/clockwork v0.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/julz/importas v0.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/kisielk/errcheck v1.7.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index d43775785..1f9ae0157 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -645,6 +645,8 @@ github.com/jjti/go-spancheck v0.5.3 h1:vfq4s2IB8T3HvbpiwDTYgVPj1Ze/ZSXrTtaZRTc7C
 github.com/jjti/go-spancheck v0.5.3/go.mod h1:eQdOX1k3T+nAKvZDyLC3Eby0La4dZ+I19iOl5NzSPFE=
 github.com/jmhodges/levigo v1.0.0 h1:q5EC36kV79HWeTBWsod3mG11EgStG3qArTKcvlksN1U=
 github.com/jmhodges/levigo v1.0.0/go.mod h1:Q6Qx+uH3RAqyK4rFQroq9RL7mdkABMcfhEI+nNuzMJQ=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1 h1:7eLL/+HRGLY0ldzfGMeQkb7vMd0as4CfYvUVzLqw0N0=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1/go.mod h1:f4LDr5Voq0i2e/R5DDNOoa2zzDfwtkZa6DnEwAbqwq4=
 github.com/jonboulle/clockwork v0.2.2/go.mod h1:Pkfl5aHPm1nk2H9h0bjmnJD/BcgbGXUBGnn1kMkgxc8=
 github.com/jonboulle/clockwork v0.3.0 h1:9BSCMi8C+0qdApAp4auwX0RkLGUjs956h0EkuQymUhg=
 github.com/jonboulle/clockwork v0.3.0/go.mod h1:Pkfl5aHPm1nk2H9h0bjmnJD/BcgbGXUBGnn1kMkgxc8=