diff --git a/Dockerfiles/Dockerfile.ssas b/Dockerfiles/Dockerfile.ssas
index 9f951bcb..06b10738 100644
--- a/Dockerfiles/Dockerfile.ssas
+++ b/Dockerfiles/Dockerfile.ssas
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ RUN go build -ldflags "-X github.com/CMSgov/bcda-ssas-app/ssas/constants.Version
 FROM golang:1.19-alpine3.15
 RUN apk update upgrade
 RUN apk --no-cache add ca-certificates aws-cli curl
+WORKDIR /go/src/github.com/CMSgov/bcda-ssas-app
+COPY --from=builder /go/src/github.com/CMSgov/bcda-ssas-app/ssas/cfg/configs ssas/cfg/configs
 WORKDIR /usr/local/bin
 COPY --from=builder /go/src/github.com/CMSgov/bcda-ssas-app/ssas/ssas .
 COPY --from=documentation /go/src/github.com/CMSgov/bcda-ssas-app/ssas/swaggerui ./swaggerui
diff --git a/docker-compose.test.yml b/docker-compose.test.yml
index 4d9042eb..8591696a 100644
--- a/docker-compose.test.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.test.yml
@@ -7,13 +7,12 @@ services:
       dockerfile: Dockerfiles/Dockerfile.tests
       args:
         VERSION: latest
-    env_file:
-      - ./ssas/cfg/configs/local.env
     environment:
       - DB=postgresql://postgres:toor@db:5432
       - DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:toor@db:5432/bcda?sslmode=disable
       - BCDA_SSAS_CLIENT_ID=fake-client-id
       - BCDA_SSAS_SECRET=fake-secret
+      - DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=local
       - SSAS_ADMIN_SIGNING_KEY_PATH=../../../shared_files/ssas/admin_test_signing_key.pem
       - SSAS_PUBLIC_SIGNING_KEY_PATH=../../../shared_files/ssas/public_test_signing_key.pem
       - SSAS_PUBLIC_PORT=:3003
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index ca228585..e13c50b6 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ services:
       args:
         VERSION: latest
     image: bcda-ssas:latest
-    env_file:
-      - ./ssas/cfg/configs/local.env
     environment:
       - DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:toor@db:5432/bcda?sslmode=disable
       - ATO_PUBLIC_KEY_FILE=../shared_files/ATO_public.pem
@@ -34,7 +32,6 @@ services:
       - BCDA_AUTH_PROVIDER=${BCDA_AUTH_PROVIDER}
       - BCDA_SSAS_CLIENT_ID=${BCDA_SSAS_CLIENT_ID}
       - BCDA_SSAS_SECRET=${BCDA_SSAS_SECRET}
-      - DEBUG=true
       - DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=local
       - SSAS_ADMIN_SIGNING_KEY_PATH=../shared_files/ssas/admin_test_signing_key.pem
       - SSAS_PUBLIC_SIGNING_KEY_PATH=../shared_files/ssas/public_test_signing_key.pem
@@ -50,6 +47,7 @@ services:
       - SSAS_CLIENT_ASSERTION_AUD=http://local.testing.cms.gov/api/v2/Token/auth
     volumes:
       - ./shared_files:/usr/local/shared_files
+      - .:/go/src/github.com/CMSgov/bcda-ssas-app
     ports:
       - "3103:3003"
       - "3104:3004"
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 3c3a6cd3..f20600bd 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/magiconair/properties v1.8.6 // indirect
 	github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure v1.5.0 // indirect
 	github.com/pelletier/go-toml v1.9.5 // indirect
+	github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1 // indirect
 	github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.10.0 // indirect
 	github.com/spf13/afero v1.8.2 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 4f853991..d441d1b5 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -224,6 +224,8 @@ github.com/jstemmer/go-junit-report v0.9.1/go.mod h1:Brl9GWCQeLvo8nXZwPNNblvFj/X
 github.com/kisielk/errcheck v1.5.0/go.mod h1:pFxgyoBC7bSaBwPgfKdkLd5X25qrDl4LWUI2bnpBCr8=
 github.com/kisielk/gotool v1.0.0/go.mod h1:XhKaO+MFFWcvkIS/tQcRk01m1F5IRFswLeQ+oQHNcck=
 github.com/kr/fs v0.1.0/go.mod h1:FFnZGqtBN9Gxj7eW1uZ42v5BccTP0vu6NEaFoC2HwRg=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1 h1:7eLL/+HRGLY0ldzfGMeQkb7vMd0as4CfYvUVzLqw0N0=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1/go.mod h1:f4LDr5Voq0i2e/R5DDNOoa2zzDfwtkZa6DnEwAbqwq4=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.1.0/go.mod h1:dAy3ld7l9f0ibDNOQOHHMYYIIbhfbHSm3C4ZsoJORNo=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.2.0/go.mod h1:ipq/a2n7PKx3OHsz4KJII5eveXtPO4qwEXGdVfWzfnI=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.3.0 h1:WgNl7dwNpEZ6jJ9k1snq4pZsg7DOEN8hP9Xw0Tsjwk0=
diff --git a/ops/build_and_package.sh b/ops/build_and_package.sh
index 2880c99b..d2eb64da 100755
--- a/ops/build_and_package.sh
+++ b/ops/build_and_package.sh
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ go clean
 echo "Building ssas..."
 go build -ldflags "-X github.com/CMSgov/bcda-ssas-app/ssas/constants.Version=$VERSION" -o ssas ./service/main
 echo "Packaging ssas binary into RPM..."
-fpm -v $VERSION -s dir -t rpm -n ssas ssas=/usr/local/bin/ssas swaggerui=/etc/sv/ssas
+fpm -v $VERSION -s dir -t rpm -n ssas ssas=/usr/local/bin/ssas swaggerui=/etc/sv/ssas cfg/configs/=/go/src/github.com/CMSgov/bcda-ssas-app/ssas/cfg/configs/
 
 
 #Sign RPMs
diff --git a/ssas/cfg/configs/dev.env b/ssas/cfg/configs/dev.env
index 37d85bd7..8577dc8d 100644
--- a/ssas/cfg/configs/dev.env
+++ b/ssas/cfg/configs/dev.env
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+DEBUG=TRUE
 DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=dev
 SSAS_DEFAULT_SYSTEM_SCOPE=bcda-api
 SSAS_IDLE_TIMEOUT=120
diff --git a/ssas/cfg/configs/local.env b/ssas/cfg/configs/local.env
index 6b200057..d4158ace 100644
--- a/ssas/cfg/configs/local.env
+++ b/ssas/cfg/configs/local.env
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+DEBUG=TRUE
 DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=local
 SSAS_DEFAULT_SYSTEM_SCOPE=bcda-api
 SSAS_IDLE_TIMEOUT=120
diff --git a/ssas/cfg/configs/opensbx.env b/ssas/cfg/configs/opensbx.env
index a95aaa58..e0608b2e 100644
--- a/ssas/cfg/configs/opensbx.env
+++ b/ssas/cfg/configs/opensbx.env
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+DEBUG=FALSE
 DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=opensbx
 SSAS_DEFAULT_SYSTEM_SCOPE=bcda-api
 SSAS_IDLE_TIMEOUT=120
diff --git a/ssas/cfg/configs/prod.env b/ssas/cfg/configs/prod.env
index 10d77ca3..eee51ad4 100644
--- a/ssas/cfg/configs/prod.env
+++ b/ssas/cfg/configs/prod.env
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+DEBUG=FALSE
 DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=prod
 SSAS_DEFAULT_SYSTEM_SCOPE=bcda-api
 SSAS_IDLE_TIMEOUT=120
diff --git a/ssas/cfg/configs/test.env b/ssas/cfg/configs/test.env
index db31fdaa..c5d1107d 100644
--- a/ssas/cfg/configs/test.env
+++ b/ssas/cfg/configs/test.env
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+DEBUG=FALSE
 DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=test
 SSAS_DEFAULT_SYSTEM_SCOPE=bcda-api
 SSAS_IDLE_TIMEOUT=120
diff --git a/ssas/service/main/main.go b/ssas/service/main/main.go
index 61e53f96..cd8a56b5 100644
--- a/ssas/service/main/main.go
+++ b/ssas/service/main/main.go
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ Until you click logout your token will be presented with every request made.  To
 
  swagger:meta
 */
-//nolint: lll
+
+//nolint: lll // Ignore long line linting
 
 package main
 
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ func init() {
 	if nil != err {
 		logger.Warnf("New Relic integration is disabled: %s", err)
 	}
+
 }
 
 // We provide some simple commands for bootstrapping the system into place. Commands cannot be combined.
diff --git a/ssas/systems.go b/ssas/systems.go
index 93237d9f..41ec7c55 100644
--- a/ssas/systems.go
+++ b/ssas/systems.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"go/build"
 	"io"
 	"net"
 	"os"
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/CMSgov/bcda-ssas-app/log"
 	"github.com/CMSgov/bcda-ssas-app/ssas/cfg"
+	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
 	"github.com/pborman/uuid"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"gorm.io/gorm"
@@ -33,15 +35,28 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func getEnvVars() {
-	DefaultScope = os.Getenv("SSAS_DEFAULT_SYSTEM_SCOPE")
+	env := os.Getenv("DEPLOYMENT_TARGET")
+	gopath := os.Getenv("GOPATH")
+
+	if gopath == "" {
+		gopath = build.Default.GOPATH
+		//when GOROOT==gopath, it'll still be empty. Thus, we specify what's in our Dockerfile.
+		if gopath == "" {
+			gopath = "/go"
+		}
+
+	}
+
+	envPath := fmt.Sprintf(gopath+"/src/github.com/CMSgov/bcda-ssas-app/ssas/cfg/configs/%s.env", env)
+	err := godotenv.Load(envPath)
 
+	if err != nil {
+		ServiceHalted(Event{Help: fmt.Sprintf("Unable to load environment variables in env %s; message: %s", env, err.Error())})
+		panic("Unable to start application without loading environment variables.")
+	}
+	DefaultScope = os.Getenv("SSAS_DEFAULT_SYSTEM_SCOPE")
 	if DefaultScope == "" {
-		if os.Getenv("DEBUG") == "true" {
-			DefaultScope = "bcda-api"
-			return
-		}
-		log.GetCtxLogger(context.Background()).Info(logrus.Fields{"Event": "ServiceHalted", "Help": "SSAS_DEFAULT_SYSTEM_SCOPE environment value must be set"})
-		panic("SSAS_DEFAULT_SYSTEM_SCOPE environment value must be set")
+		panic("Unable to source default system scope; check env files")
 	}
 
 	expirationDays := cfg.GetEnvInt("SSAS_CRED_EXPIRATION_DAYS", 90)
diff --git a/ssas/systems_test.go b/ssas/systems_test.go
index 3beaa438..b0beee67 100644
--- a/ssas/systems_test.go
+++ b/ssas/systems_test.go
@@ -668,6 +668,15 @@ func (s *SystemsTestSuite) TestScopeEnvSuccess() {
 	assert.Nil(s.T(), err)
 }
 
+func (s *SystemsTestSuite) TestEmptyGoPath() {
+	err := os.Setenv("GOPATH", "")
+	if err != nil {
+		s.FailNow(err.Error())
+	}
+	getEnvVars()
+	assert.Equal(s.T(), "bcda-api", DefaultScope)
+}
+
 func (s *SystemsTestSuite) TestScopeEnvDebug() {
 	getEnvVars()
 	assert.Equal(s.T(), "bcda-api", DefaultScope)