diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 242ee3c2..b53b63f0 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ RUN npm ci --omit=dev
 COPY . .
 
 FROM base-dev AS development
-CMD ["node", "-r", "./src/lib/tracing.cjs", "--watch", "bin/www.js"]
+CMD ["node", "--env-file=.env", "--require=./src/lib/tracing.cjs", "--watch", "bin/www.js"]
 
 FROM gcr.io/distroless/nodejs20-debian12:20.15 AS production
 WORKDIR /app
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1111f1c8..a5558204 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ Swagger: https://express-rest-boilerplate.onrender.com/docs
   - [Requirements](#requirements)
   - [Features](#features)
   - [Getting Started](#getting-started)
-    - [With a Package Manager](#with-a-package-manager)
+    - [With a Node Version Manager](#with-a-node-version-manager)
     - [With Github](#with-github)
     - [With Docker Compose](#with-docker-compose)
   - [Folder Structure](#folder-structure)
@@ -26,14 +26,14 @@ Swagger: https://express-rest-boilerplate.onrender.com/docs
 
 ## Requirements
 
-- [Node 18+](https://nodejs.org/en/download/) or [Docker](https://www.docker.com/)
+- [Node.js v20+](https://nodejs.org/en/download/) or [Docker](https://www.docker.com/)
 
 ## Features
 
 - No transpilers, just vanilla javascript
-- Node 18 and ES2022 latest features like [top-level await](https://h3manth.com/ES2022/#top-level-await)
+- Node.js v20 and ES2024 latest features
 - [ECMAScript modules](https://nodejs.org/api/esm.html#modules-ecmascript-modules) and import aliases
-- Code completion and optional type checking with [Typescript](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/intro-to-js-ts.html), [JSDoc](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/languages/javascript#_jsdoc-support) and [VSCode's IntelliSense](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/nodejs/working-with-javascript#_intellisense)
+- Code completion and optional type checking with [JSDoc](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/languages/javascript#_jsdoc-support)
 - Structured logs with [pino](https://github.com/pinojs/pino)
 - Metrics with [Prometheus](https://github.com/siimon/prom-client) client
 - [OpenTelemetry](https://opentelemetry.io/) auto instrumentation for traces, metrics and logs.
@@ -44,23 +44,23 @@ Swagger: https://express-rest-boilerplate.onrender.com/docs
 - MongoDB ORM with [Mongoose](https://mongoosejs.com/)
 - [Docker](https://www.docker.com/) with [multi-stage builds](https://docs.docker.com/develop/develop-images/multistage-build/) and [distroless](https://github.com/GoogleContainerTools/distroless) base image for production builds
 - [Docker compose](https://docs.docker.com/compose/) file for easy setup, including observability tools (Grafana, Loki, Tempo and Prometheus)
-- Load environment variables from .env files with [dotenv](https://github.com/rolodato/dotenv-safe)
+- Load environment variables from .env files with Node's [--env-file](https://nodejs.org/en/learn/command-line/how-to-read-environment-variables-from-nodejs) flag
 - Unit and integration tests with [Vitest](https://vitest.dev/) and [Supertest](https://github.com/visionmedia/supertest)
 - Code coverage with [Codecov](https://about.codecov.io/) github action
 - Git pre-commit hooks with [husky](https://github.com/typicode/husky) and [lint-staged](https://github.com/okonet/lint-staged)
 - Authentication and Authorization with [passport](http://passportjs.org)
 - Automatic error handling for express asynchronous routes with [express-async-errors](https://github.com/davidbanham/express-async-errors)
 - CI/CD with [Github Actions](https://github.com/features/actions)
-- Auto reload with [node's watch mode](https://nodejs.org/dist/latest-v18.x/docs/api/cli.html#--watch)
+- Auto reload with [node's watch mode](https://nodejs.org/dist/latest-v20.x/docs/api/cli.html#--watch)
 - Server and tests debugging with [VSCode's debugger](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/debugging)
 - [Dependabot](https://docs.github.com/pt/code-security/dependabot/dependabot-security-updates/configuring-dependabot-security-updates) configuration file for automatic dependency updates
 - CORS configuration
 
 ## Getting Started
 
-### With a Package Manager
+### With a Node Version Manager
 
-1. Install Node.JS v18. You can use a node version manager like [fnm](https://github.com/Schniz/fnm).
+1. Install Node.JS v20. You can use a node version manager like [fnm](https://github.com/Schniz/fnm).
 
 ```bash
 fnm install
@@ -71,33 +71,39 @@ fnm use
 
 ```bash
 # with npm
-npm init @danielfsousa express-rest-boilerplate my-api
+npm init @danielfsousa express-rest my-api
 
 # with yarn
-yarn create @danielfsousa express-rest-boilerplate my-api
+yarn create @danielfsousa express-rest my-api
 
 # with pnpm
-pnpm create @danielfsousa express-rest-boilerplate my-api
+pnpm create @danielfsousa express-rest my-api
+
+# with bun
+bun create @danielfsousa express-rest my-api
 ```
 
 3. Change .env database credentials
 
 ```bash
 cp .env.example .env
-nano .env
+vim .env
 ```
 
 4. Run server in development mode. The server will restart everytime a file is changed.
 
 ```bash
 # with npm
-npm run start:dev
+npm run dev
 
 # with yarn
-yarn start:dev
+yarn dev
 
 # with pnpm
-pnpm start:dev
+pnpm dev
+
+# with bun
+bun dev
 ```
 
 ### With Github
@@ -171,7 +177,7 @@ To learn how to search for logs and traces in Grafana, take a look at the [docum
 npm run lint       # lints code and check formatting
 npm run lint:fix   # lints code, check formatting and tries to fix found problems
 npm run start      # starts server
-npm run start:dev  # starts server in watch mode, waiting for file changes
+npm run dev        # starts server in watch mode, waiting for file changes
 npm run test       # runn all tests in watch mode, waiting for file changes
 npm run test:cov   # runn all tests and report coverage
 npm run validate   # runs lint and test scripts for files on git's staging area
diff --git a/bin/www.js b/bin/www.js
index e2c1af93..4d8ba2e5 100755
--- a/bin/www.js
+++ b/bin/www.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env -S node -r ./src/lib/tracing.cjs
+#!/usr/bin/env -S node --env-file=.env --require=./src/lib/tracing.cjs
 import main from '../src/main.js'
 
 await main()
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index aad5e64a..63e9534c 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
         "body-parser": "^1.19.0",
         "cors": "^2.8.3",
         "date-fns": "^2.29.3",
-        "dotenv": "^10.0.0",
         "email-templates": "^8.0.7",
         "envalid": "^7.2.1",
         "express": "^4.15.2",
@@ -64,7 +63,7 @@
         "vitest": "^0.23.4"
       },
       "engines": {
-        "node": ">=18"
+        "node": ">=20"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@ampproject/remapping": {
@@ -5449,14 +5448,6 @@
         "url": "https://github.com/fb55/domhandler?sponsor=1"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/dotenv": {
-      "version": "10.0.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dotenv/-/dotenv-10.0.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-rlBi9d8jpv9Sf1klPjNfFAuWDjKLwTIJJ/VxtoTwIR6hnZxcEOQCZg2oIL3MWBYw5GpUDKOEnND7LXTbIpQ03Q==",
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=10"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/duplexify": {
       "version": "4.1.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/duplexify/-/duplexify-4.1.2.tgz",
@@ -16272,11 +16263,6 @@
         }
       }
     },
-    "dotenv": {
-      "version": "10.0.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dotenv/-/dotenv-10.0.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-rlBi9d8jpv9Sf1klPjNfFAuWDjKLwTIJJ/VxtoTwIR6hnZxcEOQCZg2oIL3MWBYw5GpUDKOEnND7LXTbIpQ03Q=="
-    },
     "duplexify": {
       "version": "4.1.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/duplexify/-/duplexify-4.1.2.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 84c1169c..d6abcfba 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@
   },
   "main": "src/main.js",
   "scripts": {
+    "dev": "node --env-file=.env --require=./src/lib/tracing.cjs --watch bin/www.js",
     "lint": "eslint . ; prettier . --check",
     "lint:fix": "eslint . --fix ; prettier --write .",
     "prepare": "husky install || true",
     "start": "bin/www.js",
-    "start:dev": "node -r ./src/lib/tracing.cjs --watch bin/www.js",
     "test": "vitest",
     "test:cov": "vitest run --coverage",
     "validate": "lint-staged"
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@
     "body-parser": "^1.19.0",
     "cors": "^2.8.3",
     "date-fns": "^2.29.3",
-    "dotenv": "^10.0.0",
     "email-templates": "^8.0.7",
     "envalid": "^7.2.1",
     "express": "^4.15.2",
@@ -95,7 +94,8 @@
     "testcontainers": "^9.0.0",
     "vitest": "^0.23.4"
   },
+  "packageManager": "npm@10.8.1+sha512.0e9d42e92bd2318408ed81eaff2da5f78baf23ee7d12a6eed44a6e2901d0f29d7ab715d1b918ade601f72e769a824d9a5c322383f22bbbda5dd396e79de2a077",
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18"
+    "node": ">=20"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
index 85a7dbe3..4ce35258 100644
--- a/src/config.js
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import fs from 'fs'
 import path from 'path'
-import dotenv from 'dotenv'
 import { cleanEnv, str, num, bool } from 'envalid'
 import { LogLevel, LogFormat } from '#enums/log'
 
@@ -8,10 +7,6 @@ const appPath = path.dirname(import.meta.url).replace('file:', '')
 const pkgPath = path.join(appPath, '../package.json')
 const pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(pkgPath, 'utf8'))
 
-dotenv.config({
-  path: path.join(appPath, '../.env'),
-})
-
 const env = cleanEnv(process.env, {
   NODE_ENV: str({
     choices: ['development', 'test', 'production', 'staging'],