diff --git a/appstore/api/v1/views.py b/appstore/api/v1/views.py
index 428ccb9d..8a3adcba 100644
--- a/appstore/api/v1/views.py
+++ b/appstore/api/v1/views.py
@@ -225,19 +225,20 @@ def to_bytes(memory):
 
 # TODO fetch by user instead of iterating all?
 # sanitize input to avoid injection.
-def get_social_tokens(username):
+def get_social_tokens(request):
+    username = request.user
     social_token_model_objects = (
         ContentType.objects.get(model="socialtoken").model_class().objects.all()
     )
-    access_token = None
+    access_token = request.COOKIES.get("sessionid")
     refresh_token = None
-    for obj in social_token_model_objects:
-        if obj.account.user.username == username:
-            access_token = obj.token
-            refresh_token = obj.token_secret if obj.token_secret else None
-            break
-        else:
-            continue
+    # for obj in social_token_model_objects:
+    #     if obj.account.user.username == username:
+    #         access_token = obj.token
+    #         refresh_token = obj.token_secret if obj.token_secret else None
+    #         break
+    #     else:
+    #         continue
     # with DRF and the user interaction in social auth we need username to be a string
     # when it is passed to `tycho.start` otherwise it will be a `User` object and there
     # will be a serialization failure from this line of code:
@@ -454,12 +455,12 @@ def get_serializer_class(self):
             return InstanceSerializer
 
     @functools.lru_cache(maxsize=16, typed=False)
-    def get_principal(self, user):
+    def get_principal(self, request):
         """
         Retrieve principal information from Tycho based on the request
         user.
         """
-        tokens = get_social_tokens(user)
+        tokens = get_social_tokens(request)
         principal = Principal(*tokens)
         return principal
 
@@ -498,7 +499,7 @@ def list(self, request):
         """
 
         active = self.get_queryset()
-        principal = self.get_principal(request.user)
+        principal = self.get_principal(request)
         username = principal.username
         host = get_host(request)
         instances = []
@@ -551,7 +552,7 @@ def create(self, request):
         logging.debug(f"resource_request: {resource_request}")
         irods_enabled = os.environ.get("IROD_HOST",'').strip()
         # TODO update social query to fetch user.
-        tokens = get_social_tokens(request.user)
+        tokens = get_social_tokens(request)
         #Need to set an environment variable for the IRODS UID
         if irods_enabled != '':
             nfs_id = get_nfs_uid(request.user)
@@ -588,8 +589,12 @@ def create(self, request):
         if validation_response is not None:
             return validation_response
 
+        env = {}
+        if settings.GRADER_API_URL is not None:
+            env["GRADER_API_URL"] = settings.GRADER_API_URL
+
         host = get_host(request)
-        system = tycho.start(principal, app_id, resource_request.resources, host)
+        system = tycho.start(principal, app_id, resource_request.resources, host, env)
 
 
         s = InstanceSpec(
@@ -629,7 +634,7 @@ def retrieve(self, request, sid=None):
         """
         Provide active instance details.
         """
-        principal = self.get_principal(request.user)
+        principal = self.get_principal(request)
         username = principal.username
         host = get_host(request)
         instance = None
@@ -646,7 +651,7 @@ def retrieve(self, request, sid=None):
     
     @action(detail=True, methods=['get'])
     def is_ready(self, request, sid=None):
-        principal = self.get_principal(request.user)
+        principal = self.get_principal(request)
         username = principal.username
         host = get_host(request)
         instance = None
@@ -691,7 +696,7 @@ def partial_update(self, request, sid=None):
         data = serializer.validated_data
         data.update({"tycho-guid": sid})
 
-        principal = self.get_principal(request.user)
+        principal = self.get_principal(request)
         username = principal.username
         host = get_host(request)
         instance = self.get_instance(sid,username,host)
diff --git a/appstore/appstore/settings/base.py b/appstore/appstore/settings/base.py
index 53d4e4d3..48931e2b 100644
--- a/appstore/appstore/settings/base.py
+++ b/appstore/appstore/settings/base.py
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@
     "allauth.account.middleware.AccountMiddleware"
 ]
 
+GRADER_API_URL = os.environ.get("GRADER_API_URL", None)
+
 SESSION_IDLE_TIMEOUT = int(os.environ.get("DJANGO_SESSION_IDLE_TIMEOUT", 300))
 EXPORTABLE_ENV = os.environ.get("EXPORTABLE_ENV",None)
 if EXPORTABLE_ENV != None: EXPORTABLE_ENV = EXPORTABLE_ENV.split(':')
diff --git a/appstore/tycho/context.py b/appstore/tycho/context.py
index 41c863a8..bfb132ea 100644
--- a/appstore/tycho/context.py
+++ b/appstore/tycho/context.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import uuid
 import yaml
 import copy
+from typing import TypedDict, Optional
 from deepmerge import Merger
 from requests_cache import CachedSession
 from string import Template
@@ -283,7 +284,7 @@ def delete (self, request):
     def update(self, request):
         return self.client.patch(request)
     
-    def start (self, principal, app_id, resource_request, host):
+    def start (self, principal, app_id, resource_request, host, extra_container_env={}):
         """ Get application metadata, docker-compose structure, settings, and compose API request. """
         logger.info(f"\nprincipal: {principal}\napp_id: {app_id}\n"
                     f"resource_request: {resource_request}\nhost: {host}")
@@ -301,7 +302,13 @@ def start (self, principal, app_id, resource_request, host):
         """ Use a pre-existing k8s service account """
         service_account = self.apps[app_id]['serviceAccount'] if 'serviceAccount' in self.apps[app_id].keys() else None
         """ Add entity's auth information """
-        principal_params = {"username": principal.username, "access_token": principal.access_token, "refresh_token": principal.refresh_token, "host": host}
+        principal_params = {
+            "username": principal.username,
+            "access_token": principal.access_token,
+            "refresh_token": principal.refresh_token,
+            "host": host,
+            "extra_container_env": extra_container_env
+        }
         principal_params_json = json.dumps(principal_params, indent=4)
         """ Security Context that are set for the app """
         spec["security_context"] = self.apps[app_id]["securityContext"] if 'securityContext' in self.apps[app_id].keys() else {}
diff --git a/appstore/tycho/model.py b/appstore/tycho/model.py
index dc1df562..bdd80f79 100644
--- a/appstore/tycho/model.py
+++ b/appstore/tycho/model.py
@@ -207,7 +207,9 @@ def __init__(self, config, name, principal, service_account, conn_string, proxy_
         username_remove_us = self.username.replace("_", "-")
         username_remove_dot = username_remove_us.replace(".", "-")
         self.username_all_hyphens = username_remove_dot
+        self.access_token = principal.get("access_token")
         self.host = principal.get("host")
+        self.extra_container_env = principal.get("extra_container_env", {})
         self.annotations = {}
         self.namespace = "default"
         self.serviceaccount = service_account
diff --git a/appstore/tycho/template/pod.yaml b/appstore/tycho/template/pod.yaml
index d54e8f3f..408a1ded 100644
--- a/appstore/tycho/template/pod.yaml
+++ b/appstore/tycho/template/pod.yaml
@@ -109,6 +109,12 @@ spec:
       value: {{ system.username }}
     - name: USER
       value: {{ system.username }}
+    - name: ACCESS_TOKEN
+      value: {{ system.access_token }}
+    {% for key, value in system.extra_container_env.items() %}
+    - name: {{ key }}
+      value: {{ value }}
+    {%endfor %}
     {% if system.amb %}
     - name: NB_PREFIX
       value: /private/{{system.system_name}}/{{system.username}}/{{system.identifier}}
@@ -143,9 +149,11 @@ spec:
     {% endif %}
 {% endif %}
 {% if system.system_env %}
-  {% for env in system.system_env %}
-    - name: {{ env }}
-      value: {{ system.system_env[env]}}
+  {% for key, value in system.system_env.items() %}
+    {% if value is string or value is number or value is boolean %}
+    - name: {{ key }}
+      value: {{ value }}
+    {% endif %}
   {% endfor %}
 {% endif %}
 {% if container.expose|length > 0 %}