diff --git a/docs_src/src/pages/documentation/api_reference/robyn_env.mdx b/docs_src/src/pages/documentation/api_reference/robyn_env.mdx
index c0eed44cd..681440330 100644
--- a/docs_src/src/pages/documentation/api_reference/robyn_env.mdx
+++ b/docs_src/src/pages/documentation/api_reference/robyn_env.mdx
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ Batman wanted to configure the server through an environment file. Changing code
  - `ROBYN_BROWSER_OPEN`: Open the browser on successful start.
     - Default: `False`
     - Example: `ROBYN_BROWSER_OPEN=True`
+ - `ROBYN_DEV_MODE`: Configures the dev mode
+    - Default: `False`
+    - Example: `ROBYN_DEV_MODE=True`
  - `ROBYN_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE`: Sets the maximum payload size for requests in bytes.
     - Default: `1000000` bytes
     - Example: `ROBYN_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE=1000000`
@@ -40,6 +43,7 @@ ROBYN_PORT=8080
 ROBYN_HOST=127.0.0.1
 RANDOM_ENV=123
 ROBYN_BROWSER_OPEN=True
+ROBYN_DEV_MODE=True
 ROBYN_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE=1000000
 ```
 
diff --git a/robyn/__init__.py b/robyn/__init__.py
index 656f1a91f..e051e2116 100644
--- a/robyn/__init__.py
+++ b/robyn/__init__.py
@@ -48,7 +48,12 @@ def __init__(
         self.config = config
         self.dependencies = dependencies
 
-        load_vars(project_root=directory_path)
+        if not bool(os.environ.get("ROBYN_CLI", False)):
+            # the env variables are already set when are running through the cli
+            load_vars(project_root=directory_path)
+
+        self._handle_dev_mode()
+
         logging.basicConfig(level=self.config.log_level)
 
         if self.config.log_level.lower() != "warn":
@@ -56,8 +61,6 @@ def __init__(
                 "SERVER IS RUNNING IN VERBOSE/DEBUG MODE. Set --log-level to WARN to run in production mode.",
                 color=Colors.BLUE,
             )
-        if self.config.dev:
-            exit("Dev mode is not supported in the python wrapper. Please use the CLI. e.g. python3 -m robyn app.py --dev ")
 
         self.router = Router()
         self.middleware_router = MiddlewareRouter()
@@ -69,6 +72,18 @@ def __init__(
         self.exception_handler: Optional[Callable] = None
         self.authentication_handler: Optional[AuthenticationHandler] = None
 
+    def _handle_dev_mode(self):
+        cli_dev_mode = self.config.dev  # --dev
+        env_dev_mode = os.getenv("ROBYN_DEV_MODE", "False").lower() == "true"  # ROBYN_DEV_MODE=True
+        is_robyn = os.getenv("ROBYN_CLI", False)
+
+        if cli_dev_mode and not is_robyn:
+            raise SystemExit("Dev mode is not supported in the python wrapper. Please use the Robyn CLI. e.g. python3 -m robyn app.py --dev")
+
+        if env_dev_mode and not is_robyn:
+            logger.error("Ignoring ROBYN_DEV_MODE environment variable. Dev mode is not supported in the python wrapper.")
+            raise SystemExit("Dev mode is not supported in the python wrapper. Please use the Robyn CLI. e.g. python3 -m robyn app.py")
+
     def add_route(
         self,
         route_type: Union[HttpMethod, str],
diff --git a/robyn/argument_parser.py b/robyn/argument_parser.py
index a1b532f9a..23b4ac92b 100644
--- a/robyn/argument_parser.py
+++ b/robyn/argument_parser.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
             "--dev",
             dest="dev",
             action="store_true",
-            default=False,
+            default=None,
             help="Development mode. It restarts the server based on file changes.",
         )
         parser.add_argument(
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         self.version = args.version
         self.compile_rust_path = args.compile_rust_path
         self.create_rust_file = args.create_rust_file
+        self.file_path = None
 
         # find something that ends with .py in unknown_args
         for arg in unknown_args:
diff --git a/robyn/cli.py b/robyn/cli.py
index 385348890..86f925d18 100644
--- a/robyn/cli.py
+++ b/robyn/cli.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from InquirerPy.base.control import Choice
 from .argument_parser import Config
 from .reloader import create_rust_file, setup_reloader
+from robyn.env_populator import load_vars
 from robyn.robyn import get_version
 from pathlib import Path
 import shutil
@@ -104,6 +105,16 @@ def start_app_normally(config: Config):
 
 def run():
     config = Config()
+
+    if not config.file_path:
+        config.file_path = f"{os.getcwd()}/{__name__}"
+
+    load_vars(project_root=os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(config.file_path)))
+    os.environ["ROBYN_CLI"] = "True"
+
+    if config.dev is None:
+        config.dev = os.getenv("ROBYN_DEV_MODE", False) == "True"
+
     if config.create:
         create_robyn_app()
 
diff --git a/robyn/reloader.py b/robyn/reloader.py
index 9a93df40f..82deeea16 100644
--- a/robyn/reloader.py
+++ b/robyn/reloader.py
@@ -106,11 +106,12 @@ def stop_server(self):
 
     def reload(self):
         self.stop_server()
+        print("Reloading the server")
 
         new_env = os.environ.copy()
         new_env["IS_RELOADER_RUNNING"] = "True"  # This is used to check if a reloader is already running
+        # IS_RELOADER_RUNNING is specifically used for IPC between the reloader and the server
 
-        print(f"Reloading {self.file_path}...")
         arguments = [arg for arg in sys.argv[1:] if not arg.startswith("--dev")]
 
         clean_rust_binaries(self.built_rust_binaries)