diff --git a/.env b/.env
deleted file mode 100644
index b49f58d..0000000
--- a/.env
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-# Environment Config
-
-# store your secrets and config variables in here
-# only invited collaborators will be able to see your .env values
-# reference these in your code with process.env.SECRET
-
-clientId=
-clientSecret=
-studio_token=
-PORT=
-
-# note: .env is a shell file so there can’t be spaces around =
diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68e58ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Environment variables
+# 1. Make a copy of this file to .env file
+# 2. Remove comments
+
+# You can access all env variables from process.env.YOUR_ENV_SECRET
+
+CLIENT_ID=
+CLIENT_SECRET=
+STUDIO_TOKEN=
+PORT=3000
+
diff --git a/bot.js b/bot.js
index c24a1ce..aa9f7a5 100644
--- a/bot.js
+++ b/bot.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ This bot demonstrates many of the core features of Botkit:
 
   Run your bot from the command line:
 
-    clientId=<MY SLACK TOKEN> clientSecret=<my client secret> PORT=<3000> studio_token=<MY BOTKIT STUDIO TOKEN> node bot.js
+    CLIENT_ID=<MY SLACK TOKEN> CLIENT_SECRET=<MY CLIENT SECRET> PORT=<3000> STUDIO_TOKEN=<MY BOTKIT STUDIO TOKEN> node bot.js
 
 # USE THE BOT:
 
@@ -51,24 +51,21 @@ This bot demonstrates many of the core features of Botkit:
     -> http://howdy.ai/botkit
 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*/
-var env = require('node-env-file');
-env(__dirname + '/.env');
-
-
-if (!process.env.clientId || !process.env.clientSecret || !process.env.PORT) {
+var env = require('dotenv').config().parsed;
+if (env.error || Object.values(env).some((x) => x === '')) {
   usage_tip();
-  // process.exit(1);
+  process.exit(1);
 }
 
 var Botkit = require('botkit');
 var debug = require('debug')('botkit:main');
 
 var bot_options = {
-    clientId: process.env.clientId,
-    clientSecret: process.env.clientSecret,
+    clientId: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
+    clientSecret: process.env.CLIENT_SECRET,
     // debug: true,
     scopes: ['bot'],
-    studio_token: process.env.studio_token,
+    studio_token: process.env.STUDIO_TOKEN,
     studio_command_uri: process.env.studio_command_uri
 };
 
@@ -89,7 +86,7 @@ controller.startTicking();
 // Set up an Express-powered webserver to expose oauth and webhook endpoints
 var webserver = require(__dirname + '/components/express_webserver.js')(controller);
 
-if (!process.env.clientId || !process.env.clientSecret) {
+if (!process.env.CLIENT_ID || !process.env.CLIENT_SECRET) {
 
   // Load in some helpers that make running Botkit on Glitch.com better
   require(__dirname + '/components/plugin_glitch.js')(controller);
@@ -140,7 +137,7 @@ if (!process.env.clientId || !process.env.clientSecret) {
   // If a trigger is matched, the conversation will automatically fire!
   // You can tie into the execution of the script using the functions
   // controller.studio.before, controller.studio.after and controller.studio.validate
-  if (process.env.studio_token) {
+  if (process.env.STUDIO_TOKEN) {
       controller.on('direct_message,direct_mention,mention', function(bot, message) {
           controller.studio.runTrigger(bot, message.text, message.user, message.channel, message).then(function(convo) {
               if (!convo) {
@@ -174,7 +171,7 @@ function usage_tip() {
     console.log('~~~~~~~~~~');
     console.log('Botkit Starter Kit');
     console.log('Execute your bot application like this:');
-    console.log('clientId=<MY SLACK CLIENT ID> clientSecret=<MY CLIENT SECRET> PORT=3000 studio_token=<MY BOTKIT STUDIO TOKEN> node bot.js');
+    console.log('CLIENT_ID=<MY SLACK CLIENT ID> CLIENT_SECRET=<MY CLIENT SECRET> PORT=3000 STUDIO_TOKEN=<MY BOTKIT STUDIO TOKEN> node bot.js');
     console.log('Get Slack app credentials here: https://api.slack.com/apps')
     console.log('Get a Botkit Studio token here: https://studio.botkit.ai/')
     console.log('~~~~~~~~~~');
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e3f5fc0..5265b6c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@
     "botkit-studio-metrics": "^0.0.2",
     "cookie-parser": "^1.4.3",
     "debug": "^2.3.3",
+    "dotenv": "^4.0.0",
     "express": "^4.14.0",
     "express-hbs": "^1.0.4",
-    "node-env-file": "^0.1.8",
     "querystring": "^0.2.0",
     "request": "^2.79.0",
     "wordfilter": "^0.2.6"