diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bbfc82e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+RUST_LOG=debug
+ROOT_PATH=/app
+FRONTEND_HOST=http://127.0.0.1:8080
+DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:guest@127.0.0.1/postgres
+HOST=0.0.0.0
+SERVER_SECRET=guest
+AUTH__CLIENT_ID=
+AUTH__CLIENT_SECRET=
+AUTH__AUTH_URL=
+AUTH__TOKEN_URL=
+AUTH__USERINFO_URL=
+AUTH__LOGOUT_URL=
diff --git a/phono-server/src/main.rs b/phono-server/src/main.rs
index 7fd3e15..d58ffe4 100644
--- a/phono-server/src/main.rs
+++ b/phono-server/src/main.rs
@@ -16,14 +16,13 @@
 
 use anyhow::Result;
 use clap::Parser as _;
-use dotenvy::dotenv;
 use phono_models::MIGRATOR;
 use tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter;
 
 use crate::{
     app::App,
     cli::{Cli, Commands, serve_command, worker_command},
-    settings::Settings,
+    settings::{Settings, load_dotenv},
 };
 
 mod app;
@@ -48,8 +47,8 @@ mod workspace_utils;
 /// Run CLI
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() -> Result<()> {
-    // Attempt to pre-load .env in case it contains a RUST_LOG variable
-    dotenv().ok();
+    load_dotenv()?;
+
     tracing_subscriber::fmt()
         .with_env_filter(EnvFilter::from_default_env())
         .init();
diff --git a/phono-server/src/settings.rs b/phono-server/src/settings.rs
index da578be..aff038d 100644
--- a/phono-server/src/settings.rs
+++ b/phono-server/src/settings.rs
@@ -5,10 +5,15 @@ use axum::extract::FromRef;
 use config::{Config, Environment};
 use dotenvy::dotenv;
 use serde::Deserialize;
+use tracing::info;
 use url::Url;
 
 use crate::app::App;
 
+/// Runtime application configuration values, typically read from environment
+/// variables.
+///
+/// This may be used with the [`axum::extract::State`] extractor.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize)]
 pub(crate) struct Settings {
     /// Prefix under which to nest all routes. If specified, include leading
@@ -17,11 +22,6 @@ pub(crate) struct Settings {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub(crate) root_path: String,
 
-    /// When set to 1, dev features such as the frontend reloader will be
-    /// enabled.
-    #[serde(default)]
-    pub(crate) dev: u8,
-
     /// postgresql:// URL for Phonograph's application database.
     pub(crate) database_url: Url,
 
@@ -58,13 +58,19 @@ fn default_host() -> String {
     "127.0.0.1".to_owned()
 }
 
+/// OAuth2 and session cookie settings.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize)]
 pub(crate) struct AuthSettings {
     pub(crate) client_id: String,
+
     pub(crate) client_secret: String,
+
     pub(crate) auth_url: String,
+
     pub(crate) token_url: String,
+
     pub(crate) userinfo_url: String,
+
     pub(crate) logout_url: Option<String>,
 
     #[serde(default = "default_cookie_name")]
@@ -72,28 +78,12 @@ pub(crate) struct AuthSettings {
 }
 
 fn default_cookie_name() -> String {
-    "ITM_SESSION".to_string()
+    "PHONO_SESSION".to_string()
 }
 
 impl Settings {
+    /// Load environment variables into a [`Settings`] struct.
     pub(crate) fn load() -> Result<Self> {
-        match dotenv() {
-            Err(err) => {
-                if err.not_found() {
-                    tracing::info!("no .env file found");
-                } else {
-                    return Err(err).context("dotenvy error");
-                }
-            }
-            Ok(pathbuf) => {
-                tracing::info!(
-                    "using env file {}",
-                    pathbuf
-                        .to_str()
-                        .ok_or(anyhow::anyhow!("pathbuf is not valid unicode"))?
-                );
-            }
-        }
         let s = Config::builder()
             .add_source(Environment::default().separator("__"))
             .build()
@@ -107,3 +97,25 @@ impl FromRef<App> for Settings {
         state.settings.clone()
     }
 }
+
+/// Attempt to load environment variables from .env file.
+pub(crate) fn load_dotenv() -> Result<()> {
+    dotenv()
+        .map(|pathbuf| {
+            info!(
+                "using env file {0}",
+                pathbuf
+                    .to_str()
+                    .ok_or(anyhow::anyhow!("pathbuf is not valid unicode"))?
+            );
+            Ok(())
+        })
+        .or_else(|err| {
+            if err.not_found() {
+                info!("no env file loaded");
+                Ok(Ok(()))
+            } else {
+                Err(err)
+            }
+        })?
+}
diff --git a/phono-server/templates/base.html b/phono-server/templates/base.html
index be73b22..9270b28 100644
--- a/phono-server/templates/base.html
+++ b/phono-server/templates/base.html
@@ -9,11 +9,5 @@
   </head>
   <body>
     {% block main %}{% endblock %}
-    {% if settings.dev != 0 %}
-    <script type="module">
-import { initDevReloader } from "{{ settings.root_path }}/dev_reloader.mjs";
-initDevReloader("{{ settings.frontend_host }}{{ settings.root_path }}/__dev-healthz");
-    </script>
-    {% endif %}
   </body>
 </html>