diff --git a/oser_backend/settings/common.py b/oser_backend/settings/common.py
index ca0a6074c8124e6ee6b3a9c04c8e964b97c107e5..eca12ccb0e7dec521a6210f1c99faf53228ac2f5 100644
--- a/oser_backend/settings/common.py
+++ b/oser_backend/settings/common.py
@@ -5,10 +5,13 @@ Common settings suitable for all environmebts.
 """
 
 import os
+from dotenv import load_dotenv
 
 import dj_database_url
 import pymdownx.emoji
 
+load_dotenv()
+
 # Build paths inside the project like this: os.path.join(BASE_DIR, ...)
 dn = os.path.dirname
 BASE_DIR = dn(dn(dn(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 924e008527b9f4141c9146a3629b7428dd5767f6..85baa939feb52944045b1648211bc371283a6767 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ Pillow
 # Testing
 factory-boy
 
+# Miscellanneous
+python-dotenv==0.11
+
 # Deployment
 django-heroku  # Heroku integration
 whitenoise  # Static files serving