diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/Configs.kt b/src/main/kotlin/Configs.kt
index b51f68a..f6145da 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/Configs.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/Configs.kt
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ class Configs {
         loadPropertyFile("classpath:application.properties"), // default dev properties
         loadPropertyFile("classpath:application-local.properties"), // default personal properties (not versioned)
         loadPropertyFile("application.properties"), // file system properties (in production)
-        buildPropertiesFromEnv("PORT", "CUSTOM_MESSAGE") // environment variables always win
     )
 
     fun loadPropertyFile(filePath: String): Properties {
@@ -57,11 +56,14 @@ class Configs {
         return propsFromEnv;
     }
 
-    fun getProperty(propertyName: String): String {
-        return properties.getProperty(propertyName, "NONE");
+    fun getProperty(propertyName: String, default: String = "NONE") : String {
+        return when(val value = System.getenv(propertyName)) {
+            null -> properties.getProperty(propertyName, default)
+            else -> value;
+        }
     }
 
     fun getIntegerProperty(propertyName: String): Int {
-        return Integer.parseInt(properties.getProperty(propertyName, "8080"));
+        return Integer.parseInt(getProperty(propertyName, "8080"));
     }
 }