diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index eb8ee274..d65a34da 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,4 +9,5 @@ build/
 db.sqlite
 metrics.sqlite
 .key/
-logs
\ No newline at end of file
+logs
+.jwt_secret
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/services/lnd/index.ts b/src/services/lnd/index.ts
index 9b15a922..765db0e6 100644
--- a/src/services/lnd/index.ts
+++ b/src/services/lnd/index.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-import { EnvMustBeNonEmptyString, EnvMustBeInteger, EnvCanBeBoolean } from '../helpers/envParser.js'
+import { EnvMustBeNonEmptyString, EnvMustBeInteger, EnvCanBeBoolean, EnvCanBeInteger } from '../helpers/envParser.js'
 import { LndSettings } from './settings.js'
 export const LoadLndSettingsFromEnv = (): LndSettings => {
-    const lndAddr = EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("LND_ADDRESS")
-    const lndCertPath = EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("LND_CERT_PATH")
-    const lndMacaroonPath = EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("LND_MACAROON_PATH")
-    const feeRateLimit = EnvMustBeInteger("OUTBOUND_MAX_FEE_BPS") / 10000
-    const feeFixedLimit = EnvMustBeInteger("OUTBOUND_MAX_FEE_EXTRA_SATS")
+    const lndAddr = process.env.LND_ADDRESS || "127.0.0.1:10009"
+    const lndCertPath = process.env.LND_CERT_PATH || "~/.lnd/tls.cert"
+    const lndMacaroonPath = process.env.LND_MACAROON_PATH || "~/.lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/admin.macaroon"
+    const feeRateLimit = EnvCanBeInteger("OUTBOUND_MAX_FEE_BPS", 60) / 10000
+    const feeFixedLimit = EnvCanBeInteger("OUTBOUND_MAX_FEE_EXTRA_SATS", 100)
     const mockLnd = EnvCanBeBoolean("MOCK_LND")
     return { mainNode: { lndAddr, lndCertPath, lndMacaroonPath }, feeRateLimit, feeFixedLimit, mockLnd }
 }
diff --git a/src/services/main/settings.ts b/src/services/main/settings.ts
index 0a02d632..ee213415 100644
--- a/src/services/main/settings.ts
+++ b/src/services/main/settings.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import { LoadStorageSettingsFromEnv, StorageSettings } from '../storage/index.js
 import { LndSettings, NodeSettings } from '../lnd/settings.js'
 import { LoadWatchdogSettingsFromEnv, WatchdogSettings } from './watchdog.js'
 import { LoadLndSettingsFromEnv } from '../lnd/index.js'
-import { EnvMustBeInteger, EnvMustBeNonEmptyString } from '../helpers/envParser.js'
+import { EnvCanBeInteger, EnvMustBeInteger, EnvMustBeNonEmptyString } from '../helpers/envParser.js'
+import { getLogger } from '../helpers/logger.js'
+import fs from 'fs'
+import crypto from 'crypto';
 export type MainSettings = {
     storageSettings: StorageSettings,
     lndSettings: LndSettings,
@@ -33,17 +36,17 @@ export const LoadMainSettingsFromEnv = (): MainSettings => {
         watchDogSettings: LoadWatchdogSettingsFromEnv(),
         lndSettings: LoadLndSettingsFromEnv(),
         storageSettings: LoadStorageSettingsFromEnv(),
-        jwtSecret: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("JWT_SECRET"),
-        incomingTxFee: EnvMustBeInteger("INCOMING_CHAIN_FEE_ROOT_BPS") / 10000,
-        outgoingTxFee: EnvMustBeInteger("OUTGOING_CHAIN_FEE_ROOT_BPS") / 10000,
-        incomingAppInvoiceFee: EnvMustBeInteger("INCOMING_INVOICE_FEE_ROOT_BPS") / 10000,
-        outgoingAppInvoiceFee: EnvMustBeInteger("OUTGOING_INVOICE_FEE_ROOT_BPS") / 10000,
-        incomingAppUserInvoiceFee: EnvMustBeInteger("INCOMING_INVOICE_FEE_USER_BPS") / 10000,
-        outgoingAppUserInvoiceFee: EnvMustBeInteger("OUTGOING_INVOICE_FEE_USER_BPS") / 10000,
-        userToUserFee: EnvMustBeInteger("TX_FEE_INTERNAL_USER_BPS") / 10000,
-        appToUserFee: EnvMustBeInteger("TX_FEE_INTERNAL_ROOT_BPS") / 10000,
-        serviceUrl: process.env.SERVICE_URL || `http://localhost:${EnvMustBeInteger("PORT")}`,
-        servicePort: EnvMustBeInteger("PORT"),
+        jwtSecret: loadJwtSecret(),
+        incomingTxFee: EnvCanBeInteger("INCOMING_CHAIN_FEE_ROOT_BPS", 0) / 10000,
+        outgoingTxFee: EnvCanBeInteger("OUTGOING_CHAIN_FEE_ROOT_BPS", 60) / 10000,
+        incomingAppInvoiceFee: EnvCanBeInteger("INCOMING_INVOICE_FEE_ROOT_BPS", 0) / 10000,
+        outgoingAppInvoiceFee: EnvCanBeInteger("OUTGOING_INVOICE_FEE_ROOT_BPS", 60) / 10000,
+        incomingAppUserInvoiceFee: EnvCanBeInteger("INCOMING_INVOICE_FEE_USER_BPS", 0) / 10000,
+        outgoingAppUserInvoiceFee: EnvCanBeInteger("OUTGOING_INVOICE_FEE_USER_BPS", 0) / 10000,
+        userToUserFee: EnvCanBeInteger("TX_FEE_INTERNAL_USER_BPS", 0) / 10000,
+        appToUserFee: EnvCanBeInteger("TX_FEE_INTERNAL_ROOT_BPS", 0) / 10000,
+        serviceUrl: process.env.SERVICE_URL || `http://localhost:${EnvCanBeInteger("PORT", 1776)}`,
+        servicePort: EnvCanBeInteger("PORT", 1776),
         recordPerformance: process.env.RECORD_PERFORMANCE === 'true' || false,
         skipSanityCheck: process.env.SKIP_SANITY_CHECK === 'true' || false,
         disableExternalPayments: process.env.DISABLE_EXTERNAL_PAYMENTS === 'true' || false
@@ -81,4 +84,22 @@ export const LoadTestSettingsFromEnv = (): TestSettings => {
             pass: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("BITCOIN_CORE_PASS")
         }
     }
+}
+
+export const loadJwtSecret = (): string => {
+    const secret = process.env["JWT_SECRET"]
+    const log = getLogger({})
+    if (secret) {
+        return secret
+    }
+    log("JWT_SECRET not set in env, checking .jwt_secret file")
+    try {
+        const fileContent = fs.readFileSync(".jwt_secret", "utf-8")
+        return fileContent.trim()
+    } catch (e) {
+        log(".jwt_secret file not found, generating random secret")
+        const secret = crypto.randomBytes(32).toString('hex')
+        fs.writeFileSync(".jwt_secret", secret)
+        return secret
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/services/storage/db.ts b/src/services/storage/db.ts
index dbba9363..be18d448 100644
--- a/src/services/storage/db.ts
+++ b/src/services/storage/db.ts
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ export type DbSettings = {
 }
 export const LoadDbSettingsFromEnv = (): DbSettings => {
     return {
-        databaseFile: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("DATABASE_FILE"),
+        databaseFile: process.env.DATABASE_FILE || "db.sqlite",
         migrate: process.env.MIGRATE_DB === 'true' || false,
-        metricsDatabaseFile: EnvMustBeNonEmptyString("METRICS_DATABASE_FILE")
+        metricsDatabaseFile: process.env.METRICS_DATABASE_FILE || "metrics.sqlite"
     }
 }