diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4102eda7..014574b2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ gender | A binary gender (eg. `Male`, `Woman`, `M`) | Formats to either `Male` o
 This tool is available via Docker by running `docker compose up`. Set the [Environment Variables](#environment-variables).
 
 ## Development
-Create a `.env` file. Check out the `env.example` to get started. See [Environment Variables](#environment-variables).
+Create an environment file by `cp env.example .env`. Change `INTERFACE` to `127.0.0.1` and otherwise see [Environment Variables](#environment-variables) for more info.
 
-Then run
+Then run:
 
 ```
 npm run dev
@@ -79,11 +79,15 @@ npm start
 
 The `env.example` file has example values.  Here's what they mean:
 
-Variable | Description
+Variable | Description | Sample
 -- | --
-`CONFIG_NAME` | Name of the configuration to use (eg. "CHIS-KE")
-`EXTERNAL_PORT` | Port to use when starting the web server
-`COOKIE_PRIVATE_KEY` | A string used to two-way encryption of cookies. Production values need to be a secret.
+`CONFIG_NAME` | Name of the configuration to use | `chis-ke`
+`EXTERNAL_PORT` | Port to use in docker compose when starting the web server | `3000`
+`PORT` | For localhost development environment | `3000`
+`COOKIE_PRIVATE_KEY` | A string used to two-way encryption of cookies. Production values need to be a secret. Suggest `uuidgen` to generate | `589a7f23-5bb2-4b77-ac78-f202b9b6d5e3`
+`INTERFACE` | Interface to bind to. Leave as '0.0.0.0' for prod, suggest '127.0.0.1' for development | `127.0.0.1`
+`CHT_DEV_URL_PORT` | CHT instance when in `NODE_ENV===dev`. Needs URL and port | `192-168-1-26.local-ip.medicmobile.org:10463`
+`CHT_DEV_HTTP` |  'false' for http  'true' for https | `false`
 
 ## Publishing new docker images
 
diff --git a/env.example b/env.example
index afc53619..9edb4c17 100644
--- a/env.example
+++ b/env.example
@@ -2,3 +2,6 @@ COOKIE_PRIVATE_KEY=
 CONFIG_NAME=chis-ke
 PORT=3000             # for development environment
 EXTERNAL_PORT=3000    # for docker
+INTERFACE=0.0.0.0     # Leave as '0.0.0.0' for prod, suggest '127.0.0.1' for development
+CHT_DEV_URL_PORT=localhost:5984 # where your dev CHT instance is, hostname:port
+CHT_DEV_HTTP=true              # 'false' for http  'true' for https
diff --git a/src/config/index.ts b/src/config/index.ts
index 14d3d623..ddcd70a2 100644
--- a/src/config/index.ts
+++ b/src/config/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import _ from "lodash";
 import { ChtApi, PlacePayload } from "../lib/cht-api";
 import getConfigByKey from "./config-factory";
+import {env} from "process";
 
 export type ConfigSystem = {
   domains: AuthenticationInfo[];
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@ export type AuthenticationInfo = {
 const {
   CONFIG_NAME,
   NODE_ENV,
+  CHT_DEV_URL_PORT,
+  CHT_DEV_HTTP
 } = process.env;
 
 const partnerConfig = getConfigByKey(CONFIG_NAME);
@@ -139,11 +142,17 @@ export class Config {
   public static getDomains() : AuthenticationInfo[] {
     const domains = [...config.domains];
 
+    // because all .env vars imported as strings, let's get the AuthenticationInfo object a boolean
+    let TMP_USE_HTTP = true;
+    if (CHT_DEV_HTTP === 'false') {
+      TMP_USE_HTTP = false
+    }
+
     if (NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       domains.push({
-        friendly: '$localhost',
-        domain: 'localhost:5988',
-        useHttp: true,
+        friendly: '$Development Instance (' + CHT_DEV_URL_PORT + ')',
+        domain: CHT_DEV_URL_PORT as string,
+        useHttp: TMP_USE_HTTP,
       });
     }
 
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index ea189354..b9e9fe4f 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 require('dotenv').config();
 import build from "./server";
 import { env } from 'process';
+const {
+  NODE_ENV,
+  INTERFACE
+} = process.env;
 
 const port: number = env.PORT ? parseInt(env.PORT) : 3000;
 
@@ -13,8 +17,15 @@ const port: number = env.PORT ? parseInt(env.PORT) : 3000;
   const server = build({
     logger: loggerConfig,
   });
-  server.listen({ host: '0.0.0.0', port }, (err, address) => {
+
+  // in 1.1.0 we allowed INTERFACE to be declared in .env, but let's be
+  // backwards compatible to when it was undeclared and hard coded to
+  // be 0.0.0.0
+  let calculated_interface = "0.0.0.0";
+  if (INTERFACE) {
+    calculated_interface = INTERFACE;
+  }
+  server.listen({ host: calculated_interface, port }, (err, address) => {
     if (err) throw err;
-    console.log(`server is listening on ${address}`);
   });
 })();
diff --git a/src/lib/cht-api.ts b/src/lib/cht-api.ts
index d42a048e..42c2366d 100644
--- a/src/lib/cht-api.ts
+++ b/src/lib/cht-api.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ import axios, { AxiosHeaders } from "axios";
 import { UserPayload } from "../services/user-payload";
 import { AuthenticationInfo, Config, ContactType } from "../config";
 
+const {
+  NODE_ENV
+} = process.env;
+
 export type ChtSession = {
   authInfo: AuthenticationInfo;
   sessionToken: string;
@@ -64,6 +68,13 @@ export class ChtApi {
     const sessionToken = setCookieHeader?.[0].split(';')
       .find((header : string) => header.startsWith(COUCH_AUTH_COOKIE_NAME));
 
+    if (NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+      if (!sessionToken) {
+        console.log("failed to login to " + sessionUrl);
+      } else {
+        console.log("successfully logged in to " + sessionUrl);
+      }
+    }
     return {
       authInfo,
       username,
@@ -224,4 +235,4 @@ function extractLineage(doc: any): string[] {
   }
 
   return [];
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};