diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e8bac47aa..52baa1622 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -94,3 +94,4 @@ bower_components
 media
 whoosh/
 postgres-data/
+data/
diff --git a/gen-env.py b/gen-env.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 284825a84..000000000
--- a/gen-env.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-import os
-import subprocess
-from genkey import generate_secret
-
-key = None
-if os.path.exists('data/secret.key'):
-    with open('data/secret.key', 'r') as f:
-        key = f.read()
-else:
-    with open('data/secret.key', 'w') as f:
-        key = generate_secret()
-        f.write("%s" % key)
-
-with open("sapl/.env", "w") as f:
-
-    DATABASE_URL = 'postgresql://sapl:sapl@sapldb:5432/sapl'
-    URL = os.environ['DATABASE_URL'] if 'DATABASE_URL' in os.environ else DATABASE_URL
-
-    f.write("DATABASE_URL = %s\n" % URL)
-    f.write("SECRET_KEY = %s\n" % key)
-
-    # TODO use template and dict?
-    f.write("DEBUG = False\n")
-
-    f.write("EMAIL_USE_TLS = True\n")
-
-    EMAIL_PORT = os.environ['EMAIL_PORT'] if 'EMAIL_PORT' in os.environ else '587'
-    f.write("EMAIL_PORT = %s\n" % EMAIL_PORT)
-
-    EMAIL_HOST = os.environ['EMAIL_HOST'] if 'EMAIL_HOST' in os.environ else ''
-    f.write("EMAIL_HOST = %s\n" % EMAIL_HOST)
-
-    EMAIL_HOST_USER = os.environ['EMAIL_HOST_USER'] if 'EMAIL_HOST_USER' in os.environ else ''
-    f.write("EMAIL_HOST_USER = %s\n" % EMAIL_HOST_USER)
-
-    EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD = os.environ['EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD'] if 'EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD' in os.environ else ''
-    f.write("EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD = %s\n" % EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD)
-
-
-#subprocess.call("./start.sh")
diff --git a/start.sh b/start.sh
index 102fb4a04..335734742 100755
--- a/start.sh
+++ b/start.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,44 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-python3 gen-env.py
+
+create_env() {
+    # check if file exists
+    if [ ! -f "data/secret.key" ]; then   
+        KEY=`cat data/secret.key`
+    else
+        KEY=`python3 genkey.py`
+        echo $KEY > data/secret.key
+    fi
+
+    # TODO: rename env-test-bash to .env
+    FILENAME="sapl/.env"
+
+    if [ -z "${DATABASE_URL:-}" ]; then
+        DATABASE_URL="postgresql://sapl:sapl@sapldb:5432/sapl"
+    fi
+
+    # ALWAYS replace the content of .env variable
+    # If want to conditionally create only if absent then use IF below
+    #    if [ ! -f $FILENAME ]; then
+
+    touch $FILENAME
+
+    # explicitly use '>' to erase any previous content
+    echo "SECRET_KEY="$KEY > $FILENAME
+    # now only appends
+    echo "DATABASE_URL = "$DATABASE_URL >> $FILENAME
+    echo "DEBUG = False" >> $FILENAME
+    echo "EMAIL_USE_TLS = True" >> $FILENAME
+    echo "EMAIL_PORT = 587" >> $FILENAME
+    echo "EMAIL_HOST = ""${EMAIL_HOST-''}" >> $FILENAME
+    echo "EMAIL_HOST_USER = ""${EMAIL_HOST_USER-''}" >> $FILENAME
+    echo "EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD = ""${EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD-''}" >> $FILENAME
+}
+
+create_env
+
+# python3 gen-env.py
+
 python3 manage.py bower install
 
 /bin/sh busy-wait.sh