diff --git a/test/test-core.lisp b/test/test-core.lisp
index 3a0e812..87c587d 100644
--- a/test/test-core.lisp
+++ b/test/test-core.lisp
@@ -85,7 +85,10 @@
   (== (util:plist-pairs '(:a "a" :b "b")) '((:a "a") (:b "b")))
   (let ((pl '(:a 0)))
     (== (util:plist-add pl :b 1) '(:b 1 :a 0))
-    (== pl '(:b 1 :a 0))))
+    (== pl '(:b 1 :a 0)))
+  (util:load-dotenv (t:test-path ".test.env"))
+  (== (util:getenv "SCOPES_USER") "user-from-env-file")
+  (== (util:getenv "SCOPES_PASSWORD") "very_secret"))
 
 (deftest test-util-crypt ()
   (let ((s1 (crypt:create-secret))
diff --git a/util/util.lisp b/util/util.lisp
index 484cfab..b07d63f 100644
--- a/util/util.lisp
+++ b/util/util.lisp
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@
            #:from-bytes #:to-bytes #:b64-decode #:b64-encode #:from-b64 #:to-b64
            #:absolute-dir #:check-dir #:ensure-dir #:home-path #:path-from-string
            #:relative-path #:runtime-path #:system-path
-           #:add-package-local-nickname))
+           #:getenv #:load-dotenv
+           #:add-package-local-nickname
+           ))
 
 (in-package :scopes/util)
 
@@ -162,3 +164,15 @@
 
 (defun ensure-dir (p)
   (ensure-directories-exist (directory-namestring p)))
+
+;;;; environment and dotenv file handling
+
+(defun load-dotenv (ep)
+  (maphash 
+    (lambda (k v) 
+      (unless (uiop:getenv k)
+        (setf (uiop:getenv k) v)))
+    (dotenv:read-env ep)))
+
+(defun getenv (k &optional default)
+  (or (uiop:getenv k) default))