diff --git a/config.lisp b/config.lisp
index f470962..24442c4 100644
--- a/config.lisp
+++ b/config.lisp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 (defpackage :scopes/config
   (:use :common-lisp)
   (:export #:base #:root #:*root* #:*current*
-           #:env-data #:env-keys #:env-prefix #:env-path 
+           #:env-data #:env-keys #:env-prefix #:env-path #:from-env
            #:actions #:add #:add-action #:children #:env-slots 
            #:name #:setup #:parent #:shutdown))
 
@@ -89,6 +89,9 @@
 
 ;;;; utility functions
 
+(defun from-env (key default)
+  (or (gethash key (env-data *root*)) default))
+
 (defun hash-to-slots (ht obj slots)
   (if ht
     (dolist (sl slots)
diff --git a/test/config-postgres.lisp b/test/config-postgres.lisp
index 2325257..3143801 100644
--- a/test/config-postgres.lisp
+++ b/test/config-postgres.lisp
@@ -3,11 +3,14 @@
 
 (in-package :scopes/test-storage)
 
-(defvar postgres-connect-args
-  '(:database-name "cltest" :host "localhost" :port 5432
-    :username "testuser" :password "secret"))
+(config:root :env-keys '(:db-name :db-user :db-password))
 
-(config:root :env-keys '(db-name db-user db-password))
+(defvar postgres-connect-args
+  (list :database-name (config:from-env :db-name "cltest")
+        :host "localhost" 
+        :port 5432
+        :username (config:from-env :db-user "testuser")
+        :password (config:from-env :db-password "secret")))
 
 (config:add :storage :class 'storage:config :setup #'storage:setup
             :db-type :postgres
diff --git a/test/config-sqlite.lisp b/test/config-sqlite.lisp
index 1d7abf8..00caca3 100644
--- a/test/config-sqlite.lisp
+++ b/test/config-sqlite.lisp
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@
 
 (in-package :scopes/test-storage)
 
-(defvar sqlite-connect-args
-  (list :database-name (namestring (scopes/testing:test-path "test.db" "data"))))
+(config:root :env-keys '(:db-name))
 
-(config:root :env-keys '(db-name))
+(defvar sqlite-connect-args
+  (list :database-name 
+        (namestring 
+          (scopes/testing:test-path (config:from-env :db-name "test.db") "data"))))
 
 (config:add :storage :class 'storage:config :setup #'storage:setup
             :db-type :sqlite3