diff --git a/desktop/lib.go b/desktop/lib.go
index b7f32782a..156392c76 100644
--- a/desktop/lib.go
+++ b/desktop/lib.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	proclient "github.com/getlantern/lantern-client/internalsdk/pro"
 	"github.com/getlantern/lantern-client/internalsdk/protos"
 	"github.com/getlantern/osversion"
+	"github.com/joho/godotenv"
 
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/protojson"
 )
@@ -62,15 +63,21 @@ var issueMap = map[string]string{
 }
 
 //export start
-func start(cfgDir, proxyAll *C.char) {
+func start() {
 	runtime.LockOSThread()
 	// Since Go 1.6, panic prints only the stack trace of current goroutine by
 	// default, which may not reveal the root cause. Switch to all goroutines.
 	debug.SetTraceback("all")
-	flags := flashlight.ParseFlags()
-	flags.ConfigDir = C.GoString(cfgDir)
 
-	flags.ProxyAll, _ = strconv.ParseBool(C.GoString(proxyAll))
+	// Load application configuration from .env file
+	err := godotenv.Load()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Error("Error loading .env file")
+	}
+
+	flags := flashlight.ParseFlags()
+	flags.ConfigDir = os.Getenv("LANTERN_CONFIGDIR")
+	flags.ProxyAll, _ = strconv.ParseBool(os.Getenv("LANTERN_PROXYALL"))
 
 	cdir := configDir(&flags)
 
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 7113fba17..ed00ebb68 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru v1.0.2 // indirect
 	github.com/huandu/xstrings v1.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/jaffee/commandeer v0.6.0 // indirect
+	github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1 // indirect
 	github.com/keighl/mandrill v0.0.0-20170605120353-1775dd4b3b41 // indirect
 	github.com/kennygrant/sanitize v1.2.4 // indirect
 	github.com/klauspost/compress v1.17.6 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 4c6ec51fd..bd02ec2a5 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -599,6 +599,8 @@ github.com/jaffee/commandeer v0.6.0 h1:YI44XLWcJN21euhh32sZW8vM/tljPYxhsXIfEPkQK
 github.com/jaffee/commandeer v0.6.0/go.mod h1:kCwfuSvZ2T0NVEr3LDSo6fDUgi0xSBnAVDdkOKTtpLQ=
 github.com/jawher/mow.cli v1.1.0/go.mod h1:aNaQlc7ozF3vw6IJ2dHjp2ZFiA4ozMIYY6PyuRJwlUg=
 github.com/jessevdk/go-flags v1.4.0/go.mod h1:4FA24M0QyGHXBuZZK/XkWh8h0e1EYbRYJSGM75WSRxI=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1 h1:7eLL/+HRGLY0ldzfGMeQkb7vMd0as4CfYvUVzLqw0N0=
+github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1/go.mod h1:f4LDr5Voq0i2e/R5DDNOoa2zzDfwtkZa6DnEwAbqwq4=
 github.com/jonboulle/clockwork v0.1.0/go.mod h1:Ii8DK3G1RaLaWxj9trq07+26W01tbo22gdxWY5EU2bo=
 github.com/jsimonetti/rtnetlink v0.0.0-20190606172950-9527aa82566a/go.mod h1:Oz+70psSo5OFh8DBl0Zv2ACw7Esh6pPUphlvZG9x7uw=
 github.com/jsimonetti/rtnetlink v0.0.0-20200117123717-f846d4f6c1f4 h1:nwOc1YaOrYJ37sEBrtWZrdqzK22hiJs3GpDmP3sR2Yw=
diff --git a/hit_proxy.bash b/hit_proxy.bash
index 18fa4d19f..f7c74efcd 100755
--- a/hit_proxy.bash
+++ b/hit_proxy.bash
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@ mkdir -p "$TMPDIR"
 echo "Generating config for ${PROXY} in ${OUTFILE}..."
 ../lantern-cloud/bin/ptool route dump-config --legacy "$PROXY" > "$OUTFILE"
 
-flutter run -d macOS --dart-define="configdir=$TMPDIR" --dart-define="proxyall=true"
+make darwin ffigen && LANTERN_CONFIGDIR=$TMPDIR LANTERN_PROXYALL=true flutter run -d macOS
diff --git a/lib/ffi.dart b/lib/ffi.dart
index a1e2e43f5..db351743a 100644
--- a/lib/ffi.dart
+++ b/lib/ffi.dart
@@ -197,8 +197,8 @@ final DynamicLibrary _dylib = () {
 /// The bindings to the native functions in [dylib].
 final NativeLibrary _bindings = NativeLibrary(_dylib);
 
-void loadLibrary(String configDir, bool proxyAll) {
-  _bindings.start(configDir.toPointerChar(), proxyAll.toString().toPointerChar());
+void loadLibrary() {
+  _bindings.start();
 }
 
 //Custom exception for handling error
diff --git a/lib/main.dart b/lib/main.dart
index 410934174..536441e67 100644
--- a/lib/main.dart
+++ b/lib/main.dart
@@ -32,9 +32,7 @@ Future<void> main() async {
   }
 
   if (isDesktop()) {
-    const configDir = String.fromEnvironment('configdir', defaultValue: '');
-    const proxyAll = bool.fromEnvironment('proxyall', defaultValue: false);
-    loadLibrary(configDir, proxyAll);
+    loadLibrary();
     await WebsocketImpl.instance()!.connect();
     await windowManager.ensureInitialized();
     WindowOptions windowOptions = const WindowOptions(