diff --git a/.github/workflows/solidity.yaml b/.github/workflows/solidity.yaml
index 7586edb1a..5765f374a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/solidity.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/solidity.yaml
@@ -172,8 +172,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Deploy contracts
         env:
-          ACCOUNTS_PRIVATE_KEYS: ${{ secrets.TESTNET_ETH_CONTRACT_OWNER_PRIVATE_KEY }}
-          CHAIN_API_URL: ${{ secrets.SEPOLIA_CHAIN_API_URL }}
+          SEPOLIA_PRIVATE_KEY: ${{ secrets.TESTNET_ETH_CONTRACT_OWNER_PRIVATE_KEY }}
+          SEPOLIA_RPC_URL: ${{ secrets.SEPOLIA_CHAIN_API_URL }}
           ETHERSCAN_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ETHERSCAN_API_KEY }}
         run: |
           pnpm run deploy --network ${{ github.event.inputs.environment }}
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 629d01034..022d1e746 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -13,5 +13,7 @@ tmp/
 
 # Environment configuration files
 .envrc
+.env
 .env.*
 !.env.example
+!.env.ci.example
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 307077ecd..da6eba6e3 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -242,6 +242,9 @@ importers:
       chai:
         specifier: ^4.3.10
         version: 4.3.10
+      dotenv-safer:
+        specifier: ^1.0.0
+        version: 1.0.0(dotenv@8.6.0)
       eslint:
         specifier: ^8.54.0
         version: 8.54.0
@@ -10703,6 +10706,14 @@ packages:
   /dotenv-expand@5.1.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-YXQl1DSa4/PQyRfgrv6aoNjhasp/p4qs9FjJ4q4cQk+8m4r6k4ZSiEyytKG8f8W9gi8WsQtIObNmKd+tMzNTmA==}
 
+  /dotenv-safer@1.0.0(dotenv@8.6.0):
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-QzRM3UrtdWn9iYJ4rgd1zPwSb1PjYVTpkWk0KVCdwZkatbonwGDuuKkw+lwXGTVAMGN/uVDs0HfOgxrBqlwElQ==}
+    peerDependencies:
+      dotenv: '>= 8.2.0'
+    dependencies:
+      dotenv: 8.6.0
+    dev: true
+
   /dotenv@7.0.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-M3NhsLbV1i6HuGzBUH8vXrtxOk+tWmzWKDMbAVSUp3Zsjm7ywFeuwrUXhmhQyRK1q5B5GGy7hcXPbj3bnfZg2g==}
     engines: {node: '>=6'}
diff --git a/solidity/.env b/solidity/.env
deleted file mode 100644
index aea8b0315..000000000
--- a/solidity/.env
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-CHAIN_API_URL=${CHAIN_API_URL}
-ACCOUNTS_PRIVATE_KEYS=${ACCOUNTS_PRIVATE_KEYS}
-ETHERSCAN_API_KEY=${ETHERSCAN_API_KEY}
-COINMARKETCAP_API_KEY=${COINMARKETCAP_API_KEY}
diff --git a/solidity/.env.ci.example b/solidity/.env.ci.example
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8b1378917
--- /dev/null
+++ b/solidity/.env.ci.example
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
diff --git a/solidity/.env.example b/solidity/.env.example
index 9cba5dee7..ebcf14fb0 100644
--- a/solidity/.env.example
+++ b/solidity/.env.example
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-CHAIN_API_URL=
-ACCOUNTS_PRIVATE_KEYS=
+MAINNET_RPC_URL=
+MAINNET_PRIVATE_KEY=
+
+SEPOLIA_RPC_URL=
+SEPOLIA_PRIVATE_KEY=
+
 ETHERSCAN_API_KEY=
+
 COINMARKETCAP_API_KEY=
diff --git a/solidity/README.md b/solidity/README.md
index 177801d40..e842e5564 100644
--- a/solidity/README.md
+++ b/solidity/README.md
@@ -28,10 +28,12 @@ $ pnpm test
 
 To run the integration tests follow these steps:
 
-- Run the Hardhat Node locally forking Mainnet at block `19680873`:
+- Define `MAINNET_RPC_URL` environment variable pointing to Ethereum Mainnet RPC URL.
+
+- Run the Hardhat Node locally forking Mainnet:
 
 ```
-$ npx hardhat node --no-deploy --fork https://eth-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/<key> --fork-block-number 19680873
+$ pnpm run node:forking
 ```
 
 - Once the local node is running you can execute the integration tests:
diff --git a/solidity/hardhat.config.ts b/solidity/hardhat.config.ts
index ac6a1492e..71cddc5e2 100644
--- a/solidity/hardhat.config.ts
+++ b/solidity/hardhat.config.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,28 @@ import "hardhat-contract-sizer"
 import "hardhat-deploy"
 import "solidity-docgen"
 import "@keep-network/hardhat-helpers"
+import dotenv from "dotenv-safer"
+
+dotenv.config({
+  allowEmptyValues: true,
+  example: process.env.CI ? ".env.ci.example" : ".env.example",
+})
+
+const MAINNET_RPC_URL = process.env.MAINNET_RPC_URL ?? ""
+
+const MAINNET_PRIVATE_KEY = process.env.MAINNET_PRIVATE_KEY
+  ? [process.env.MAINNET_PRIVATE_KEY]
+  : []
+
+const SEPOLIA_RPC_URL = process.env.SEPOLIA_RPC_URL ?? ""
+
+const SEPOLIA_PRIVATE_KEY = process.env.SEPOLIA_PRIVATE_KEY
+  ? [process.env.SEPOLIA_PRIVATE_KEY]
+  : []
+
+const ETHERSCAN_API_KEY = process.env.ETHERSCAN_API_KEY ?? ""
+
+const COINMARKETCAP_API_KEY = process.env.COINMARKETCAP_API_KEY ?? ""
 
 const config: HardhatUserConfig = {
   solidity: {
@@ -26,23 +48,25 @@ const config: HardhatUserConfig = {
   },
 
   networks: {
+    hardhat: {
+      forking:
+        process.env.FORKING === "true"
+          ? { url: MAINNET_RPC_URL, blockNumber: 19680873 }
+          : undefined,
+    },
     integration: {
       url: "http://localhost:8545",
     },
     sepolia: {
-      url: process.env.CHAIN_API_URL || "",
+      url: SEPOLIA_RPC_URL,
       chainId: 11155111,
-      accounts: process.env.ACCOUNTS_PRIVATE_KEYS
-        ? process.env.ACCOUNTS_PRIVATE_KEYS.split(",")
-        : undefined,
+      accounts: SEPOLIA_PRIVATE_KEY,
       tags: ["etherscan"],
     },
     mainnet: {
-      url: process.env.CHAIN_API_URL || "",
+      url: MAINNET_RPC_URL,
       chainId: 1,
-      accounts: process.env.ACCOUNTS_PRIVATE_KEYS
-        ? process.env.ACCOUNTS_PRIVATE_KEYS.split(",")
-        : undefined,
+      accounts: MAINNET_PRIVATE_KEY,
       tags: ["etherscan"],
     },
   },
@@ -57,8 +81,8 @@ const config: HardhatUserConfig = {
 
   etherscan: {
     apiKey: {
-      sepolia: process.env.ETHERSCAN_API_KEY,
-      mainnet: process.env.ETHERSCAN_API_KEY,
+      sepolia: ETHERSCAN_API_KEY,
+      mainnet: ETHERSCAN_API_KEY,
     },
   },
 
@@ -98,7 +122,7 @@ const config: HardhatUserConfig = {
 
   gasReporter: {
     enabled: true,
-    coinmarketcap: process.env.COINMARKETCAP_API_KEY,
+    coinmarketcap: COINMARKETCAP_API_KEY,
   },
 
   typechain: {
diff --git a/solidity/package.json b/solidity/package.json
index 8cb5969e1..b34e4bbc9 100644
--- a/solidity/package.json
+++ b/solidity/package.json
@@ -15,9 +15,10 @@
   ],
   "scripts": {
     "clean": "hardhat clean && rm -rf cache/ export/ gen/ export.json",
-    "build": "hardhat compile",
-    "deploy": "hardhat deploy --export export.json",
-    "docs": "hardhat docgen",
+    "prepare:env": "cp -n .env.example .env || true",
+    "build": "npm run prepare:env && hardhat compile",
+    "deploy": "npm run prepare:env && hardhat deploy --export export.json",
+    "docs": "npm run prepare:env && hardhat docgen",
     "format": "npm run lint:js && npm run lint:sol && npm run lint:config",
     "format:fix": "npm run lint:js:fix && npm run lint:sol:fix && npm run lint:config:fix",
     "lint:js": "eslint .",
@@ -26,7 +27,8 @@
     "lint:sol:fix": "solhint 'contracts/**/*.sol' --fix && prettier --write 'contracts/**/*.sol'",
     "lint:config": "prettier --check '**/*.@(json)'",
     "lint:config:fix": "prettier --write '**/*.@(json)'",
-    "test": "hardhat test ./test/*.test.ts",
+    "node:forking": "FORKING=true hardhat node --no-deploy",
+    "test": "npm run prepare:env && hardhat test ./test/*.test.ts",
     "test:integration": "hardhat test --deploy-fixture ./test/integration/*.test.ts --network integration"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@
     "@types/mocha": "^10.0.6",
     "@types/node": "^20.9.4",
     "chai": "^4.3.10",
+    "dotenv-safer": "^1.0.0",
     "eslint": "^8.54.0",
     "ethers": "^6.8.1",
     "hardhat": "^2.19.1",
diff --git a/solidity/types/dotenv-safer.d.ts b/solidity/types/dotenv-safer.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2d2867330
--- /dev/null
+++ b/solidity/types/dotenv-safer.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+declare module "dotenv-safer" {
+  // eslint-disable-next-line import/prefer-default-export
+  export function config(options = {})
+}