diff --git a/rust_fortune_teller/.env.sample b/rust_fortune_teller/.env.sample
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f9ccc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust_fortune_teller/.env.sample
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+GEMINI_API_KEY=changeMe
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rust_fortune_teller/.gitignore b/rust_fortune_teller/.gitignore
index c41cc9e..0b745e2 100644
--- a/rust_fortune_teller/.gitignore
+++ b/rust_fortune_teller/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-/target
\ No newline at end of file
+/target
+.env
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rust_fortune_teller/Cargo.lock b/rust_fortune_teller/Cargo.lock
index 38919c2..d677264 100644
--- a/rust_fortune_teller/Cargo.lock
+++ b/rust_fortune_teller/Cargo.lock
@@ -115,6 +115,12 @@ version = "0.8.6"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "06ea2b9bc92be3c2baa9334a323ebca2d6f074ff852cd1d7b11064035cd3868f"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "dotenv"
+version = "0.15.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "77c90badedccf4105eca100756a0b1289e191f6fcbdadd3cee1d2f614f97da8f"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "encoding_rs"
 version = "0.8.34"
@@ -756,6 +762,7 @@ name = "rust_fortune_teller"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "ask_gemini",
+ "dotenv",
  "rand",
  "serde",
  "tokio",
diff --git a/rust_fortune_teller/Cargo.toml b/rust_fortune_teller/Cargo.toml
index 92c2396..3e9948b 100644
--- a/rust_fortune_teller/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rust_fortune_teller/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ edition = "2021"
 
 [dependencies]
 ask_gemini = "0.1.4"
+dotenv = "0.15.0"
 rand = "0.8.5"
 serde = { version = "1.0.204", features = ["derive"] }
-tokio = "1.38.1"
\ No newline at end of file
+tokio = "1.38.1"
diff --git a/rust_fortune_teller/src/main.rs b/rust_fortune_teller/src/main.rs
index 92e8df6..3137bf3 100644
--- a/rust_fortune_teller/src/main.rs
+++ b/rust_fortune_teller/src/main.rs
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@ use rand;
 use rand::seq::SliceRandom;
 use ask_gemini::Gemini;
 use std::fmt::Write;
-
-const GEMINI_API_KEY: &str = "changeMe";
+use dotenv::dotenv;
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
 pub enum Suit {
@@ -131,6 +130,11 @@ fn format_reading(reading: &[String]) -> String {
 
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() {
+    dotenv().ok();
+
+    let gemini_api_key = std::env::var("GEMINI_API_KEY")
+        .expect("GEMINI_API_KEY must be set");
+
     println!("[INFO] Welcome to Vadar Fortune Teller!");
     println!("[INFO] Please let me know your name: ");
     let mut username = String::new();
@@ -169,7 +173,7 @@ async fn main() {
     
     // println!("PROMPTS = {prompt}");
 
-    let gemini = Gemini::new(Some(GEMINI_API_KEY), None);
+    let gemini = Gemini::new(Some(&gemini_api_key), None);
     match gemini.ask(&prompt).await {
         Ok(response) => {
             //println!("[INFO] Signal from the universe: \n {:?}", response);