diff --git a/ENV_EXAMPLE b/ENV_EXAMPLE
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84da497
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ENV_EXAMPLE
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+REDIS_MAXOUT_HOST='localhost'
+REDIS_MAXOUT_PORT=6379
+REDIS_MAXOUT_PASSWORD=''
+REDIS_MAXOUT_LOOP_ITERATIONS=''
+REDIS_MAXOUT_LOOP_VALUE_MULTIPLIER=''
+REDIS_MAXOUT_LOOP_PRINT_ITER=''
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f938b5c..8e94a42 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,12 +5,11 @@ max out redis memory store to test max memory key eviction policy settings
 
 ###Configure via Setup.cfg
 
-1. copy example.setup.cfg to setup.cfg
-1. update the connection details
+1. update the connection details in the ENV_EXAMPLE file
 1. modify the loop config details to tweak the iteration count and value size assigned to each key
+1. deploy your environment variables: `export cat ENV_EXAMPLE` 
 
 ###TODO
-
 * add more exception handling and clean up the run to make it a usable tool
 * report on redis configuraiton as an option
 * change redis configuration settings (e.g. eviction policy, eviction sample size, etc.)
@@ -18,3 +17,5 @@ max out redis memory store to test max memory key eviction policy settings
 * provide metrics on the run (key eviction accuracy in max memory scenarios)
 * ready this tool to test cluster configurations
 * add support for expires on some/all keys
+
+
diff --git a/redisMaxOut.py b/redisMaxOut.py
index cab5670..c747965 100755
--- a/redisMaxOut.py
+++ b/redisMaxOut.py
@@ -1,37 +1,43 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
 
-from sys import argv
-import ConfigParser, os
-import redis
+import os
 import datetime
 import hashlib
 
+import redis
+
+
 class MaxOutConfig():
     def __init__(self):
         self.read_config()
-    
-    def read_config(self): 
-        try:
-            config_file = argv[1]
-        except IndexError:
-            config_file = 'setup.cfg'
-
-        config = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
-        config.readfp(open(config_file))
 
+    def read_config(self):
         # connection settings
-        self.url =  str(config.get('redis connection', 'url'))
-        self.port = int(config.get('redis connection', 'port'))
-        self.password = str(config.get('redis connection', 'password'))
+        self.host = os.environ['REDIS_MAXOUT_HOST']
+        self.port = os.environ['REDIS_MAXOUT_PORT']
+        self.password = os.environ['REDIS_MAXOUT_PASSWORD']
 
+        # TODO: do we even need these?
         # loop handler settings
-        self.iterations = int(config.get('loop', 'iterations'))
-        self.value_multiplier = int(config.get('loop', 'value_multiplier'))
-        self.print_iter = int(config.get('loop', 'print_iter'))
+        self.iterations = os.environ['REDIS_MAXOUT_LOOP_ITERATIONS']
+        self.value_multiplier = os.environ['REDIS_MAXOUT_LOOP_VALUE_MULTIPLIER']
+        self.print_iter = os.environ['REDIS_MAXOUT_LOOP_PRINT_ITER']
+
+        # check config settings
+        self.validate_config()
+
+    def validate_config(self):
+        if self.host is None:
+            raise Exception('Please specify a Redis host')
+        if self.port is None:
+            raise Exception('Please specify a Redis port')
+        if not self.port.isdigit():
+            raise Exception('Please specify numeric Redis port')
+
 
 class MaxOut():
     def __init__(self, config):
-        self.url = config.url
+        self.host = config.host
         self.port = config.port
         self.password = config.password
         self.iterations = config.iterations
@@ -40,25 +46,13 @@ def __init__(self, config):
         self.connect()
 
     def connect(self):
-        self.r_server = redis.Redis(self.url,
-            port = self.port,
-            password = self.password)
-
-    def validate_config(self):
-        # TODO check connection
-        # TODO check loop config
-
-        # FIXME stub
-        return True
+        self.r_server = redis.Redis(self.host, port=self.port,
+                                    password=self.password)
 
     def flush(self):
         self.r_server.flushall()
 
     def max_out(self):
-        if(not self.validate_config()):
-            print 'exiting...invalid configuration'
-            return
-
         for x in range(0, self.iterations):
             m = hashlib.md5()
             my_date = datetime.datetime.today()
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
deleted file mode 100644
index 672b184..0000000
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-[redis connection]
-url=greeneye.redistogo.com
-port=11813
-password=b9c5a5d2c93334b42f453b88840295cf
-
-[loop]
-iterations=900
-value_multiplier=500
-print_iter=100
-
diff --git a/setup.cfg.EXAMPLE b/setup.cfg.EXAMPLE
deleted file mode 100644
index 9d35037..0000000
--- a/setup.cfg.EXAMPLE
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-[redis connection]
-url=localhost
-port=6379
-password=
-
-[loop]
-iterations=900
-value_multiplier=500
-print_iter=100
-
diff --git a/setup.sh b/setup.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 91d137c..05fd7e3
--- a/setup.sh
+++ b/setup.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 pip install virtualenv
+virtualenv .venv
+source .venv/bin/activate
 pip install redis
-