diff --git a/.env b/.env
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5078187..7b4b1f4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@ history.*
 data/
 *.json
 *.iso
-*.cow
\ No newline at end of file
+*.cow
+.env
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/example.env b/example.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37d421d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example.env
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+BACKGROUND=
+TIME_ZONE=
+NAME=
+INTERACTIVE=true
+BUILD=true
+API=true
+DEBUG=INFO
+MODE=1
+LOOP=20
+TIMEOUT=20
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/python/src/logger.py b/python/src/logger.py
index 8dfc870..cd17c5e 100644
--- a/python/src/logger.py
+++ b/python/src/logger.py
@@ -4,9 +4,12 @@ import logging
 
 def get_logger(logger_name:str, log_file='gateway.log'):
   logger_name = logger_name.replace('__', '')
-  DEBUG = os.getenv('DEBUG') == 'true'
+  debug_level = os.getenv('DEBUG').upper()
+  if debug_level not in ('CRITICAL', 'ERROR', 'WARNING', 'WARN', 'INFO', 'DEBUG', 'NOTSET', 'FATAL'):
+    print(f'Loglevel "{debug_level}" is not supported.')
+    exit(0)
   logger = logging.getLogger(logger_name)
-  logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG) if DEBUG else logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
+  logger.setLevel(logging.getLevelName(debug_level))
   handler = logging.FileHandler(filename=f'data/{log_file}', encoding='utf-8', mode='a')
   formatter = logging.Formatter('%(asctime)s|%(levelname)s|%(name)s|:%(message)s')
   handler.setFormatter(formatter)
diff --git a/python/src/main.py b/python/src/main.py
index 7b0cdf9..b9936d6 100644
--- a/python/src/main.py
+++ b/python/src/main.py
@@ -26,18 +26,20 @@ logger.debug(f"VERSION: {os.getenv('VERSION')}")
 update_state = check_for_update()
 print_state(update_state)
 
+try:
+  if DOCKER:
+    logger.info('Running in Docker')
 
-if DOCKER:
-  logger.info('Running in Docker')
+    try:INTERVAL = int(interval)
+    except:pass
 
-  try:INTERVAL = int(interval)
-  except:pass
+    try:TIMEOUT = int(timeout)
+    except:pass
 
-  try:TIMEOUT = int(timeout)
-  except:pass
+    if interval is None: log_to_json(start_discovery(timeout=TIMEOUT))
+    else:start_loop(INTERVAL, TIMEOUT)
 
-  if interval is None: log_to_json(start_discovery(timeout=TIMEOUT))
-  else:start_loop(INTERVAL, TIMEOUT)
-
-else:
-  start_loop(interval=40)
+  else:
+    start_loop(interval=40)
+except Exception as err:
+  logger.error(err)
diff --git a/run_gateway.sh b/run_gateway.sh
index 0699743..c39f609 100644
--- a/run_gateway.sh
+++ b/run_gateway.sh
@@ -3,18 +3,8 @@ CONTAINER="dasmoorhuhn/atc-mithermometer-gateway"
 CONTAINER_NAME="ATC_MiThermometer_Gateway"
 VOLUME=$(pwd)/data
 
-BACKGROUND=""
-TIME_ZONE=""
-NAME=""
-INTERACTIVE=false
-BUILD=false
-API=false
-DEBUG=false
-MODE=1
-LOOP="0"
-TIMEOUT="0"
-
-HELP="USAGE: sh run_docker.sh [OPTIONS] \n
+HELP="Using any command line argument except -d bypasses the .env file\n\n
+USAGE: sh run_docker.sh [OPTIONS] \n
 [ -d ] Run in Backgrund \n
 [ -t | --tag ] Set a docker tag. Default: latest \n
 [ -b | --build ] Build the image before running the container \n
@@ -55,6 +45,43 @@ docker_run() {
 
   check_for_devices_config
 
+  if [ "$SKIP_ENV" = true ]; then
+    echo "Skip env file"
+    ENV_EXISTS=false
+
+    BACKGROUND=""
+    TIME_ZONE=""
+    NAME=""
+    INTERACTIVE=true
+    BUILD=true
+    API=true
+    DEBUG="INFO"
+    MODE="1"
+    LOOP="40"
+    TIMEOUT="20"
+  else
+    if [ -e .env ]
+    then
+      echo Loading .env file
+      export $(cat .env | xargs)
+      ENV_EXISTS=true
+    else
+      echo No env file found
+      ENV_EXISTS=false
+
+      BACKGROUND=""
+      TIME_ZONE=""
+      NAME=""
+      INTERACTIVE=true
+      BUILD=true
+      API=true
+      DEBUG="INFO"
+      MODE="1"
+      LOOP="40"
+      TIMEOUT="20"
+    fi
+  fi
+
   COMMAND="docker run $BACKGROUND"
   COMMAND="$COMMAND --cap-add=SYS_ADMIN"
   COMMAND="$COMMAND --cap-add=NET_ADMIN"
@@ -65,6 +92,10 @@ docker_run() {
   COMMAND="$COMMAND --volume=$VOLUME:/src/data"
   COMMAND="$COMMAND --volume=$PWD/devices.yml:/src/devices.yml"
 
+  if [ "$ENV_EXISTS" = true ]; then
+    COMMAND="$COMMAND --env-file .env"
+  fi
+
   if [ "$INTERACTIVE" = true ]; then
     COMMAND="$COMMAND --interactive"
     COMMAND="$COMMAND --tty"
@@ -100,7 +131,7 @@ docker_run() {
     COMMAND="$COMMAND --env NAME=$NAME"
   fi
 
-  if [ "$DEBUG" = true ]; then
+  if [ "$DEBUG" = "DEBUG" ]; then
     COMMAND="$COMMAND --env DEBUG=$DEBUG"
     COMMAND="$COMMAND $CONTAINER:$TAG"
     echo
@@ -108,6 +139,7 @@ docker_run() {
     echo
     echo DEBUG MODE
   else
+    COMMAND="$COMMAND --env DEBUG=$DEBUG"
     COMMAND="$COMMAND $CONTAINER:$TAG"
   fi
 
@@ -120,53 +152,68 @@ docker_run() {
 
 while [ "$1" != "" ]; do
   case $1 in
+    -se | --skip-env-file )
+      SKIP_ENV=true
+      shift
+      ;;
     -d )
       BACKGROUND="-d"
       shift
       ;;
     --debug )
-      DEBUG=true
+      shift
+      DEBUG=$1
+      SKIP_ENV=true
       shift
       ;;
     -a | --api)
       API=true
+      SKIP_ENV=true
       shift
       ;;
     -b | --build )
       BUILD=true
+      SKIP_ENV=true
       shift
       ;;
     -v | --volume )
       shift
       VOLUME=$1
+      SKIP_ENV=true
       shift
       ;;
     -n | --name )
       shift
       NAME=$1
+      SKIP_ENV=true
       shift
       ;;
     -m2 | --mesh-gateway)
       MODE=2
+      SKIP_ENV=true
       shift
       ;;
     -tz | --timezone )
       shift
       TIME_ZONE=$1
+      SKIP_ENV=true
       shift
       ;;
     -to | --timeout )
       shift
       TIMEOUT=$1
+      SKIP_ENV=true
       shift
       ;;
     -t | --tag )
       shift
       TAG=$1
+      SKIP_ENV=true
       shift
       ;;
     -l | --loop )
       shift
+      SKIP_ENV=true
       firstchar=`echo $1 | cut -c1-1`
       if [ "$firstchar" = "-" ]; then
         LOOP=0
@@ -179,6 +226,7 @@ while [ "$1" != "" ]; do
       ;;
     -i | --interactive )
       INTERACTIVE=true
+      SKIP_ENV=true
       shift
       ;;
     -h | --help )