diff --git a/lib/config/config_test.go b/lib/config/config_test.go
index 5667273..101bc71 100644
--- a/lib/config/config_test.go
+++ b/lib/config/config_test.go
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ func TestDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 	if cfg.AdminUsername != "admin" {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected admin username: %s", cfg.AdminUsername)
 	}
+	if cfg.Environment != AppEnvironmentDevelopment {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected default environment: %s", cfg.Environment)
+	}
 	if cfg.AdminPassword != "" {
 		t.Fatal("expected default admin password to be empty")
 	}
@@ -43,6 +46,7 @@ func TestEnvironmentOverrides(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Setenv("WARPBOX_ADMIN_USERNAME", "root")
 	t.Setenv("WARPBOX_ONE_TIME_DOWNLOAD_RETRY_ON_FAILURE", "true")
 	t.Setenv("WARPBOX_SECURITY_ENABLED", "false")
+	t.Setenv("WARPBOX_ENV", "production")
 
 	cfg, err := Load()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -73,6 +77,9 @@ func TestEnvironmentOverrides(t *testing.T) {
 	if cfg.Source(SettingAPIEnabled) != SourceEnv {
 		t.Fatalf("expected API setting source to be env, got %s", cfg.Source(SettingAPIEnabled))
 	}
+	if cfg.Environment != AppEnvironmentProduction {
+		t.Fatalf("expected environment override to be production, got %s", cfg.Environment)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestMegabyteSizeEnvironmentOverrides(t *testing.T) {
@@ -120,6 +127,12 @@ func TestInvalidEnvironmentValues(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err := Load(); err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected invalid boolean to fail")
 	}
+
+	clearConfigEnv(t)
+	t.Setenv("WARPBOX_ENV", "staging")
+	if _, err := Load(); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected invalid environment mode to fail")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSettingsOverridePrecedence(t *testing.T) {
@@ -170,6 +183,7 @@ func clearConfigEnv(t *testing.T) {
 		"WARPBOX_ADMIN_PASSWORD",
 		"WARPBOX_ADMIN_USERNAME",
 		"WARPBOX_ADMIN_EMAIL",
+		"WARPBOX_ENV",
 		"WARPBOX_ADMIN_ENABLED",
 		"WARPBOX_ALLOW_ADMIN_SETTINGS_OVERRIDE",
 		"WARPBOX_ADMIN_COOKIE_SECURE",
diff --git a/lib/config/definitions.go b/lib/config/definitions.go
index b9ea3c0..eb57090 100644
--- a/lib/config/definitions.go
+++ b/lib/config/definitions.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package config
 
 var Definitions = []SettingDefinition{
 	{Key: SettingDataDir, EnvName: "WARPBOX_DATA_DIR", Label: "Data directory", Type: SettingTypeText, Editable: false, HardLimit: true},
+	{Key: SettingEnvironment, EnvName: "WARPBOX_ENV", Label: "Environment", Type: SettingTypeText, Editable: false, HardLimit: true},
 	{Key: SettingGuestUploadsEnabled, EnvName: "WARPBOX_GUEST_UPLOADS_ENABLED", Label: "Guest uploads enabled", Type: SettingTypeBool, Editable: true},
 	{Key: SettingAPIEnabled, EnvName: "WARPBOX_API_ENABLED", Label: "API enabled", Type: SettingTypeBool, Editable: true},
 	{Key: SettingZipDownloadsEnabled, EnvName: "WARPBOX_ZIP_DOWNLOADS_ENABLED", Label: "ZIP downloads enabled", Type: SettingTypeBool, Editable: true},
diff --git a/lib/config/load.go b/lib/config/load.go
index 7bfe7d0..b4c5048 100644
--- a/lib/config/load.go
+++ b/lib/config/load.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 func Load() (*Config, error) {
 	cfg := &Config{
 		DataDir:                       "./data",
+		Environment:                   AppEnvironmentDevelopment,
 		AdminUsername:                 "admin",
 		AdminEnabled:                  AdminEnabledAuto,
 		AllowAdminSettingsOverride:    true,
@@ -49,6 +50,14 @@ func Load() (*Config, error) {
 	if err := cfg.applyStringEnv(SettingDataDir, "WARPBOX_DATA_DIR", &cfg.DataDir); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if raw := strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv("WARPBOX_ENV")); raw != "" {
+		env := AppEnvironment(strings.ToLower(raw))
+		if env != AppEnvironmentDevelopment && env != AppEnvironmentProduction {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("WARPBOX_ENV must be development or production")
+		}
+		cfg.Environment = env
+		cfg.setValue(SettingEnvironment, string(env), SourceEnv)
+	}
 	if err := cfg.applyStringEnv("", "WARPBOX_ADMIN_PASSWORD", &cfg.AdminPassword); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -194,6 +203,7 @@ func (cfg *Config) EnsureDirectories() error {
 }
 func (cfg *Config) captureDefaults() {
 	cfg.captureDefaultValue(SettingDataDir, cfg.DataDir)
+	cfg.captureDefaultValue(SettingEnvironment, string(cfg.Environment))
 	cfg.captureDefaultValue(SettingGuestUploadsEnabled, formatBool(cfg.GuestUploadsEnabled))
 	cfg.captureDefaultValue(SettingAPIEnabled, formatBool(cfg.APIEnabled))
 	cfg.captureDefaultValue(SettingZipDownloadsEnabled, formatBool(cfg.ZipDownloadsEnabled))
diff --git a/lib/config/models.go b/lib/config/models.go
index 6522564..dd8e44e 100644
--- a/lib/config/models.go
+++ b/lib/config/models.go
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@ const (
 	AdminEnabledFalse AdminEnabledMode = "false"
 )
 
+type AppEnvironment string
+
+const (
+	AppEnvironmentDevelopment AppEnvironment = "development"
+	AppEnvironmentProduction  AppEnvironment = "production"
+)
+
 const (
 	SettingGuestUploadsEnabled       = "guest_uploads_enabled"
 	SettingAPIEnabled                = "api_enabled"
@@ -36,6 +43,7 @@ const (
 	SettingThumbnailBatchSize        = "thumbnail_batch_size"
 	SettingThumbnailIntervalSeconds  = "thumbnail_interval_seconds"
 	SettingDataDir                   = "data_dir"
+	SettingEnvironment               = "environment"
 	SettingActivityRetentionSeconds  = "activity_retention_seconds"
 	SettingSecurityEnabled           = "security_enabled"
 	SettingSecurityIPWhitelist       = "security_ip_whitelist"
@@ -86,6 +94,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	AdminPassword              string
 	AdminUsername              string
 	AdminEmail                 string
+	Environment                AppEnvironment
 	AdminEnabled               AdminEnabledMode
 	AdminCookieSecure          bool
 	AllowAdminSettingsOverride bool
diff --git a/lib/server/admin_settings_test.go b/lib/server/admin_settings_test.go
index 89e92eb..53daace 100644
--- a/lib/server/admin_settings_test.go
+++ b/lib/server/admin_settings_test.go
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ func clearAdminSettingsEnv(t *testing.T) {
 		"WARPBOX_ADMIN_PASSWORD",
 		"WARPBOX_ADMIN_USERNAME",
 		"WARPBOX_ADMIN_EMAIL",
+		"WARPBOX_ENV",
 		"WARPBOX_ADMIN_ENABLED",
 		"WARPBOX_ALLOW_ADMIN_SETTINGS_OVERRIDE",
 		"WARPBOX_ADMIN_COOKIE_SECURE",
diff --git a/lib/server/server.go b/lib/server/server.go
index 8e68c40..3a85eb5 100644
--- a/lib/server/server.go
+++ b/lib/server/server.go
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@ func Run(addr string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	switch cfg.Environment {
+	case config.AppEnvironmentProduction:
+		gin.SetMode(gin.ReleaseMode)
+	default:
+		gin.SetMode(gin.DebugMode)
+	}
 	if err := cfg.EnsureDirectories(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/run.sh b/run.sh
index c0376db..3519828 100755
--- a/run.sh
+++ b/run.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ if [ -f .env ]; then
 fi
 
 # Core service switches.
+export WARPBOX_ENV="${WARPBOX_ENV:-development}"
 export WARPBOX_GUEST_UPLOADS_ENABLED="${WARPBOX_GUEST_UPLOADS_ENABLED:-true}"
 export WARPBOX_API_ENABLED="${WARPBOX_API_ENABLED:-true}"
 export WARPBOX_ZIP_DOWNLOADS_ENABLED="${WARPBOX_ZIP_DOWNLOADS_ENABLED:-true}"