diff --git a/.env.test b/.env.test
index da3e4c8..0df0238 100644
--- a/.env.test
+++ b/.env.test
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 ENV=test
-DATABASE_URL=http://localhost:8000
-DATABASE_TYPE=dynamodb
-REGION=us-east-1
+DATABASE_URL=test.db
+DATABASE_TYPE=sqlite
 CUSTOM_ACCESS_TOKEN_SCRIPT="function(user,tokenPayload){var data = tokenPayload;data.extra = {'x-extra-id': user.id};return data;}"
 SMTP_HOST=smtp.mailtrap.io
 SMTP_PORT=2525
diff --git a/server/db/providers/dynamodb/provider.go b/server/db/providers/dynamodb/provider.go
index 962a222..7457613 100644
--- a/server/db/providers/dynamodb/provider.go
+++ b/server/db/providers/dynamodb/provider.go
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 package dynamodb
 
 import (
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/authorizerdev/authorizer/server/constants"
 	"github.com/authorizerdev/authorizer/server/db/models"
 	"github.com/authorizerdev/authorizer/server/memorystore"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/credentials"
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/session"
 	"github.com/guregu/dynamo"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
 type provider struct {
@@ -15,13 +19,18 @@ type provider struct {
 
 // NewProvider returns a new Dynamo provider
 func NewProvider() (*provider, error) {
-	region := memorystore.RequiredEnvStoreObj.GetRequiredEnv().REGION
 	dbURL := memorystore.RequiredEnvStoreObj.GetRequiredEnv().DatabaseURL
-	accessKey := memorystore.RequiredEnvStoreObj.GetRequiredEnv().AWS_ACCESS_KEY
-	secretKey := memorystore.RequiredEnvStoreObj.GetRequiredEnv().AWS_SECRET_KEY
+	awsRegion := os.Getenv(constants.EnvAwsRegion)
+	accessKey := os.Getenv(constants.EnvAwsAccessKey)
+	secretKey := os.Getenv(constants.EnvAwsSecretKey)
+
 	config := aws.Config{
-		Region:     aws.String(region),
-		MaxRetries: aws.Int(3),
+		MaxRetries:                    aws.Int(3),
+		CredentialsChainVerboseErrors: aws.Bool(true), // for full error logs
+	}
+
+	if awsRegion != "" {
+		config.Region = aws.String(awsRegion)
 	}
 
 	// custom accessKey, secretkey took first priority, if not then fetch config from aws credentials
@@ -31,6 +40,8 @@ func NewProvider() (*provider, error) {
 		// static config in case of testing or local-setup
 		config.Credentials = credentials.NewStaticCredentials("key", "key", "")
 		config.Endpoint = aws.String(dbURL)
+	} else {
+		log.Info("REGION, AWS_ACCESS_KEY and AWS_SECRET_KEY not found in .env, trying to load default profile from aws credentials")
 	}
 
 	session := session.Must(session.NewSession(&config))
diff --git a/server/env/env.go b/server/env/env.go
index 62b572f..491e4ee 100644
--- a/server/env/env.go
+++ b/server/env/env.go
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ func InitAllEnv() error {
 	osResetPasswordURL := os.Getenv(constants.EnvKeyResetPasswordURL)
 	osOrganizationName := os.Getenv(constants.EnvKeyOrganizationName)
 	osOrganizationLogo := os.Getenv(constants.EnvKeyOrganizationLogo)
+	osAwsRegion := os.Getenv(constants.EnvAwsRegion)
+	osAwsAccessKey := os.Getenv(constants.EnvAwsAccessKey)
+	osAwsSecretKey := os.Getenv(constants.EnvAwsSecretKey)
 
 	// os bool vars
 	osAppCookieSecure := os.Getenv(constants.EnvKeyAppCookieSecure)
@@ -119,6 +122,27 @@ func InitAllEnv() error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if val, ok := envData[constants.EnvAwsRegion]; !ok || val == "" {
+		envData[constants.EnvAwsRegion] = osAwsRegion
+	}
+	if osAwsRegion != "" && envData[constants.EnvAwsRegion] != osAwsRegion {
+		envData[constants.EnvAwsRegion] = osAwsRegion
+	}
+
+	if val, ok := envData[constants.EnvAwsAccessKey]; !ok || val == "" {
+		envData[constants.EnvAwsAccessKey] = osAwsAccessKey
+	}
+	if osAwsAccessKey != "" && envData[constants.EnvAwsAccessKey] != osAwsRegion {
+		envData[constants.EnvAwsAccessKey] = osAwsAccessKey
+	}
+
+	if val, ok := envData[constants.EnvAwsSecretKey]; !ok || val == "" {
+		envData[constants.EnvAwsSecretKey] = osAwsSecretKey
+	}
+	if osAwsSecretKey != "" && envData[constants.EnvAwsSecretKey] != osAwsRegion {
+		envData[constants.EnvAwsSecretKey] = osAwsSecretKey
+	}
+
 	if val, ok := envData[constants.EnvKeyAppURL]; !ok || val == "" {
 		envData[constants.EnvKeyAppURL] = osAppURL
 	}
diff --git a/server/memorystore/required_env_store.go b/server/memorystore/required_env_store.go
index 2be8559..13166ac 100644
--- a/server/memorystore/required_env_store.go
+++ b/server/memorystore/required_env_store.go
@@ -16,9 +16,6 @@ import (
 // RequiredEnv holds information about required envs
 type RequiredEnv struct {
 	EnvPath            string `json:"ENV_PATH"`
-	REGION             string `json:"REGION"`
-	AWS_ACCESS_KEY     string `json:"AWS_ACCESS_KEY"`
-	AWS_SECRET_KEY     string `json:"AWS_SECRET_KEY"`
 	DatabaseURL        string `json:"DATABASE_URL"`
 	DatabaseType       string `json:"DATABASE_TYPE"`
 	DatabaseName       string `json:"DATABASE_NAME"`
@@ -76,9 +73,6 @@ func InitRequiredEnv() error {
 		log.Infof("using OS env instead of %s file", envPath)
 	}
 
-	region := os.Getenv(constants.EnvAwsRegion)
-	awsAccessKey := os.Getenv(constants.EnvAwsAccessKey)
-	awsSecretKey := os.Getenv(constants.EnvAwsSecretKey)
 	dbURL := os.Getenv(constants.EnvKeyDatabaseURL)
 	dbType := os.Getenv(constants.EnvKeyDatabaseType)
 	dbName := os.Getenv(constants.EnvKeyDatabaseName)
@@ -134,9 +128,6 @@ func InitRequiredEnv() error {
 
 	requiredEnv := RequiredEnv{
 		EnvPath:            envPath,
-		REGION:             region,
-		AWS_ACCESS_KEY:     awsAccessKey,
-		AWS_SECRET_KEY:     awsSecretKey,
 		DatabaseURL:        dbURL,
 		DatabaseType:       dbType,
 		DatabaseName:       dbName,