diff --git a/settings.js b/settings.js
index dc70fe6..e63c9fb 100644
--- a/settings.js
+++ b/settings.js
@@ -1,18 +1,17 @@
-export default 
-{
+const settings = {
     "minecraft_version": "1.21.1", // supports up to 1.21.1
     "host": "127.0.0.1", // or "localhost", "your.ip.address.here"
-    "port": process.env.MINECRAFT_PORT || 55916,
+    "port": 55916,
     "auth": "offline", // or "microsoft"
 
     // the mindserver manages all agents and hosts the UI
     "host_mindserver": true, // if true, the mindserver will be hosted on this machine. otherwise, specify a public IP address
     "mindserver_host": "localhost",
-    "mindserver_port": process.env.MINDSERVER_PORT || 8080,
+    "mindserver_port": 8080,
     
     // the base profile is shared by all bots for default prompts/examples/modes
     "base_profile": "./profiles/defaults/survival.json", // also see creative.json, god_mode.json
-    "profiles": ((process.env.PROFILES) && JSON.parse(process.env.PROFILES)) || [
+    "profiles": [
         "./andy.json",
         // "./profiles/gpt.json",
         // "./profiles/claude.json",
@@ -46,3 +45,15 @@ export default
     "narrate_behavior": true, // chat simple automatic actions ('Picking up item!')
     "chat_bot_messages": true, // publicly chat messages to other bots
 }
+
+// these environment variables override certain settings
+if (process.env.MINECRAFT_PORT) {
+    settings.port = process.env.MINECRAFT_PORT;
+}
+if (process.env.MINDSERVER_PORT) {
+    settings.mindserver_port = process.env.MINDSERVER_PORT;
+}
+if (process.env.PROFILES && JSON.parse(process.env.PROFILES).length > 0) {
+    settings.profiles = JSON.parse(process.env.PROFILES);
+}
+export default settings;