diff --git a/.env.template b/.env.template
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca20f38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.template
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+SPACE_ROOT=https://deta.space/api
+SPACE_ACCESS_TOKEN=YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN
+SPACE_PROJECT_ID=YOUR_PROJECT_ID
diff --git a/.envrc b/.envrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..857a64a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.envrc
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# dotenv .env.staging
+dotenv .env.prod
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 12a1079..58ccbae 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ starters
 
 .env
 .env.*
+!.env.template
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a7ecc27..e518fa9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,6 +33,16 @@ You can also set the `SPACE_ROOT` environment variable in a `.env` file in the r
 Other configuration options can be set in the .env file as well:
 
 - SPACE_ACCESS_TOKEN
+- SPACE_PROJECT_ID
+- SPACE_PROJECT_KEY
+
+A good way to manage different environment is too use the [direnv](https://direnv.net/). Exampleas `.envrc` and `.env.template` file are provided.
+
+To use them:
+
+- Copy `.env.template` to `.env.prod` or `.env.<your-env-name>`
+- Fill in the values
+- Comment out the proper line in `.envrc` to load the correct file
 
 ## Running unit tests
 
diff --git a/cmd/dev.go b/cmd/dev.go
index da7e409..9c12bf5 100644
--- a/cmd/dev.go
+++ b/cmd/dev.go
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ func GetFreePort(start int) (int, error) {
 }
 
 func dev(projectDir string, projectID string, host string, port int, open bool) error {
-	routeDir := filepath.Join(projectDir, ".space", "micros")
 	spacefile, err := spacefile.LoadSpacefile(projectDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		utils.Logger.Printf("%s Failed to parse Spacefile: %s", emoji.ErrorExclamation, err)
@@ -134,6 +133,7 @@ func dev(projectDir string, projectID string, host string, port int, open bool)
 	}
 
 	utils.Logger.Printf("\n%s Checking for running micros...", emoji.Eyes)
+	routeDir := filepath.Join(projectDir, ".space", "micros")
 	var stoppedMicros []*types.Micro
 	for _, micro := range spacefile.Micros {
 		_, err := getMicroPort(micro, routeDir)
diff --git a/cmd/utils/checks.go b/cmd/utils/checks.go
index 2092088..784b5a3 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/checks.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/checks.go
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ func CheckExists(flagName ...string) PreRunFunc {
 
 func CheckProjectInitialized(dirFlag string) PreRunFunc {
 	return CheckAll(CheckExists(dirFlag), func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+		if os.Getenv(runtime.SpaceProjectIDEnv) != "" {
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		dir, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString(dirFlag)
 
 		if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, ".space", "meta")); os.IsNotExist(err) {
diff --git a/cmd/utils/keys.go b/cmd/utils/keys.go
index 945ce12..35fa1a9 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/keys.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/keys.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package utils
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/deta/space/internal/api"
 	"github.com/deta/space/internal/auth"
 )
@@ -11,7 +9,9 @@ func GenerateDataKeyIfNotExists(projectID string) (string, error) {
 	// check if we have already stored the project key based on the project's id
 	projectKey, err := auth.GetProjectKey(projectID)
 	if err == nil {
-		return projectKey, nil
+		if err := Client.CheckProjectKey(projectKey); err == nil {
+			return projectKey, nil
+		}
 	}
 
 	listRes, err := Client.ListProjectKeys(projectID)
@@ -19,9 +19,19 @@ func GenerateDataKeyIfNotExists(projectID string) (string, error) {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	keyName := findAvailableKey(listRes.Keys, "space cli")
+	// delete the project key if it exists
+	keyName := "space cli"
+	for _, key := range listRes.Keys {
+		if key.Name == keyName {
+			err := Client.DeleteProjectKey(projectID, keyName)
+			if err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+			break
+		}
+	}
 
-	// create a new project key using the api
+	// create a new project key
 	r, err := Client.CreateProjectKey(projectID, &api.CreateProjectKeyRequest{
 		Name: keyName,
 	})
@@ -37,21 +47,3 @@ func GenerateDataKeyIfNotExists(projectID string) (string, error) {
 
 	return r.Value, nil
 }
-
-func findAvailableKey(keys []api.ProjectKey, name string) string {
-	keyMap := make(map[string]struct{})
-	for _, key := range keys {
-		keyMap[key.Name] = struct{}{}
-	}
-
-	if _, ok := keyMap[name]; !ok {
-		return name
-	}
-
-	for i := 1; ; i++ {
-		newName := fmt.Sprintf("%s (%d)", name, i)
-		if _, ok := keyMap[newName]; !ok {
-			return newName
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/internal/api/api.go b/internal/api/api.go
index da5d625..2b220f4 100644
--- a/internal/api/api.go
+++ b/internal/api/api.go
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/deta/space/internal/auth"
 	"github.com/deta/space/shared"
@@ -839,6 +842,54 @@ func (c *DetaClient) ListProjectKeys(AppID string) (*ListProjectResponse, error)
 	return &resp, nil
 }
 
+func (c *DetaClient) CheckProjectKey(projectKey string) error {
+	parts := strings.Split(projectKey, "_")
+	if len(parts) != 2 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid project key")
+	}
+
+	instanceID := parts[0]
+	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", fmt.Sprintf("https://database.deta.sh/v1/%s/dummy/items/dummy", instanceID), nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	req.Header.Set("X-API-Key", projectKey)
+
+	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer res.Body.Close()
+
+	if res.StatusCode == 401 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid project key")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *DetaClient) DeleteProjectKey(appID string, keyName string) error {
+	o, err := c.request(&requestInput{
+		Root:      spaceRoot,
+		Path:      fmt.Sprintf("/%s/apps/%s/keys/%s", version, appID, url.QueryEscape(keyName)),
+		Method:    "DELETE",
+		NeedsAuth: true,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if o.Status != 200 {
+		msg := o.Error.Detail
+		if msg == "" && len(o.Error.Errors) > 0 {
+			msg = o.Error.Errors[0]
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete project key: %v", msg)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 type Release struct {
 	ID         string                `json:"id"`
 	Tag        string                `json:"tag"`
diff --git a/internal/auth/auth.go b/internal/auth/auth.go
index 9522a47..f3256ee 100644
--- a/internal/auth/auth.go
+++ b/internal/auth/auth.go
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	spaceAccessTokenEnv         = "SPACE_ACCESS_TOKEN"
+	SpaceAccessTokenEnv         = "SPACE_ACCESS_TOKEN"
+	SpaceProjectKeyEnv          = "SPACE_PROJECT_KEY"
+	DetaProjectKeyEnv           = "DETA_PROJECT_KEY"
 	spaceTokensFile             = "space_tokens"
 	spaceSignVersion            = "v0"
 	spaceDir                    = ".detaspace"
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ func getAccessTokenFromFile(filepath string) (string, error) {
 // GetAccessToken retrieves the tokens from storage or env var
 func GetAccessToken() (string, error) {
 	// preference to env var first
-	spaceAccessToken := os.Getenv(spaceAccessTokenEnv)
+	spaceAccessToken := os.Getenv(SpaceAccessTokenEnv)
 	if spaceAccessToken != "" {
 		return spaceAccessToken, nil
 	}
@@ -167,6 +169,14 @@ type Keys map[string]string
 
 // GetProjectKey retrieves a project key storage or env var
 func GetProjectKey(projectId string) (string, error) {
+	if env, ok := os.LookupEnv(SpaceProjectKeyEnv); ok {
+		return env, nil
+	}
+
+	if env, ok := os.LookupEnv(DetaProjectKeyEnv); ok {
+		return env, nil
+	}
+
 	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", nil
diff --git a/internal/runtime/manager.go b/internal/runtime/manager.go
index 3f67632..1961329 100644
--- a/internal/runtime/manager.go
+++ b/internal/runtime/manager.go
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ const (
 )
 
 var (
+	SpaceProjectIDEnv = "SPACE_PROJECT_ID"
+
 	PythonSkipPattern = `__pycache__`
 
 	NodeSkipPattern = `node_modules`
@@ -46,6 +48,10 @@ func StoreProjectMeta(projectDir string, p *ProjectMeta) error {
 }
 
 func GetProjectID(projectDir string) (string, error) {
+	if env, ok := os.LookupEnv(SpaceProjectIDEnv); ok {
+		return env, nil
+	}
+
 	projectMeta, err := GetProjectMeta(projectDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err