diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 86e183a7..26b43c78 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ node_modules/
 types/
 .vscode
 !.env.example
-.env
+*.env
diff --git a/examples/typescript/webpack.common.js b/examples/typescript/webpack.common.js
index d8d4bb3c..454ec742 100644
--- a/examples/typescript/webpack.common.js
+++ b/examples/typescript/webpack.common.js
@@ -1,16 +1,12 @@
 const path = require('path');
 const HtmlWebpackPlugin = require('html-webpack-plugin');
-const webpack = require('webpack');
-require('dotenv').config({ path: './.env' }); 
+require('dotenv').config({ path: './.env' });
 
 module.exports = {
     entry: {
         index: './src/index.ts',
     },
     plugins: [
-        new webpack.DefinePlugin({
-            WEBSOCKET_URL: JSON.stringify((process.env.WEBSOCKET_URL !== undefined) ? process.env.WEBSOCKET_URL : '')
-        }),
         new HtmlWebpackPlugin({
             title: 'Scalable Pixel Streaming Frontend',
             template: './src/index.html',
diff --git a/examples/typescript/webpack.dev.js b/examples/typescript/webpack.dev.js
index e1d10636..6ac383ba 100644
--- a/examples/typescript/webpack.dev.js
+++ b/examples/typescript/webpack.dev.js
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 const { merge } = require('webpack-merge');
 const common = require('./webpack.common.js');
 const path = require('path');
+const webpack = require('webpack');
 
 module.exports = merge(common, {
     mode: 'development',
     devtool: 'source-map',
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+    plugins: [
+        new webpack.DefinePlugin({
+            WEBSOCKET_URL: JSON.stringify((process.env.WEBSOCKET_URL !== undefined) ? process.env.WEBSOCKET_URL : undefined)
+        }),
+    ]
+});
diff --git a/examples/typescript/webpack.prod.js b/examples/typescript/webpack.prod.js
index 132f8a8b..4c937e3d 100644
--- a/examples/typescript/webpack.prod.js
+++ b/examples/typescript/webpack.prod.js
@@ -1,14 +1,20 @@
 const { merge } = require('webpack-merge');
 const common = require('./webpack.common.js');
+const webpack = require('webpack');
 
 module.exports = merge(common, {
-    mode: 'production',
-    optimization: {
-      usedExports: true,
-      minimize: true
-    },
-    stats: 'errors-only',
-	performance: {
-		hints: false
-	}
+  mode: 'production',
+  optimization: {
+    usedExports: true,
+    minimize: true
+  },
+  stats: 'errors-only',
+  performance: {
+    hints: false
+  },
+  plugins: [
+    new webpack.DefinePlugin({
+      WEBSOCKET_URL: undefined
+    }),
+  ]
 });
diff --git a/library/src/SPSApplication.ts b/library/src/SPSApplication.ts
index 5d0f328f..d225fa12 100644
--- a/library/src/SPSApplication.ts
+++ b/library/src/SPSApplication.ts
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export class SPSApplication extends Application {
 		this.stream.setSignallingUrlBuilder(() => {
 
 			// if we have overriden the signalling server URL with a .env file use it here
-			if (WEBSOCKET_URL) {
+			if (WEBSOCKET_URL !== undefined ) {
 				return WEBSOCKET_URL as string;
 			}