diff --git a/config/stratus-follower.env.local b/config/stratus-follower.env.local
deleted file mode 100644
index 83abb9e73..000000000
--- a/config/stratus-follower.env.local
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-RUST_LOG=info
-
-CHAIN_ID=2008
-EVMS=1
-
-EXTERNAL_RPC=http://spec.testnet.cloudwalk.network:9934/
-EXTERNAL_RPC_WS=ws://spec.testnet.cloudwalk.network:9946/
-
-PERM_STORAGE=rocks
-TEMP_STORAGE=inmemory
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index b6e883218..4cc7cf598 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ stratus *args="":
 
 # Bin: Stratus main service as follower
 stratus-follower *args="":
-    LOCAL_ENV_PATH=stratus-follower cargo {{nightly_flag}} run --bin stratus {{release_flag}} --features dev -- --follower {{args}}
+    cargo {{nightly_flag}} run --bin stratus {{release_flag}} --features dev -- --follower --external-rpc http://spec.testnet.cloudwalk.network:9934/ --external-rpc-ws ws://spec.testnet.cloudwalk.network:9946/ {{args}}
 
 # Bin: Download external RPC blocks and receipts to temporary storage
 rpc-downloader *args="":
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 15cac25da..86fea61e6 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -32,23 +32,16 @@ pub fn load_dotenv() {
         Ok(env) => Environment::from_str(env.as_str()),
         Err(_) => Ok(Environment::Local),
     };
-
-    // determine the .env file to load
-    let env_filename = match env {
-        Ok(Environment::Local) => {
-            // local environment only
-            match std::env::var("LOCAL_ENV_PATH") {
-                Ok(local_path) => format!("config/{}.env.local", local_path),
-                Err(_) => format!("config/{}.env.local", build_info::binary_name()),
-            }
-        }
-        Ok(env) => format!("config/{}.env.{}", build_info::binary_name(), env),
+    let env = match env {
+        Ok(env) => env,
         Err(e) => {
             println!("{e}");
             return;
         }
     };
 
+    // load .env file
+    let env_filename = format!("config/{}.env.{}", build_info::binary_name(), env);
     println!("reading env file | filename={}", env_filename);
 
     if let Err(e) = dotenvy::from_filename(env_filename) {