diff --git a/examples/basic/package.json b/examples/basic/package.json
index 015fee7fa..c3cfaa803 100644
--- a/examples/basic/package.json
+++ b/examples/basic/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "razzle-examples-basic",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.6.0-rc1",
   "license": "MIT",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "razzle start",
@@ -14,6 +14,6 @@
     "serialize-javascript": "^1.3.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "razzle": "^0.5.4"
+    "razzle": "^0.6.0-rc1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/examples/with-custom-babel-config/package.json b/examples/with-custom-babel-config/package.json
index 26828cfa6..815380de9 100644
--- a/examples/with-custom-babel-config/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-custom-babel-config/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "razzle-examples-with-custom-babel-config",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.6.0-rc1",
   "license": "MIT",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "razzle start",
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "babel-preset-stage-0": "^6.22.0",
-    "razzle": "^0.5.4"
+    "razzle": "^0.6.0-rc1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/examples/with-inferno/package.json b/examples/with-inferno/package.json
index f68bd9390..137005376 100644
--- a/examples/with-inferno/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-inferno/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "razzle-examples-inferno",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.6.0-rc1",
   "license": "MIT",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "razzle start",
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "babel-plugin-inferno": "^2.0.0",
     "inferno-devtools": "^1.4.2",
-    "razzle": "^0.5.4"
+    "razzle": "^0.6.0-rc1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/examples/with-jest/package.json b/examples/with-jest/package.json
index 337d81688..96370a05a 100644
--- a/examples/with-jest/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-jest/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "razzle-examples-jest",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.6.0-rc1",
   "license": "MIT",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "razzle start",
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "babel-jest": "^19.0.0",
     "jest-cli": "^19.0.2",
-    "razzle": "^0.5.4",
+    "razzle": "^0.6.0-rc1",
     "react-test-renderer": "^15.4.2"
   },
   "jest": {
diff --git a/examples/with-preact/package.json b/examples/with-preact/package.json
index 03d2317b4..2553f7008 100644
--- a/examples/with-preact/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-preact/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "razzle-examples-preact",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.6.0-rc1",
   "license": "MIT",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "razzle start",
@@ -14,6 +14,6 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx": "^6.23.0",
-    "razzle": "^0.5.4"
+    "razzle": "^0.6.0-rc1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/examples/with-rax/package.json b/examples/with-rax/package.json
index 1755d72ea..b76a32c85 100644
--- a/examples/with-rax/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-rax/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "razzle-examples-rax",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.6.0-rc1",
   "license": "MIT",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "razzle start",
@@ -19,6 +19,6 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "babel-preset-es2015": "^6.24.0",
     "babel-preset-rax": "^0.2.5",
-    "razzle": "^0.5.4"
+    "razzle": "^0.6.0-rc1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/examples/with-reason-react/package.json b/examples/with-reason-react/package.json
index 477c2ee44..c3fe8e2cf 100644
--- a/examples/with-reason-react/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-reason-react/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "razzle-examples-reason-react",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.6.0-rc1",
   "license": "MIT",
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "npm run js-watch | npm run bsb-watch",
@@ -19,6 +19,6 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "bs-platform": "^1.7.3",
-    "razzle": "^0.5.4"
+    "razzle": "^0.6.0-rc1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/examples/with-redux/package.json b/examples/with-redux/package.json
index bf686bbe5..53208ac51 100644
--- a/examples/with-redux/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-redux/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "razzle-examples-with-redux",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.6.0-rc1",
   "license": "MIT",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "razzle start",
@@ -19,6 +19,6 @@
     "serialize-javascript": "^1.3.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "razzle": "^0.5.4"
+    "razzle": "^0.6.0-rc1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/examples/with-typescript/package.json b/examples/with-typescript/package.json
index 6e0ee1bcf..7afb72196 100644
--- a/examples/with-typescript/package.json
+++ b/examples/with-typescript/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "razzle-examples-with-typescript",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.6.0-rc1",
   "license": "MIT",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "razzle start",
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     "@types/react-dom": "^15.5.0",
     "@types/webpack-env": "^1.13.0",
     "awesome-typescript-loader": "^3.1.3",
-    "razzle": "^0.5.4",
+    "razzle": "^0.6.0-rc1",
     "tslint": "^5.2.0",
     "tslint-react": "^3.0.0",
     "typescript": "^2.3.2"
diff --git a/lerna.json b/lerna.json
index c538842fa..b91278f31 100644
--- a/lerna.json
+++ b/lerna.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     "examples/*"
   ],
   "npmClient": "yarn",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.6.0-rc1",
   "changelog": {
     "repo": "jaredpalmer/razzle",
     "labels": {
diff --git a/packages/razzle/config/env.js b/packages/razzle/config/env.js
index e5ffeb270..52e34f2b8 100644
--- a/packages/razzle/config/env.js
+++ b/packages/razzle/config/env.js
@@ -1,6 +1,36 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const paths = require('./paths');
+const fs = require('fs');
+
+// Make sure that including paths.js after env.js will read .env variables.
+delete require.cache[require.resolve('./paths')];
+
+const NODE_ENV = process.env.NODE_ENV;
+if (!NODE_ENV) {
+  throw new Error(
+    'The NODE_ENV environment variable is required but was not specified.'
+  );
+}
+
+// https://github.com/bkeepers/dotenv#what-other-env-files-can-i-use
+var dotenvFiles = [
+  `${paths.dotenv}.${NODE_ENV}.local`,
+  `${paths.dotenv}.${NODE_ENV}`,
+  `${paths.dotenv}.local`,
+  paths.dotenv,
+];
+// Load environment variables from .env* files. Suppress warnings using silent
+// if this file is missing. dotenv will never modify any environment variables
+// that have already been set.
+// https://github.com/motdotla/dotenv
+dotenvFiles.forEach(dotenvFile => {
+  if (fs.existsSync(dotenvFile)) {
+    require('dotenv').config({
+      path: dotenvFile,
+    });
+  }
+});
 
 // Grab NODE_ENV and RAZZLE_* environment variables and prepare them to be
 // injected into the application via DefinePlugin in Webpack configuration.
diff --git a/packages/razzle/config/paths.js b/packages/razzle/config/paths.js
index a7e4879b3..25d2e299b 100644
--- a/packages/razzle/config/paths.js
+++ b/packages/razzle/config/paths.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ function resolveOwn(relativePath) {
 }
 
 module.exports = {
+  dotenv: resolveApp('.env'),
   appPath: resolveApp('.'),
   appBuild: resolveApp('build'),
   appBuildPublic: resolveApp('build/public'),
diff --git a/packages/razzle/package.json b/packages/razzle/package.json
index 27279dfcd..fac4b192a 100644
--- a/packages/razzle/package.json
+++ b/packages/razzle/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "razzle",
-  "version": "0.5.4",
+  "version": "0.6.0-rc1",
   "description": "Build isomorphic Javascript applications with ease.",
   "repository": "git@github.com:jaredpalmer/razzle.git",
   "author": "jaredpalmer",
diff --git a/packages/razzle/scripts/build.js b/packages/razzle/scripts/build.js
index 9d17c1515..6446b8812 100755
--- a/packages/razzle/scripts/build.js
+++ b/packages/razzle/scripts/build.js
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ process.on('unhandledRejection', err => {
   throw err;
 });
 
-require('dotenv').config({ silent: true });
 const webpack = require('webpack');
 const fs = require('fs-extra');
 const chalk = require('chalk');
diff --git a/packages/razzle/scripts/start.js b/packages/razzle/scripts/start.js
index b857aa263..1b1ea7035 100755
--- a/packages/razzle/scripts/start.js
+++ b/packages/razzle/scripts/start.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #! /usr/bin/env node
 
-require('dotenv').config();
+process.env.NODE_ENV = 'development';
 const webpack = require('webpack');
 const paths = require('../config/paths');
 const printErrors = require('../config/printErrors');