diff --git a/src/teuthology_api/main.py b/src/teuthology_api/main.py
index c1d8afb..150d3bf 100644
--- a/src/teuthology_api/main.py
+++ b/src/teuthology_api/main.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 load_dotenv()
 
-DEPLOYMENT = os.getenv("DEPLOYMENT")
+DEPLOYMENT = os.getenv("DEPLOYMENT", "development")
 SESSION_SECRET_KEY = os.getenv("SESSION_SECRET_KEY")
 PULPITO_URL = os.getenv("PULPITO_URL")
 PADDLES_URL = os.getenv("PADDLES_URL")
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ def read_root(request: Request):
     return {"root": "success", "session": request.session.get("user", None)}
 
 
+
 if DEPLOYMENT == "development":
     app.add_middleware(
         CORSMiddleware,
@@ -35,7 +36,12 @@ def read_root(request: Request):
         allow_headers=["*"],
     )
 
-app.add_middleware(SessionMiddleware, secret_key=SESSION_SECRET_KEY)
+
+if SESSION_SECRET_KEY:
+    app.add_middleware(SessionMiddleware, secret_key=SESSION_SECRET_KEY)
+else:
+    log.warning("SESSION_SECRET_KEY is not set. Sessions are disabled.")
+
 app.include_router(suite.router)
 app.include_router(kill.router)
 app.include_router(login.router)
diff --git a/src/teuthology_api/routes/suite.py b/src/teuthology_api/routes/suite.py
index 13f1905..1a84299 100644
--- a/src/teuthology_api/routes/suite.py
+++ b/src/teuthology_api/routes/suite.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import logging
+import os
 
 from fastapi import APIRouter, HTTPException, Depends, Request
-
 from teuthology_api.services.suite import run
 from teuthology_api.services.helpers import get_token, get_username
 from teuthology_api.schemas.suite import SuiteArgs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
     responses={404: {"description": "Not found"}},
 )
 
+DEPLOYMENT = os.getenv("DEPLOYMENT", "development") 
 
 @router.post("/", status_code=200)
 def create_run(
@@ -22,6 +23,13 @@ def create_run(
     access_token: str = Depends(get_token),
     logs: bool = False,
 ):
-    args = args.model_dump(by_alias=True)
-    args["--user"] = get_username(request)
-    return run(args, logs, access_token)
+    try:
+        args = args.model_dump(by_alias=True)
+        args["--user"] = get_username(request)
+        return run(args, logs, access_token)
+    except HTTPException as exc:
+        log.error(f"HTTP exception occurred: {exc.detail}")
+        raise
+    except Exception as exc:
+        log.error(f"Unexpected error occurred: {repr(exc)}")
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail="An unexpected error occurred.")
diff --git a/src/teuthology_api/services/helpers.py b/src/teuthology_api/services/helpers.py
index a86d22c..2fb76db 100644
--- a/src/teuthology_api/services/helpers.py
+++ b/src/teuthology_api/services/helpers.py
@@ -1,27 +1,25 @@
-from multiprocessing import Process
 import logging
 import os
 import uuid
 from pathlib import Path
-
 from fastapi import HTTPException, Request
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
-
 import teuthology
-import requests  # Note: import requests after teuthology
+import requests  
 from requests.exceptions import HTTPError
 
 load_dotenv()
 
 PADDLES_URL = os.getenv("PADDLES_URL")
 ARCHIVE_DIR = os.getenv("ARCHIVE_DIR")
+DEPLOYMENT = os.getenv("DEPLOYMENT", "development")  
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 def logs_run(func, args):
     """
-    Run the command function in a seperate process (to isolate logs),
+    Run the command function in a separate process (to isolate logs),
     and return logs printed during the execution of the function.
     """
     _id = str(uuid.uuid4())
@@ -70,8 +68,11 @@ def get_run_details(run_name: str):
 
 def get_username(request: Request):
     """
-    Get username from request.session
+    Get username from request.session, bypass authentication if in development.
     """
+    if DEPLOYMENT == "development":
+        return "dev_user"
+    
     username = request.session.get("user", {}).get("username")
     if username:
         return username
@@ -85,8 +86,11 @@ def get_username(request: Request):
 
 def get_token(request: Request):
     """
-    Get access token from request.session
+    Get access token from request.session, bypass authentication if in development.
     """
+    if DEPLOYMENT == "development":
+        return {"access_token": "dev_token", "token_type": "bearer"}
+
     token = request.session.get("user", {}).get("access_token")
     if token:
         return {"access_token": token, "token_type": "bearer"}
@@ -96,3 +100,4 @@ def get_token(request: Request):
         detail="You need to be logged in",
         headers={"WWW-Authenticate": "Bearer"},
     )
+
diff --git a/src/teuthology_api/services/kill.py b/src/teuthology_api/services/kill.py
index 4188d23..1487e51 100644
--- a/src/teuthology_api/services/kill.py
+++ b/src/teuthology_api/services/kill.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def run(args, send_logs: bool, access_token: str, request: Request):
     else:
         log.error("teuthology-kill is missing --run")
         raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="--run is a required argument")
-    # TODO if user has admin priviledge, then they can kill any run/job.
+    # TODO if user has admin privilege, then they can kill any run/job.
     if run_owner.lower() != username.lower():
         log.error(
             "%s doesn't have permission to kill a job scheduled by: %s",
@@ -60,4 +60,4 @@ def run(args, send_logs: bool, access_token: str, request: Request):
         return {"kill": "success"}
     except Exception as exc:
         log.error("teuthology-kill command failed with the error: %s", repr(exc))
-        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=repr(exc)) from exc
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=repr(exc)) from exc
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/teuthology_api/services/suite.py b/src/teuthology_api/services/suite.py
index 99d2d6d..e58ba05 100644
--- a/src/teuthology_api/services/suite.py
+++ b/src/teuthology_api/services/suite.py
@@ -66,4 +66,4 @@ def make_run_name(run_dic):
             run_dic["flavor"],
             worker,
         ]
-    ).replace("/", ":")
+    ).replace("/", ":")
\ No newline at end of file