diff --git a/env.example b/env.example
index afc53619..ebc8c734 100644
--- a/env.example
+++ b/env.example
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@ COOKIE_PRIVATE_KEY=
 CONFIG_NAME=chis-ke
 PORT=3000             # for development environment
 EXTERNAL_PORT=3000    # for docker
+CHT_DEV_URL_PORT=localhost:5984 # where your dev CHT instance is, hostname:port
+CHT_DEV_HTTP=false              # 'false' for http  'true' for https
diff --git a/src/config/index.ts b/src/config/index.ts
index 14d3d623..c6dcba9b 100644
--- a/src/config/index.ts
+++ b/src/config/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import _ from "lodash";
 import { ChtApi, PlacePayload } from "../lib/cht-api";
 import getConfigByKey from "./config-factory";
+import {env} from "process";
 
 export type ConfigSystem = {
   domains: AuthenticationInfo[];
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@ export type AuthenticationInfo = {
 const {
   CONFIG_NAME,
   NODE_ENV,
+  CHT_DEV_URL_PORT,
+  CHT_DEV_HTTP
 } = process.env;
 
 const partnerConfig = getConfigByKey(CONFIG_NAME);
@@ -139,11 +142,17 @@ export class Config {
   public static getDomains() : AuthenticationInfo[] {
     const domains = [...config.domains];
 
+    // because all .env vars imported as strings, let's get the AuthenticationInfo object a boolean
+    let TMP_USE_HTTP = true;
+    if (CHT_DEV_HTTP === 'false') {
+      TMP_USE_HTTP = false
+    }
+
     if (NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       domains.push({
         friendly: '$localhost',
-        domain: 'localhost:5988',
-        useHttp: true,
+        domain: CHT_DEV_URL_PORT as string,
+        useHttp: TMP_USE_HTTP,
       });
     }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/cht-api.ts b/src/lib/cht-api.ts
index d42a048e..1d121ec7 100644
--- a/src/lib/cht-api.ts
+++ b/src/lib/cht-api.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ import axios, { AxiosHeaders } from "axios";
 import { UserPayload } from "../services/user-payload";
 import { AuthenticationInfo, Config, ContactType } from "../config";
 
+const {
+  NODE_ENV
+} = process.env;
+
 export type ChtSession = {
   authInfo: AuthenticationInfo;
   sessionToken: string;
@@ -64,6 +68,13 @@ export class ChtApi {
     const sessionToken = setCookieHeader?.[0].split(';')
       .find((header : string) => header.startsWith(COUCH_AUTH_COOKIE_NAME));
 
+    if (NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+      if (!sessionToken) {
+        console.log("failed to login to sever " + sessionUrl);
+      } else {
+        console.log("successfully logged in to sever " + sessionUrl);
+      }
+    }
     return {
       authInfo,
       username,
@@ -224,4 +235,4 @@ function extractLineage(doc: any): string[] {
   }
 
   return [];
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};