diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8c57199..03bc604 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@ build/
 .tox/
 htmlcov/
 *.pyc
-dist/
\ No newline at end of file
+dist/
diff --git a/configurations/base.py b/configurations/base.py
index 8601c73..11cd630 100644
--- a/configurations/base.py
+++ b/configurations/base.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import os
+import re
 import warnings
 
 from django.utils import six
@@ -66,9 +68,53 @@ class Configuration(six.with_metaclass(ConfigurationBase)):
     to the name of the class.
 
     """
+    DOTENV_LOADED = None
+
+    @classmethod
+    def load_dotenv(cls):
+        """
+        Pulled from Honcho code with minor updates, reads local default
+        environment variables from a .env file located in the project root
+        or provided directory.
+
+        http://www.wellfireinteractive.com/blog/easier-12-factor-django/
+        https://gist.github.com/bennylope/2999704
+        """
+        # check if the class has DOTENV set wether with a path or None
+        dotenv = getattr(cls, 'DOTENV', None)
+
+        # if DOTENV is falsy we want to disable it
+        if not dotenv:
+            return
+
+        # now check if we can access the file since we know we really want to
+        try:
+            with open(dotenv, 'r') as f:
+                content = f.read()
+        except IOError as e:
+            raise ImproperlyConfigured("Couldn't read .env file "
+                                       "with the path {}. Error: "
+                                       "{}".format(dotenv, e))
+        else:
+            for line in content.splitlines():
+                m1 = re.match(r'\A([A-Za-z_0-9]+)=(.*)\Z', line)
+                if not m1:
+                    continue
+                key, val = m1.group(1), m1.group(2)
+                m2 = re.match(r"\A'(.*)'\Z", val)
+                if m2:
+                    val = m2.group(1)
+                m3 = re.match(r'\A"(.*)"\Z', val)
+                if m3:
+                    val = re.sub(r'\\(.)', r'\1', m3.group(1))
+                os.environ.setdefault(key, val)
+
+            cls.DOTENV_LOADED = dotenv
+
     @classmethod
     def pre_setup(cls):
-        pass
+        if cls.DOTENV_LOADED is None:
+            cls.load_dotenv()
 
     @classmethod
     def post_setup(cls):
@@ -88,4 +134,4 @@ class Settings(Configuration):
         # make sure to remove the handling of the Settings class above when deprecating
         warnings.warn("configurations.Settings was renamed to "
                       "settings.Configuration and will be "
-                      "removed in 1.0", PendingDeprecationWarning)
+                      "removed in 1.0", DeprecationWarning)
diff --git a/test_project/.env b/test_project/.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..507755e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_project/.env
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+DJANGO_DOTENV_VALUE='is set'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test_project/test_project/settings.py b/test_project/test_project/settings.py
index 334cee6..1ffe526 100644
--- a/test_project/test_project/settings.py
+++ b/test_project/test_project/settings.py
@@ -160,20 +160,6 @@ class Base(Configuration):
         }
     }
 
-    INSTALLED_APPS = (
-        'django.contrib.auth',
-        'django.contrib.contenttypes',
-        'django.contrib.sessions',
-        'django.contrib.sites',
-        'django.contrib.messages',
-        'django.contrib.staticfiles',
-        # Uncomment the next line to enable the admin:
-        # 'django.contrib.admin',
-        # Uncomment the next line to enable admin documentation:
-        # 'django.contrib.admindocs',
-        'configurations',
-    )
-
 
 class Debug(Base):
     YEAH = True
diff --git a/tests/settings/dot_env.py b/tests/settings/dot_env.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eab4237
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/settings/dot_env.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+from configurations import Configuration, values
+
+
+class DotEnvConfiguration(Configuration):
+
+    DOTENV = 'test_project/.env'
+
+    DOTENV_VALUE = values.Value()
diff --git a/tests/settings/main.py b/tests/settings/main.py
index dd425fd..d646271 100644
--- a/tests/settings/main.py
+++ b/tests/settings/main.py
@@ -3,9 +3,13 @@ import uuid
 import django
 
 from configurations import Configuration, pristinemethod
+from configurations.values import BooleanValue
 
 
 class Test(Configuration):
+
+    ENV_LOADED = BooleanValue(False)
+
     DEBUG = True
 
     SITE_ID = 1
diff --git a/tests/test_env.py b/tests/test_env.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47286d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_env.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import os
+from django.test import TestCase
+from mock import patch
+
+
+class DotEnvLoadingTests(TestCase):
+
+    @patch.dict(os.environ, clear=True,
+                DJANGO_CONFIGURATION='DotEnvConfiguration',
+                DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE='tests.settings.dot_env')
+    def test_env_loaded(self):
+        from tests.settings import dot_env
+        self.assertEqual(dot_env.DOTENV_VALUE, 'is set')
+        self.assertEqual(dot_env.DOTENV_LOADED, dot_env.DOTENV)