diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 32ddfc2..96018d1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -7,19 +7,18 @@
     "build": "next build",
     "start": "next start",
     "lint": "eslint",
-    "test": "DATABASE_URL=\"postgresql://euchre_camp:LINGO5row_hiding@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp_dev\" vitest",
-    "test:run": "DATABASE_URL=\"postgresql://euchre_camp:LINGO5row_hiding@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp_dev\" vitest run",
-    "test:acceptance": "DATABASE_URL=\"postgresql://euchre_camp:LINGO5row_hiding@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp_dev\" playwright test src/__tests__/e2e/",
-    "test:acceptance:headed": "DATABASE_URL=\"postgresql://euchre_camp:LINGO5row_hiding@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp_dev\" playwright test src/__tests__/e2e/ --headed",
+    "test": "vitest",
+    "test:run": "vitest run",
+    "test:acceptance": "playwright test src/__tests__/e2e/",
+    "test:acceptance:headed": "playwright test src/__tests__/e2e/ --headed",
     "db:switch": "node scripts/switch-database.js",
     "db:setup-postgres": "node scripts/setup-postgres.js",
-    "db:setup-dev": "DATABASE_URL=\"postgresql://euchre_camp:LINGO5row_hiding@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp_dev\" node scripts/setup-postgres.js",
-    "db:setup-dev:clean": "DATABASE_URL=\"postgresql://euchre_camp:LINGO5row_hiding@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp_dev\" node scripts/setup-postgres.js --drop",
-    "db:reset-dev": "DEV_DATABASE_URL=\"postgresql://euchre_camp:LINGO5row_hiding@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp_dev\" node scripts/reset-dev-db.js",
+    "db:setup-dev": "node scripts/setup-postgres.js",
+    "db:setup-dev:clean": "node scripts/setup-postgres.js --drop",
+    "db:reset-dev": "node scripts/reset-dev-db.js",
     "db:use-dev": "node scripts/use-dev-db.js",
-    "db:cleanup-prod": "PROD_DATABASE_URL=\"postgresql://euchre_camp:LINGO5row_hiding@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp\" node scripts/cleanup-prod-db.js",
-    "db:check-prod": "PROD_DATABASE_URL=\"postgresql://euchre_camp:LINGO5row_hiding@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp\" node scripts/check-test-records.js",
     "db:cleanup-prod": "node scripts/cleanup-prod-db.js",
+    "db:check-prod": "node scripts/check-test-records.js",
     "db:seed": "node scripts/seed.js",
     "docker:up": "docker-compose up -d",
     "docker:down": "docker-compose down",
diff --git a/scripts/check-test-records.js b/scripts/check-test-records.js
index 00f6699..5bd9aaa 100755
--- a/scripts/check-test-records.js
+++ b/scripts/check-test-records.js
@@ -7,10 +7,16 @@
 
 const { execSync } = require('child_process');
 
-// Database connection string - use environment variable or default to production
-const DB_URL = process.env.PROD_DATABASE_URL || 
-               process.env.DATABASE_URL ||
-               'postgresql://euchre_camp:LINGO5row_hiding@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp';
+// Database connection string - must be explicitly set via environment variable
+const DB_URL = process.env.PROD_DATABASE_URL || process.env.DATABASE_URL;
+
+// Check if database URL is set
+if (!DB_URL) {
+  console.error('❌ No database URL set');
+  console.error('Please set PROD_DATABASE_URL or DATABASE_URL environment variable');
+  console.error('For production: PROD_DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:pass@host:port/dbname"');
+  process.exit(1);
+}
 
 // Validate that we're not accidentally using dev database
 if (DB_URL.includes('_dev') || DB_URL.includes('_dev_')) {
diff --git a/scripts/cleanup-prod-db.js b/scripts/cleanup-prod-db.js
index 46f2ac3..c8fa0fa 100755
--- a/scripts/cleanup-prod-db.js
+++ b/scripts/cleanup-prod-db.js
@@ -10,10 +10,16 @@
 
 const { execSync } = require('child_process');
 
-// Database connection string - use environment variable or default to production
-const DB_URL = process.env.PROD_DATABASE_URL || 
-               process.env.DATABASE_URL ||
-               'postgresql://euchre_camp:LINGO5row_hiding@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp';
+// Database connection string - must be explicitly set via environment variable
+const DB_URL = process.env.PROD_DATABASE_URL || process.env.DATABASE_URL;
+
+// Check if database URL is set
+if (!DB_URL) {
+  console.error('❌ No database URL set');
+  console.error('Please set PROD_DATABASE_URL or DATABASE_URL environment variable');
+  console.error('For production: PROD_DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:pass@host:port/dbname"');
+  process.exit(1);
+}
 
 // Validate that we're not accidentally using dev database
 if (DB_URL.includes('_dev') || DB_URL.includes('_dev_')) {
diff --git a/scripts/setup-postgres.js b/scripts/setup-postgres.js
index 3e2a680..51aee6e 100755
--- a/scripts/setup-postgres.js
+++ b/scripts/setup-postgres.js
@@ -9,8 +9,12 @@ const { execSync } = require('child_process');
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
 
-// Load .env file if it exists
+// Load .env.development file first (if it exists), then .env file
+const envDevPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '..', '.env.development');
 const envPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '..', '.env');
+if (fs.existsSync(envDevPath)) {
+  require('dotenv').config({ path: envDevPath });
+}
 if (fs.existsSync(envPath)) {
   require('dotenv').config({ path: envPath });
 }
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/global.setup.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/global.setup.ts
index f69f946..c7d808c 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/global.setup.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/global.setup.ts
@@ -32,9 +32,10 @@ if (isProductionDatabase()) {
   console.error('');
   console.error('Tests MUST run against the development database (euchre_camp_dev)');
   console.error('');
-  console.error('To fix this:');
-  console.error('  1. Run: npm run test:acceptance');
-  console.error('  2. Or set: DATABASE_URL="postgresql://euchre_camp:password@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp_dev"');
+    console.error('To fix this:');
+    console.error('  1. Run: npm run test:acceptance');
+    console.error('  2. Or set: DATABASE_URL environment variable to dev database URL');
+    console.error('  3. Or load .env.development: source .env.development && npm run test:acceptance');
   console.error('');
   console.error('Aborting test execution to prevent data corruption.');
   console.error('');
diff --git a/vitest.setup.ts b/vitest.setup.ts
index 7ebc2ac..a9dd55f 100644
--- a/vitest.setup.ts
+++ b/vitest.setup.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ if (databaseUrl) {
     console.error('');
     console.error('To fix this:');
     console.error('  1. Run: npm run test:run');
-    console.error('  2. Or set: DATABASE_URL="postgresql://euchre_camp:password@dhg.lol:5432/euchre_camp_dev"');
+    console.error('  2. Or set: DATABASE_URL environment variable to dev database URL');
+    console.error('  3. Or load .env.development: source .env.development && npm run test:run');
     console.error('');
     console.error('Aborting test execution to prevent data corruption.');
     console.error('');