diff --git a/.env b/.env
index 38f7106..ad398d2 100644
--- a/.env
+++ b/.env
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 #VITE_API_BASE=http://localhost:5174
 #VITE_ENDPOINT_COMPLETIONS=/v1/chat/completions
 #VITE_ENDPOINT_MODELS=/v1/models
+#OPENAI_API_KEY="your-openai-api-key"
diff --git a/src/lib/Storage.svelte b/src/lib/Storage.svelte
index bb2198d..1a40bc6 100644
--- a/src/lib/Storage.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/Storage.svelte
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
   export const chatsStorage = persisted('chats', [] as Chat[])
   export const latestModelMap = persisted('latestModelMap', {} as Record<Model, Model>) // What was returned when a model was requested
   export const globalStorage = persisted('global', {} as GlobalSettings)
-  export const apiKeyStorage = persisted('apiKey', '' as string)
+  const apiKeyFromEnv = import.meta.env.OPENAI_API_KEY || ''
+  export const apiKeyStorage = persisted('apiKey', apiKeyFromEnv as string)
   export let checkStateChange = writable(0) // Trigger for Chat
   export let showSetChatSettings = writable(false) //
   export let submitExitingPromptsNow = writable(false) // for them to go now.  Will not submit anything in the input