diff --git a/dev-env.sh b/dev-env.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..67643760
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev-env.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# source this for fake developer settings
+
+export DJANGO_SECRET_KEY=`uuidgen -r`
+export STRIPE_PUBLIC_KEY=`uuidgen -r`
+export STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=`uuidgen -r`
diff --git a/pinaxcon/settings.py b/pinaxcon/settings.py
index 2c9cac10..c2b50384 100644
--- a/pinaxcon/settings.py
+++ b/pinaxcon/settings.py
@@ -61,11 +61,25 @@ saml2_contact = {
     'email_address': os.environ.get('META_EMAIL', 'op@example.com'),
     'contact_type': 'technical'},
 
+fail = False
 
-if (SECRET_KEY is None or PINAX_STRIPE_PUBLIC_KEY is None or
-   PINAX_STRIPE_SECRET_KEY is None):
-    sys.exit('CONFIG ERROR')
+if SECRET_KEY is None:
+    print("FAILURE: You need to supply a DJANGO_SECRET_KEY "
+          "environment variable")
+    fail = True
 
+if PINAX_STRIPE_PUBLIC_KEY is None:
+    print("FAILURE: You need to supply a STRIPE_PUBLIC_KEY "
+          "environment variable")
+    fail = True
+
+if PINAX_STRIPE_SECRET_KEY is None:
+    print("FAILURE: You need to supply a STRIPE_SECRET_KEY "
+          "environment variable")
+    fail = True
+
+if fail:
+    sys.exit('FAILURE: Missing environment variables.')
 
 ### Standard settings