diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7dafb1f..fd62fce 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,6 +38,15 @@ Web3j [2.3.0](https://github.com/web3j/web3j/releases/tag/v2.3.0) is required an
 
 ## Running
 
+Make sure `env/dev/resources/config.edn` is correctly populated.
+
+Lauch a local geth node with the bot account unlocked:
+
+```
+#!/bin/bash
+geth --fast --testnet --cache=1024 --datadir=$HOME/.ropsten --verbosity 4 --port 50100 --ipcpath ~/.ropsten/geth.ipc --rpc --rpcaddr 127.0.0.1 --rpcport 8545 --rpcapi db,eth,net,web3,personal --rpccorsdomain""https://wallet.ethereum.or"" --unlock""YOUR_ADDR"" --password <(echo""YOUR_PASSWD"")
+```
+
 Launch following commands each in its own shell:
 
 ```
@@ -46,6 +55,18 @@ lein figwheel
 lein less auto
 ```
 
+_NOTE_
+
+Due to a current limitation you will have to do the following to have `lein run` work:
+
+```
+lein build-contracts
+lein jar
+lein repl # this will fail
+cp -r target/classes/commiteth target/base+system+user+dev/classes
+lein run
+```
+
 ## Uberjar build
 
 To create a standalone uberjar:
diff --git a/env/dev/resources/config.edn b/env/dev/resources/config.edn
index 46f46bb..7833b1a 100644
--- a/env/dev/resources/config.edn
+++ b/env/dev/resources/config.edn
@@ -1,6 +1,26 @@
-{:dev               true
- :port              3000
+{:dev                    true
+ :port                   3000
  ;; when :nrepl-port is set the application starts the nREPL server on load
- :nrepl-port        7000
- :jdbc-database-url "jdbc:postgresql://localhost/commiteth?user=commiteth&password=commiteth"
- :server-address    "http://localhost:3000"}
+ :nrepl-port             7000
+ :jdbc-database-url      "jdbc:postgresql://localhost/commiteth?user=commiteth&password=commiteth"
+ ;; this needs to resolve to your local machine from the public internet
+ :server-address         "http://PUBLIC-DNS:3000"
+
+ ;; eth address of bot account
+ :eth-account            "0x.."
+ :eth-password           "XXX"
+
+ ;; RPC URL to ethereum node to be used
+ :eth-rpc-url            "http://localhost:8547"
+ :eth-wallet-file        "/some/location"
+
+ ;; commiteth-test-tpatja
+ :github-client-id       "CLIENT ID"
+ :github-client-secret   "CLIENT SECRET"
+
+ ;; github username + password for bot account
+ :github-user            "commiteth"
+ :github-password        "XXX"
+ :on-testnet             true}
+
+
diff --git a/src/clj/commiteth/eth/web3j.clj b/src/clj/commiteth/eth/web3j.clj
index 1b2081c..2bd33df 100644
--- a/src/clj/commiteth/eth/web3j.clj
+++ b/src/clj/commiteth/eth/web3j.clj
@@ -15,9 +15,14 @@
   (env :eth-password))
 
 (defn creds []
-  (WalletUtils/loadCredentials
-   (wallet-password)
-   (wallet-file-path)))
+  (let [password  (wallet-password)
+        file-path (wallet-file-path)]
+    (if (and password file-path)
+      (WalletUtils/loadCredentials
+       password
+       file-path)
+      (throw (ex-info "Make sure you provided proper credentials in appropriate resources/config.edn"
+                      {:password password :file-path file-path})))))
 
 (defn create-web3j []
   (Web3j/build (HttpService. (eth/eth-rpc-url))))