diff --git a/backend/scripts/repl b/backend/scripts/repl
index 4aa78f025..1540e3601 100755
--- a/backend/scripts/repl
+++ b/backend/scripts/repl
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
+export PENPOT_SECRET_KEY=super-secret-devenv-key
 export PENPOT_HOST=devenv
 export PENPOT_FLAGS="\
        $PENPOT_FLAGS \
diff --git a/backend/scripts/start-dev b/backend/scripts/start-dev
index 4e4c8497f..9fe2ccb1b 100755
--- a/backend/scripts/start-dev
+++ b/backend/scripts/start-dev
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
+export PENPOT_SECRET_KEY=super-secret-devenv-key
 export PENPOT_HOST=devenv
 export PENPOT_FLAGS="\
        $PENPOT_FLAGS \
diff --git a/backend/src/app/auth.clj b/backend/src/app/auth.clj
index fc6d25481..271e52e02 100644
--- a/backend/src/app/auth.clj
+++ b/backend/src/app/auth.clj
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   (:require
    [buddy.hashers :as hashers]))
 
-(def default-params
+(def ^:private default-options
   {:alg :argon2id
    :memory 32768 ;; 32 MiB
    :iterations 3
@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@
 
 (defn derive-password
   [password]
-  (hashers/derive password default-params))
+  (hashers/derive password default-options))
 
 (defn verify-password
   [attempt password]
   (try
-    (hashers/verify attempt password)
+    (hashers/verify attempt password default-options)
     (catch Throwable _
       {:update false
        :valid false})))
diff --git a/backend/src/app/setup.clj b/backend/src/app/setup.clj
index 84e4c6ec2..420e53459 100644
--- a/backend/src/app/setup.clj
+++ b/backend/src/app/setup.clj
@@ -74,8 +74,7 @@
 
 (defmethod ig/assert-key ::props
   [_ params]
-  (assert (db/pool? (::db/pool params)) "expected valid database pool")
-  (assert (string? (::key params)) "expected valid key string"))
+  (assert (db/pool? (::db/pool params)) "expected valid database pool"))
 
 (defmethod ig/init-key ::props
   [_ {:keys [::db/pool ::key] :as cfg}]
diff --git a/docker/devenv/docker-compose.yaml b/docker/devenv/docker-compose.yaml
index b0c0fac22..ff2e8dcf6 100644
--- a/docker/devenv/docker-compose.yaml
+++ b/docker/devenv/docker-compose.yaml
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ services:
 
     environment:
       - EXTERNAL_UID=${CURRENT_USER_ID}
-      - PENPOT_SECRET_KEY=super-secret-devenv-key
       # SMTP setup
       - PENPOT_SMTP_ENABLED=true
       - PENPOT_SMTP_DEFAULT_FROM=no-reply@example.com