diff --git a/halfapi/app.py b/halfapi/app.py
index a251e20..00d5397 100644
--- a/halfapi/app.py
+++ b/halfapi/app.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def mount_domains(app: ASGIApp, domains: list):
             print(f'Will import {domain["name"]}.app:app')
             # @TODO 4-configuration
             # Store domain-specific information in a configuration file
-            environ["HALFORM_DSN"] = "dbname=si user=si"
+
             domain_mod = importlib.import_module(
                 f'{domain["name"]}.app')
             domain_app = domain_mod.app
@@ -89,29 +89,41 @@ def startup():
         sys.stderr.write('Error in the *domains* retrieval\n') 
         raise e
 
-async def root(request):
-    return JSONResponse({'payload': request.payload})
 
-def check_conf():
-    if not environ.get('HALFORM_SECRET', False):
-        environ['HALFORM_SECRET'] = open('/etc/half_orm/secret').read()
-        print('Missing HALFORM_SECRET variable from configuration, seting to default')
+# Configuration
+CONFIG={}
+CONFIG['DEBUG'] = environ.get('DEBUG', False)
+CONFIG['DEBUG_ACL'] = environ.get('DEBUG_ACL', False)
+CONFIG['HALFORM_SECRET'] = environ.get('HALFORM_SECRET', False)
+
+if not CONFIG['HALFORM_SECRET']:
+    try:
+        CONFIG['HALFORM_SECRET'] = open('/etc/half_orm/secret').read()
+        print('Missing HALFORM_SECRET variable from configuration, \
+            read it from /etc/half_orm/secret')
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        print('No HALFORM_SECRET variable set, and /etc/half_orm/secret \
+            inaccessible.')
+        sys.exit(1)
+    except PermissionError:
+        print("You don't have the right to read /etc/half_orm/secret")
+        sys.exit(1)
 
-CONFIG={
-    'DEBUG' : 'DEBUG' in environ.keys()
-}
 
 debug_routes = [
     Route('/', lambda request, *args, **kwargs: PlainTextResponse('It Works!')),
-    Route('/user', lambda request, *args, **kwargs: JSONResponse({'user':str(request.user)})),
+    Route('/user', lambda request, *args, **kwargs:
+        JSONResponse({'user':request.user.json})),
     Route('/payload', lambda request, *args, **kwargs: JSONResponse({'payload':str(request.payload)}))
-] if CONFIG['DEBUG'] is True else []
+] if CONFIG['DEBUG'] else []
+
 
 app = Starlette(
     debug=CONFIG['DEBUG'],
     routes=debug_routes,
     middleware=[
-        Middleware(AuthenticationMiddleware, backend=JWTAuthenticationBackend(secret_key=environ.get('HALFORM_SECRET'))),
+        Middleware(AuthenticationMiddleware,
+            backend=JWTAuthenticationBackend(secret_key=CONFIG['HALFORM_SECRET'])),
         Middleware(AclCallerMiddleware),
     ],
     exception_handlers={
diff --git a/halfapi/cli.py b/halfapi/cli.py
index 8e11db6..c8b9ba4 100755
--- a/halfapi/cli.py
+++ b/halfapi/cli.py
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ from .models.api.route import Route
 from .models.api.acl_function import AclFunction
 from .models.api.acl import Acl
 
-# module libraries
-from .app import check_conf
 
 HALFORM_DSN=''
 HALFORM_SECRET=''
@@ -59,8 +57,6 @@ def run(envfile, host, port):
 
     click.echo('Launching application')
 
-    check_conf()
-
     sys.path.insert(0, os.getcwd())
     click.echo(f'current python_path : {sys.path}')
 
diff --git a/halfapi/lib/jwt_middleware.py b/halfapi/lib/jwt_middleware.py
index f980b33..d5c9551 100644
--- a/halfapi/lib/jwt_middleware.py
+++ b/halfapi/lib/jwt_middleware.py
@@ -44,11 +44,16 @@ class JWTUser(BaseUser):
         self.payload = payload
 
     def __str__(self):
-        return str({
+        return str(self.json)
+
+    @property
+    def json(self):
+        return {
             'id' : str(self.__id),
             'token': self.token,
             'payload': self.payload
-        })
+        }
+
     @property
     def is_authenticated(self) -> bool:
         return True
@@ -60,6 +65,8 @@ class JWTUser(BaseUser):
 
 class JWTAuthenticationBackend(AuthenticationBackend):
     def __init__(self, secret_key: str, algorithm: str = 'HS256', prefix: str = 'JWT', name: str = 'name'):
+        if secret_key is None:
+            raise Exception('Missing secret_key argument for JWTAuthenticationBackend') 
         self.secret_key = secret_key
         self.algorithm = algorithm
         self.prefix = prefix
@@ -76,6 +83,7 @@ class JWTAuthenticationBackend(AuthenticationBackend):
             raise AuthenticationError(str(e))
         except Exception as e:
             print(e)
+            raise e
 
 
         return AuthCredentials(["authenticated"]), JWTUser(
diff --git a/tests/test_jwt_middleware.py b/tests/test_jwt_middleware.py
index 4e49bbf..d80ff9e 100644
--- a/tests/test_jwt_middleware.py
+++ b/tests/test_jwt_middleware.py
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ def test_token(token):
         raise Exception('Malformed response from /user request')
 
     assert 'user' in res.keys()
-    print(res['user'])
     assert 'id' in res['user'].keys()
     assert 'token' in res['user'].keys()
     assert 'payload' in res['user'].keys()