diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 04d47c56d6b887c18d9c38c1dd029ecbb1e9c277..8894f2c517f4d05ed19b2d019d521a70e4c88609 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,5 +3,4 @@ build
 fabric.properties
 local.properties
 .idea
-bugfender.properties
 /app/app.iml
diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index cae6ac0d0bcdd83168540b6f675a6aecd3be8f76..1efe2b7504631dac1c112b434d92d1ccbbbff75e 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -49,10 +49,15 @@ def gitBranch() {
     return ext.repo.branch.current.name
 }
 
-static def getBugfenderApiKey() {
-    Properties properties = new Properties()
-    properties.load(new FileInputStream("app/bugfender.properties"))
-    return "\"" + properties.getProperty("apiKey", "") + "\""
+def getBugfenderApiKey() {
+    String bugfenderApiKey = System.getenv("BUGFENDER_API_KEY")
+
+    if(bugfenderApiKey == null) {
+        logger.warn("Bugfender API key not set")
+        bugfenderApiKey = ""
+    }
+
+    return "\"" + bugfenderApiKey + "\""
 }
 
 android {