diff --git a/lib/config.js b/lib/config.js
index d1205f4f..7dea663c 100644
--- a/lib/config.js
+++ b/lib/config.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ var deferConfig = require('../defer').deferConfig,
 var DEFAULT_CLONE_DEPTH = 20,
     NODE_CONFIG, CONFIG_DIR, RUNTIME_JSON_FILENAME, NODE_ENV, APP_INSTANCE,
     HOST, HOSTNAME, ALLOW_CONFIG_MUTATIONS, CONFIG_SKIP_GITCRYPT,
-    NODE_CONFIG_PARSER,
+    NODE_CONFIG_PARSER, NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME,
     env = {},
     privateUtil = {},
     deprecationWarnings = {},
@@ -508,11 +508,6 @@ util.getConfigSources = function() {
  * @return config {Object} The configuration object
  */
 util.loadFileConfigs = function(configDir) {
-
-  // Initialize
-  var t = this,
-      config = {};
-
   // Initialize parameters from command line, environment, or default
   NODE_ENV = util.initParam('NODE_ENV', 'development');
 
@@ -522,6 +517,29 @@ util.loadFileConfigs = function(configDir) {
   // Split files name, for loading multiple files.
   NODE_ENV = NODE_ENV.split(',');
 
+  // Completely Override configurations from the $NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME environment variable
+  if (!configDir) {
+    NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME = process.env.NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME || undefined;
+    if (NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME) {
+      try {
+        NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME = JSON.parse(NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME);
+      } catch(e) {
+        NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME = undefined;
+        console.error('The $NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME environment variable is malformed JSON');
+        throw new Error('Wrong NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME');
+      }
+      configSources.push({
+        name: "$NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME",
+        parsed: NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME,
+      });
+    }
+    return NODE_CONFIG_RUNTIME;
+  }
+
+  // Initialize
+  var t = this,
+      config = {};
+
   CONFIG_DIR = configDir || util.initParam('NODE_CONFIG_DIR', Path.join( process.cwd(), 'config') );
   if (CONFIG_DIR.indexOf('.') === 0) {
     CONFIG_DIR = Path.join(process.cwd() , CONFIG_DIR);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 814fea3f..851db243 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -44,6 +44,6 @@
     "node": ">= 6.0.0"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "test": "./node_modules/vows/bin/vows test/*.js --spec"
+    "test": "vows test/*.js --spec"
   }
 }