diff --git a/config.example.json b/config.example.json
index b97e6a3..9279e34 100644
--- a/config.example.json
+++ b/config.example.json
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {
   "host": "0.0.0.0",
   "port": 8080,
+  "dev_mode": false,
   "logging": {
     "level": "info"
   }
diff --git a/src/api/__init__.py b/src/api/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/config/__init__.py b/src/config/__init__.py
index c2c9171..1448c56 100644
--- a/src/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/config/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import json
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from typing import Any
-
 from .logging import Logging
 from .email import Email
 from .auth import Auth
@@ -13,6 +12,7 @@ from .parse import parse_nested_config
 class Config:
     host: str
     port: int | None
+    dev_mode: bool
     logging: Logging
     email: Email
     database: Database
@@ -25,9 +25,17 @@ class Config:
         db_config = parse_nested_config(config, 'database', Database.from_dict)
         auth_config = parse_nested_config(config, 'auth', Auth.from_dict)
 
+        mode = config.get('dev_mode')
+
+        if mode != True:  # noqa: E712
+            # Explicitly checking for True and falling back to false for anything else. Only explicitly setting
+            # dev_mode to true will run in dev mode
+            mode = False
+
         return Config(
             host=config.get('host', '0.0.0.0'),
             port=config.get('port'),
+            dev_mode=mode,
             email=email_config,
             logging=log_config,
             database=db_config,