diff --git a/js/background.js b/js/background.js
index a98388f02..9fd6ab131 100644
--- a/js/background.js
+++ b/js/background.js
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@
     });
 
     var SERVER_URL = 'https://textsecure-service-staging.whispersystems.org';
+    if (window.env && window.env.node_env === 'production') {
+      SERVER_URL = 'https://textsecure-service-ca.whispersystems.org';
+    }
+
     var SERVER_PORTS = [80, 4433, 8443];
     var messageReceiver;
     window.getSocketStatus = function() {
diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index 76d6da7bc..119cbddcb 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ const app = electron.app
 const BrowserWindow = electron.BrowserWindow
 const path = require('path')
 const url = require('url')
+const fs = require('fs')
 const autoUpdater = require('electron-updater').autoUpdater
 const autoUpdaterInterval = 60 * 60 * 1000;
 
@@ -22,6 +23,14 @@ if (shouldQuit) {
   return;
 }
 
+// Read package.json
+const package_json = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, 'package.json'), 'utf-8'))
+const NODE_ENV = process.env.NODE_ENV || package_json.NODE_ENV || 'development';
+
+// use a separate data directory for development
+if (NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+  app.setPath('userData', path.join(app.getPath('appData'), 'Signal-' + NODE_ENV))
+}
 // Keep a global reference of the window object, if you don't, the window will
 // be closed automatically when the JavaScript object is garbage collected.
 let mainWindow
@@ -31,14 +40,19 @@ function createWindow () {
   mainWindow = new BrowserWindow({
     width: 800,
     height: 600,
-    webPreferences: { nodeIntegration: false, sandbox: true }
+    webPreferences: {
+      nodeIntegration: false,
+      sandbox: true,
+      preload: path.join(__dirname, 'preload.js')
+    }
   })
 
   // and load the index.html of the app.
   mainWindow.loadURL(url.format({
     pathname: path.join(__dirname, 'background.html'),
     protocol: 'file:',
-    slashes: true
+    slashes: true,
+    query: { node_env: NODE_ENV }
   }))
 
   // Open the DevTools.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9d1fa737d..c48e3761f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@
     "test": "grunt test",
     "lint": "grunt jshint",
     "start": "electron .",
-    "pack": "build --dir",
-    "dist": "build",
-    "release": "build"
+    "pack": "build --dir --em.NODE_ENV=$NODE_ENV",
+    "dist": "build --em.NODE_ENV=$NODE_ENV",
+    "release": "build --em.NODE_ENV=$NODE_ENV"
   },
   "build": {
     "appId": "org.whispersystems.signal-desktop",
diff --git a/preload.js b/preload.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dc24352c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/preload.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+/*
+ * Pending electron 1.6.x
+ * const env = require('url').parse(window.location, true).query;
+*/
+
+window.env = {};
+window.location.search.substring(1).split('&').forEach(function(variable) {
+  var pair = variable.split('=');
+  env[decodeURIComponent(pair[0])] = decodeURIComponent(pair[1]);
+});