diff --git a/dist/config.js b/dist/config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfd2aac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+ * cylon configuration loader
+ * cylonjs.com
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2013 The Hybrid Group
+ * Licensed under the Apache 2.0 license.
+*/
+
+
+(function() {
+  var fetch, namespace;
+
+  namespace = require('node-namespace');
+
+  fetch = function(variable, defaultValue) {
+    if (defaultValue == null) {
+      defaultValue = false;
+    }
+    if (process.env[variable] != null) {
+      return process.env[variable];
+    } else {
+      return defaultValue;
+    }
+  };
+
+  namespace('Config', function() {
+    return this.testing_mode = fetch("CYLON_TEST", false);
+  });
+
+  module.exports = Config;
+
+}).call(this);
diff --git a/dist/cylon.js b/dist/cylon.js
index 92ea10b..11c2d9a 100644
--- a/dist/cylon.js
+++ b/dist/cylon.js
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
     __slice = [].slice,
     __bind = function(fn, me){ return function(){ return fn.apply(me, arguments); }; };
 
+  require('./config');
+
   require('./utils');
 
   require('./logger');
diff --git a/dist/robot.js b/dist/robot.js
index 290374b..adc5ac0 100644
--- a/dist/robot.js
+++ b/dist/robot.js
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@
         this.registerAdaptor("./test/test-adaptor", "test");
         this.registerDriver("./test/ping", "ping");
         this.registerDriver("./test/test-driver", "test");
-        this.testing = process.env['CYLON_TEST'];
         this.initConnections(opts.connection || opts.connections);
         this.initDevices(opts.device || opts.devices);
         this.work = opts.work || function() {
@@ -215,7 +214,7 @@
           connection: connection,
           extraParams: opts
         });
-        if (this.robot.testing != null) {
+        if (Config.testing_mode) {
           testAdaptor = this.robot.requireAdaptor('test').adaptor({
             name: adaptorName,
             connection: connection,
@@ -251,7 +250,7 @@
           device: device,
           extraParams: opts
         });
-        if (this.robot.testing != null) {
+        if (Config.testing_mode) {
           testDriver = this.robot.requireDriver('test').driver({
             name: driverName,
             device: device,
diff --git a/src/config.coffee b/src/config.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..754967e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+###
+ * cylon configuration loader
+ * cylonjs.com
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2013 The Hybrid Group
+ * Licensed under the Apache 2.0 license.
+###
+
+namespace = require 'node-namespace'
+
+# Public: Fetches a variable from the environment, returning a provided value if
+# it's not set.
+#
+# variable - variable to fetch from the environment
+# defaultValue - value to return if the ENV variable isn't set
+#
+# Examples
+#
+#   process.env["CYLON_TEST"] #=> undefined
+#   fetch("CYLON_TEST", "not set")
+#   #=> "not set"
+#
+#   process.env["CYLON_TEST"] #=> false
+#   fetch("CYLON_TEST", true)
+#   #=> false
+#
+#   process.env["CYLON_TEST"] #=> true
+#   fetch("CYLON_TEST", false)
+#   #=> true
+#
+# Returns the env var or default value
+fetch = (variable, defaultValue = false) ->
+  if process.env[variable]? then process.env[variable] else defaultValue
+
+namespace 'Config', ->
+  @testing_mode = fetch("CYLON_TEST", false)
+
+module.exports = Config
diff --git a/src/cylon.coffee b/src/cylon.coffee
index 1f4f340..460e733 100644
--- a/src/cylon.coffee
+++ b/src/cylon.coffee
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 'use strict'
 
+require './config'
 require './utils'
 require './logger'
 require './driver'
diff --git a/src/robot.coffee b/src/robot.coffee
index 1f0f56e..2eebaf7 100644
--- a/src/robot.coffee
+++ b/src/robot.coffee
@@ -66,8 +66,6 @@ namespace 'Cylon', ->
       @registerDriver "./test/ping", "ping"
       @registerDriver "./test/test-driver", "test"
 
-      @testing = process.env['CYLON_TEST']
-
       @initConnections(opts.connection or opts.connections)
       @initDevices(opts.device or opts.devices)
       @work = opts.work or -> (Logger.info "No work yet")
@@ -187,7 +185,7 @@ namespace 'Cylon', ->
         connection: connection,
         extraParams: opts
 
-      if @robot.testing?
+      if Config.testing_mode
         testAdaptor = @robot.requireAdaptor('test').adaptor
           name: adaptorName,
           connection: connection,
@@ -231,7 +229,7 @@ namespace 'Cylon', ->
         device: device,
         extraParams: opts
 
-      if @robot.testing?
+      if Config.testing_mode
         testDriver = @robot.requireDriver('test').driver
           name: driverName,
           device: device,