diff --git a/cli/.env.template b/cli/.env.template
index f5cac2a5d7..92201b0244 100644
--- a/cli/.env.template
+++ b/cli/.env.template
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 ## and that none of these values are mandatory for testing 
 ## purposes
 
+# Ethereum provider, replace with your own 
+# needed if running in production against
+# a test network
+ETH_PROVIDER="the_eth_provider_url"
 # Ethereum secret key, replace with your own 
 # needed if running in production against
 # a test network
diff --git a/cli/hardhat.config.ts b/cli/hardhat.config.ts
index cb2c85bba0..336520c8ea 100644
--- a/cli/hardhat.config.ts
+++ b/cli/hardhat.config.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import "@nomicfoundation/hardhat-toolbox";
+import { config as envConfig } from "dotenv";
 
 import path from "path";
 
@@ -6,6 +7,8 @@ import type { HardhatUserConfig } from "hardhat/config";
 
 import { DEFAULT_ETH_SK, DEFAULT_ETH_PROVIDER } from "./ts/utils/defaults";
 
+envConfig();
+
 const parentDir = __dirname.includes("build") ? ".." : "";
 
 const config: HardhatUserConfig = {