diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 651e4afa9..39cfa2100 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ services:
     environment:
       - DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres@postgres:5432
       - REDIS_URL=redis://redis
+      - ENFORCE_PRODUCTION=False
     links:
       - "redis"
       - "postgres"
diff --git a/env b/env
index 781ce8bf9..33b81643d 100644
--- a/env
+++ b/env
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ MASTER_KEY=blahblahblah
 DOMAIN=localhost
 SITE_ID=TheMotte
 SITE_TITLE=The Motte
-ENFORCE_PRODUCTION=False
+ENFORCE_PRODUCTION=True
 GIPHY_KEY=blahblahblah
 DISCORD_SERVER_ID=blahblahblah
 DISCORD_CLIENT_ID=blahblahblah
diff --git a/files/__main__.py b/files/__main__.py
index a3b361313..0cec70e29 100644
--- a/files/__main__.py
+++ b/files/__main__.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import gevent.monkey
 gevent.monkey.patch_all()
 from os import environ, path
 import secrets
+from files.helpers.strings import bool_from_string
 from flask import *
 from flask_caching import Cache
 from flask_limiter import Limiter
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ app.jinja_env.cache = {}
 app.jinja_env.auto_reload = True
 faulthandler.enable()
 
-if environ.get("ENFORCE_PRODUCTION", False) and app.config["DEBUG"]:
+if bool_from_string(environ.get("ENFORCE_PRODUCTION", "true")) and app.config["DEBUG"]:
 	raise ValueError("Debug mode is not allowed! If this is a dev environment, please set ENFORCE_PRODUCTION to false")
 
 if environ.get("SITE_ID") is None:
diff --git a/files/helpers/strings.py b/files/helpers/strings.py
index 2fdbdf804..7e2d26fea 100644
--- a/files/helpers/strings.py
+++ b/files/helpers/strings.py
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
 
 # clean strings for searching
 def sql_ilike_clean(my_str):
-	return my_str.replace(r'\\', '').replace('_', r'\_').replace('%', '').strip()
\ No newline at end of file
+	return my_str.replace(r'\\', '').replace('_', r'\_').replace('%', '').strip()
+
+def bool_from_string(str_in: str) -> bool:
+	if str_in.lower() in ("yes", "true", "t", "1"):
+		return True
+	if str_in.lower() in ("no", "false", "f", "0"):
+		return False
+	raise ValueError()