diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4e09fd5b..b1bc2324 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ DEP := $(shell command -v dep 2> /dev/null)
 PACKR2 := $(shell command -v packr2 2> /dev/null)
 NPM := $(shell command -v npm 2> /dev/null)
 HUB := $(shell command -v hub 2> /dev/null)
+COMPILEDAEMON := $(shell command -v CompileDaemon 2> /dev/null)
 
 ## installation
 install: install-go install-js
@@ -18,6 +19,11 @@ ifndef PACKR2
 	@go get -u github.com/gobuffalo/packr/v2/packr2
 endif
 
+ifndef COMPILEDAEMON
+	@echo "==> installing CompileDaemon"
+	@go get -u github.com/githubnemo/CompileDaemon
+endif
+
 	@echo "==> installing go dependencies"
 	@dep ensure
 .PHONY: install-go
diff --git a/pkg/server/.env.dev b/pkg/server/.env.dev
index b37996d6..2be2070a 100644
--- a/pkg/server/.env.dev
+++ b/pkg/server/.env.dev
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 GO_ENV=DEVELOPMENT
 
 DBHost=localhost
-DBPost=5432
+DBPort=5432
 DBName=dnote
 DBUser=postgres
 DBPassword=
diff --git a/pkg/server/.gitignore b/pkg/server/.gitignore
index 7de9e987..fa49c96a 100644
--- a/pkg/server/.gitignore
+++ b/pkg/server/.gitignore
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ tmp/
 test-dnote
 /dist
 /build
+server
diff --git a/pkg/server/api/scripts/makeDemoDigests/main.go b/pkg/server/api/scripts/makeDemoDigests/main.go
index 0ba4d4be..b41d39cb 100644
--- a/pkg/server/api/scripts/makeDemoDigests/main.go
+++ b/pkg/server/api/scripts/makeDemoDigests/main.go
@@ -21,11 +21,19 @@ package main
 import (
 	"github.com/dnote/dnote/pkg/server/api/helpers"
 	"github.com/dnote/dnote/pkg/server/database"
+	"os"
 	"time"
 )
 
 func main() {
-	database.InitDB()
+	c := database.Config{
+		Host:     os.Getenv("DBHost"),
+		Port:     os.Getenv("DBPort"),
+		Name:     os.Getenv("DBName"),
+		User:     os.Getenv("DBUser"),
+		Password: os.Getenv("DBPassword"),
+	}
+	database.Open(c)
 
 	db := database.DBConn
 	tx := db.Begin()
diff --git a/pkg/server/database/database.go b/pkg/server/database/database.go
index e1112f12..6414e413 100644
--- a/pkg/server/database/database.go
+++ b/pkg/server/database/database.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/jinzhu/gorm"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 
 	// Use postgres
 	_ "github.com/lib/pq"
@@ -33,7 +34,49 @@ var (
 	MigrationTableName = "migrations"
 )
 
-func getPGConnectionString() string {
+// Config holds the connection configuration
+type Config struct {
+	Host     string
+	Port     string
+	Name     string
+	User     string
+	Password string
+}
+
+// ErrConfigMissingHost is an error for an incomplete configuration missing the host
+var ErrConfigMissingHost = errors.New("Host is empty")
+
+// ErrConfigMissingPort is an error for an incomplete configuration missing the port
+var ErrConfigMissingPort = errors.New("Port is empty")
+
+// ErrConfigMissingName is an error for an incomplete configuration missing the name
+var ErrConfigMissingName = errors.New("Name is empty")
+
+// ErrConfigMissingUser is an error for an incomplete configuration missing the user
+var ErrConfigMissingUser = errors.New("User is empty")
+
+func validateConfig(c Config) error {
+	if c.Host == "" {
+		return ErrConfigMissingHost
+	}
+	if c.Port == "" {
+		return ErrConfigMissingPort
+	}
+	if c.Name == "" {
+		return ErrConfigMissingName
+	}
+	if c.User == "" {
+		return ErrConfigMissingUser
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func getPGConnectionString(c Config) (string, error) {
+	if err := validateConfig(c); err != nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrap(err, "invalid database config")
+	}
+
 	var sslmode string
 	if os.Getenv("GO_ENV") == "PRODUCTION" {
 		sslmode = "require"
@@ -44,12 +87,12 @@ func getPGConnectionString() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(
 		"sslmode=%s host=%s port=%s dbname=%s user=%s password=%s",
 		sslmode,
-		os.Getenv("DBHost"),
-		os.Getenv("DBPort"),
-		os.Getenv("DBName"),
-		os.Getenv("DBUser"),
-		os.Getenv("DBPassword"),
-	)
+		c.Host,
+		c.Port,
+		c.Name,
+		c.User,
+		c.Password,
+	), nil
 }
 
 var (
@@ -64,11 +107,12 @@ const (
 	TokenTypeEmailPreference = "email_preference"
 )
 
-// InitDB opens the connection with the database
-func InitDB() {
-	var err error
-
-	connStr := getPGConnectionString()
+// Open opens the connection with the database
+func Open(c Config) {
+	connStr, err := getPGConnectionString(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
 
 	DBConn, err = gorm.Open("postgres", connStr)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -76,8 +120,8 @@ func InitDB() {
 	}
 }
 
-// CloseDB closes database connection
-func CloseDB() {
+// Close closes database connection
+func Close() {
 	DBConn.Close()
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/server/database/database_test.go b/pkg/server/database/database_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2495a3a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/server/database/database_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+package database
+
+import (
+	"github.com/dnote/dnote/pkg/assert"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestValidateConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		input    Config
+		expected error
+	}{
+		{
+			input: Config{
+				Host:     "mockHost",
+				Port:     "mockPort",
+				Name:     "mockName",
+				User:     "mockUser",
+				Password: "mockPassword",
+			},
+			expected: nil,
+		},
+		{
+			input: Config{
+				Host: "mockHost",
+				Port: "mockPort",
+				Name: "mockName",
+				User: "mockUser",
+			},
+			expected: nil,
+		},
+		{
+			input: Config{
+				Port:     "mockPort",
+				Name:     "mockName",
+				User:     "mockUser",
+				Password: "mockPassword",
+			},
+			expected: ErrConfigMissingHost,
+		},
+		{
+			input: Config{
+				Host:     "mockHost",
+				Name:     "mockName",
+				User:     "mockUser",
+				Password: "mockPassword",
+			},
+			expected: ErrConfigMissingPort,
+		},
+		{
+			input: Config{
+				Host:     "mockHost",
+				Port:     "mockPort",
+				User:     "mockUser",
+				Password: "mockPassword",
+			},
+			expected: ErrConfigMissingName,
+		},
+		{
+			input: Config{
+				Host:     "mockHost",
+				Port:     "mockPort",
+				Name:     "mockName",
+				Password: "mockPassword",
+			},
+			expected: ErrConfigMissingUser,
+		},
+		{
+			input:    Config{},
+			expected: ErrConfigMissingHost,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		result := validateConfig(tc.input)
+
+		assert.Equal(t, result, tc.expected, "result mismatch")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/server/database/migrate/main.go b/pkg/server/database/migrate/main.go
index d87e1417..06d5b705 100644
--- a/pkg/server/database/migrate/main.go
+++ b/pkg/server/database/migrate/main.go
@@ -43,7 +43,14 @@ func init() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	database.InitDB()
+	c := database.Config{
+		Host:     os.Getenv("DBHost"),
+		Port:     os.Getenv("DBPort"),
+		Name:     os.Getenv("DBName"),
+		User:     os.Getenv("DBUser"),
+		Password: os.Getenv("DBPassword"),
+	}
+	database.Open(c)
 }
 
 func main() {
diff --git a/pkg/server/mailer/mailer.go b/pkg/server/mailer/mailer.go
index a1754620..ce448003 100644
--- a/pkg/server/mailer/mailer.go
+++ b/pkg/server/mailer/mailer.go
@@ -86,8 +86,14 @@ func initTemplate(box *packr.Box, templateName string) (*template.Template, erro
 }
 
 // InitTemplates initializes templates
-func InitTemplates() {
-	box := packr.New("emailTemplates", "./templates/src")
+func InitTemplates(srcDir *string) {
+	var box *packr.Box
+
+	if srcDir != nil {
+		box = packr.Folder(*srcDir)
+	} else {
+		box = packr.New("emailTemplates", "./templates/src")
+	}
 
 	weeklyDigestTmpl, err := initTemplate(box, EmailTypeWeeklyDigest)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/server/mailer/templates/main.go b/pkg/server/mailer/templates/main.go
index 0db366b5..81c4d6b1 100644
--- a/pkg/server/mailer/templates/main.go
+++ b/pkg/server/mailer/templates/main.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"log"
 	"net/http"
+	"os"
 
 	"github.com/dnote/dnote/pkg/server/database"
 	"github.com/dnote/dnote/pkg/server/job"
@@ -76,10 +77,17 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func main() {
-	database.InitDB()
-	defer database.CloseDB()
+	c := database.Config{
+		Host:     os.Getenv("DBHost"),
+		Port:     os.Getenv("DBPort"),
+		Name:     os.Getenv("DBName"),
+		User:     os.Getenv("DBUser"),
+		Password: os.Getenv("DBPassword"),
+	}
+	database.Open(c)
+	defer database.Close()
 
-	mailer.InitTemplates()
+	mailer.InitTemplates(nil)
 
 	log.Println("Email template debug server running on http://127.0.0.1:2300")
 
diff --git a/pkg/server/main.go b/pkg/server/main.go
index 55e0a7c4..65a4bebe 100644
--- a/pkg/server/main.go
+++ b/pkg/server/main.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"net/http"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/dnote/dnote/pkg/server/api/clock"
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 var versionTag = "master"
-var port = flag.String("port", "8080", "port to connect to")
+var port = flag.String("port", "3000", "port to connect to")
 
 func init() {
 }
@@ -78,10 +79,18 @@ func initServer() *mux.Router {
 }
 
 func startCmd() {
-	mailer.InitTemplates()
-	database.InitDB()
+	c := database.Config{
+		Host:     os.Getenv("DBHost"),
+		Port:     os.Getenv("DBPort"),
+		Name:     os.Getenv("DBName"),
+		User:     os.Getenv("DBUser"),
+		Password: os.Getenv("DBPassword"),
+	}
+	database.Open(c)
 	database.InitSchema()
-	defer database.CloseDB()
+	defer database.Close()
+
+	mailer.InitTemplates(nil)
 
 	// Perform database migration
 	if err := database.Migrate(); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/server/testutils/main.go b/pkg/server/testutils/main.go
index d40c22d6..097ab657 100644
--- a/pkg/server/testutils/main.go
+++ b/pkg/server/testutils/main.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -38,7 +39,14 @@ import (
 // InitTestDB establishes connection pool with the test database specified by
 // the environment variable configuration and initalizes a new schema
 func InitTestDB() {
-	database.InitDB()
+	c := database.Config{
+		Host:     os.Getenv("DBHost"),
+		Port:     os.Getenv("DBPort"),
+		Name:     os.Getenv("DBName"),
+		User:     os.Getenv("DBUser"),
+		Password: os.Getenv("DBPassword"),
+	}
+	database.Open(c)
 	database.InitSchema()
 }
 
diff --git a/web/scripts/dev.sh b/web/scripts/dev.sh
index e5da5127..ee3b0089 100755
--- a/web/scripts/dev.sh
+++ b/web/scripts/dev.sh
@@ -35,4 +35,5 @@ set +a
 devServerPID=$!
 
 # run server
-(cd "$serverPath" && go run main.go)
+(cd "$serverPath" && CompileDaemon \
+  -command="$serverPath/server start")