diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index 3b12e16c..f7abd906 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: mamba-org/setup-micromamba@v1
         with:
           environment-file: environment.yml
+          create-args: python>=3.8
       - name: Add micromamba to GITHUB_PATH
         run: echo "${HOME}/micromamba-bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
       - run: ln -s "${CONDA_PREFIX}" .venv # Necessary for pyright.
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index d364db7a..2f95b84b 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -27,4 +27,4 @@ repos:
           - types-toml
           - types-ujson
           - types-aiofiles
-        args: [--show-error-codes, --implicit-optional]
\ No newline at end of file
+        args: [--show-error-codes, --implicit-optional]
diff --git a/dev_config.toml b/dev_config.toml
index 6f7725ab..72f812eb 100644
--- a/dev_config.toml
+++ b/dev_config.toml
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+
 [github]
 # Register the app here: https://github.com/settings/applications/new
 # Use a callback URL like `http://localhost:8000/auth/github/authorize`
@@ -21,4 +22,3 @@ admins = ["dummy:alice"]
 
 [profiling]
 enable_sampling = false
-
diff --git a/docs/source/deploying/configuration.rst b/docs/source/deploying/configuration.rst
index 306118c3..1908755b 100644
--- a/docs/source/deploying/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/source/deploying/configuration.rst
@@ -109,6 +109,12 @@ Quetz can also create a channel for a newly connected user:
 :redirect_http_to_https: Enforces that all incoming requests must be `https`. Any incoming requests to `http` will be redirected to the secure scheme instead. Defaults to `false`.
 :package_unpack_threads: Number of parallel threads used for unpacking. Defaults to `1`.
 
+.. code::
+
+   [general]
+   :dev: Whether to enable development features. Do not enable this in production.
+      Fills the database with test data and allows http access.
+
 ``session`` section
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
diff --git a/docs/source/deploying/database.rst b/docs/source/deploying/database.rst
index 1e6f596d..90075dfb 100644
--- a/docs/source/deploying/database.rst
+++ b/docs/source/deploying/database.rst
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ You can then create a database in PostgreSQL for quetz tables:
 Deploying Quetz with PostgreSQL backend
 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
 
-Then in your configuration file (such as `dev_config.toml`) replace the `[sqlalchemy]` section with:
+Then in your configuration file (such as `config.toml`) replace the `[sqlalchemy]` section with:
 
 .. code::
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 2e64b5b7..6d104195 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ venv = ".venv"
 venvPath= "."
 
 [tool.mypy]
+python_version = "3.8"
 ignore_missing_imports = true
 plugins = [
   "sqlmypy"
diff --git a/quetz/cli.py b/quetz/cli.py
index bff53c68..a8eea2be 100644
--- a/quetz/cli.py
+++ b/quetz/cli.py
@@ -412,15 +412,6 @@ def create(
         bool,
         typer.Option(help="Skip the creation if deployment already exists."),
     ] = False,
-    dev: Annotated[
-        bool,
-        typer.Option(
-            help=(
-                "Enable/disable dev mode "
-                "(fills the database with test data and allows http access)"
-            ),
-        ),
-    ] = False,
 ):
     """Create a new Quetz deployment."""
 
@@ -462,6 +453,7 @@ def create(
         )
         raise typer.Abort()
 
+    config = None
     if not config_file.exists() and not create_conf and not copy_conf:
         try:
             # If no config file is provided or created, try to get config
@@ -489,8 +481,7 @@ def create(
         shutil.copyfile(copy_conf, config_file)
 
     if not config_file.exists() and create_conf:
-        https = "false" if dev else "true"
-        conf = create_config(https=https)
+        conf = create_config(https=str(config.is_dev() if config else True).lower())
         with open(config_file, "w") as f:
             f.write(conf)
 
@@ -502,7 +493,7 @@ def create(
     with working_directory(db_path):
         db = get_session(config.sqlalchemy_database_url)
         _run_migrations(config.sqlalchemy_database_url)
-        if dev:
+        if config.is_dev():
             _fill_test_database(db)
         _set_user_roles(db, config)
 
@@ -556,7 +547,6 @@ def start(
     To be started, a deployment has to be already created.
     At this time, only Uvicorn is supported as manager.
     """
-
     logger.info(f"deploying quetz from directory {path}")
 
     if path:
@@ -591,6 +581,7 @@ def start(
         import quetz
 
         quetz_src = os.path.dirname(quetz.__file__)
+
         uvicorn.run(
             "quetz.main:app",
             reload=reload,
@@ -630,15 +621,6 @@ def run(
         bool,
         typer.Option(help="Skip the creation if deployment already exists."),
     ] = False,
-    dev: Annotated[
-        bool,
-        typer.Option(
-            help=(
-                "Enable/disable dev mode "
-                "(fills the database with test data and allows http access)"
-            ),
-        ),
-    ] = False,
     port: Annotated[int, typer.Option(help="The port to bind")] = 8000,
     host: Annotated[
         str, typer.Option(help="The network interface to bind")
@@ -665,7 +647,7 @@ def run(
     It performs sequentially create and start operations."""
 
     abs_path = os.path.abspath(path)
-    create(abs_path, copy_conf, create_conf, delete, skip_if_exists, dev)
+    create(abs_path, copy_conf, create_conf, delete, skip_if_exists)
     start(abs_path, port, host, proxy_headers, log_level, reload)
 
 
diff --git a/quetz/config.py b/quetz/config.py
index bf26182c..b627c095 100644
--- a/quetz/config.py
+++ b/quetz/config.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import logging.config
 import os
 from distutils.util import strtobool
+from pathlib import Path
 from secrets import token_bytes
 from typing import Any, Dict, Iterable, List, NamedTuple, Optional, Type, Union
 
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ class Config:
         ConfigSection(
             "general",
             [
+                ConfigEntry("dev", bool, required=True, default=False),
                 ConfigEntry("package_unpack_threads", int, 1),
                 ConfigEntry("frontend_dir", str, default=""),
                 ConfigEntry("redirect_http_to_https", bool, False),
@@ -243,7 +245,7 @@ def __new__(cls, deployment_config: str = None):
             return cls._instances[None]
 
         try:
-            path = os.path.abspath(cls.find_file(deployment_config))
+            path = str(Path(cls.find_file(deployment_config)).absolute().resolve())
         except TypeError:
             # if not config path exists, set it to empty string.
             path = ""
@@ -287,7 +289,6 @@ def init(self, path: str) -> None:
         deployment_config : str, optional
             The configuration stored at deployment level
         """
-
         self.config: Dict[str, Any] = {}
 
         # only try to get config from config file if it exists.
@@ -407,6 +408,7 @@ def _get_environ_config(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
             for key, value in os.environ.items()
             if key.startswith(_env_prefix)
         }
+
         for var, value in quetz_var.items():
             split_key = var.split("_")
             config_key = split_key[1].lower()
@@ -443,6 +445,16 @@ def _get_environ_config(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
 
         return config
 
+    def is_dev(self) -> bool:
+        """Return whether the application is in development mode.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        bool
+            Whether the application is in development mode
+        """
+        return str(self.config.get("general", {}).get("dev", False)).lower() == "true"
+
     def get_package_store(self) -> pkgstores.PackageStore:
         """Return the appropriate package store as set in the config.
 
diff --git a/quetz/config.toml b/quetz/config.toml
index 1dc06acb..ee538e79 100644
--- a/quetz/config.toml
+++ b/quetz/config.toml
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+[general]
+dev = true
+
 [github]
 # Register the app here: https://github.com/settings/applications/new
 client_id = "{}"
diff --git a/quetz/deps.py b/quetz/deps.py
index 3ef97665..343dfcbe 100644
--- a/quetz/deps.py
+++ b/quetz/deps.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ def get_rules(
     request: Request,
     session: dict = Depends(get_session),
     db: Session = Depends(get_db),
-):
+) -> authorization.Rules:
     return authorization.Rules(request.headers.get("x-api-key"), session, db)
 
 
diff --git a/quetz/main.py b/quetz/main.py
index db1a36be..8939e73e 100644
--- a/quetz/main.py
+++ b/quetz/main.py
@@ -270,22 +270,24 @@ async def route_logout(request):
     return RedirectResponse("/")
 
 
-@api_router.get("/dummylogin/{username}", tags=["dev"])
-def dummy_login(
-    username: str, dao: Dao = Depends(get_dao), session=Depends(get_session)
-):
-    user = dao.get_user_by_username(username)
-    if user is None:
-        raise HTTPException(
-            status_code=status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND,
-            detail=f"User '{username}' not found",
-        )
+if config.is_dev():
+
+    @api_router.get("/dummylogin/{username}", tags=["dev"])
+    def dummy_login(
+        username: str, dao: Dao = Depends(get_dao), session=Depends(get_session)
+    ):
+        user = dao.get_user_by_username(username)
+        if user is None:
+            raise HTTPException(
+                status_code=status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND,
+                detail=f"User '{username}' not found",
+            )
 
-    logout(session)
-    session["user_id"] = str(uuid.UUID(bytes=user.id))
+        logout(session)
+        session["user_id"] = str(uuid.UUID(bytes=user.id))
 
-    session["identity_provider"] = "dummy"
-    return RedirectResponse("/")
+        session["identity_provider"] = "dummy"
+        return RedirectResponse("/")
 
 
 @api_router.get("/me", response_model=rest_models.Profile, tags=["users"])
diff --git a/quetz/testing/fixtures.py b/quetz/testing/fixtures.py
index 80671b39..72a279c9 100644
--- a/quetz/testing/fixtures.py
+++ b/quetz/testing/fixtures.py
@@ -168,6 +168,9 @@ def config_base(database_url, plugins, config_auth):
     return f"""
 {config_auth}
 
+[general]
+dev = true
+
 [sqlalchemy]
 database_url = "{database_url}"
 
diff --git a/quetz/tests/test_cli.py b/quetz/tests/test_cli.py
index f6c7769b..9f3fb033 100644
--- a/quetz/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/quetz/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -124,11 +124,7 @@ def get_db(_):
         return db
 
     with mock.patch("quetz.cli.get_session", get_db):
-        cli.create(
-            Path(config_dir) / "new-deployment",
-            copy_conf="config.toml",
-            dev=True,
-        )
+        cli.create(Path(config_dir) / "new-deployment", copy_conf="config.toml")
 
     user = db.query(User).filter(User.username == "alice").one_or_none()