diff --git a/backend/pkg/config/config.go b/backend/pkg/config/config.go
index 0986ef5..d70de84 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -8,19 +8,19 @@ import (
 // Config structure holds all the configuration values
 type Config struct {
 	// System Settings
-	Port  int    `env:"PORT" envDefault:"1323"`
-	GoEnv string `env:"GO_ENV" envDefault:"dev"`
+	Port  int    `env:"PORT,notEmpty" envDefault:"1323"`
+	GoEnv string `env:"GO_ENV,notEmpty" envDefault:"dev"`
 
 	// GraphQL related configurations
-	GQLComplexity int `env:"GQL_COMPLEXITY" envDefault:"10"`
+	GQLComplexity int `env:"GQL_COMPLEXITY,notEmpty" envDefault:"10"`
 
-	// PostgreSQL configuration
-	PGHost     string `env:"PG_HOST" envDefault:"localhost"`
-	PGUser     string `env:"PG_USER" envDefault:"testuser"`
-	PGPassword string `env:"PG_PASSWORD" envDefault:"testpassword"`
-	PGDBName   string `env:"PG_DBNAME" envDefault:"flamingodb"`
-	PGPort     string `env:"PG_PORT" envDefault:"5432"`
-	PGSSLMode  string `env:"PG_SSLMODE" envDefault:"allow"`
+	// PostgresSQL configuration
+	PGHost     string `env:"PG_HOST,notEmpty" envDefault:"localhost"`
+	PGUser     string `env:"PG_USER,notEmpty" envDefault:"testuser"`
+	PGPassword string `env:"PG_PASSWORD,notEmpty" envDefault:"testpassword"`
+	PGDBName   string `env:"PG_DBNAME,notEmpty" envDefault:"flamingodb"`
+	PGPort     string `env:"PG_PORT,notEmpty" envDefault:"5432"`
+	PGSSLMode  string `env:"PG_SSLMODE,notEmpty" envDefault:"allow"`
 }
 
 // Cfg is the package-level variable that holds the parsed configuration
diff --git a/backend/pkg/config/config_test.go b/backend/pkg/config/config_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d3b8c52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/pkg/config/config_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package config_test
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"backend/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/caarlos0/env/v11"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestConfigDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	// Explicitly set environment variables
+	os.Setenv("PORT", "")
+	os.Setenv("GO_ENV", "")
+	os.Setenv("GQL_COMPLEXITY", "")
+	os.Setenv("PG_HOST", "")
+	os.Setenv("PG_USER", "")
+	os.Setenv("PG_PASSWORD", "")
+	os.Setenv("PG_DBNAME", "")
+	os.Setenv("PG_PORT", "")
+	os.Setenv("PG_SSLMODE", "")
+
+	// Parse environment variables
+	err := env.Parse(&config.Cfg)
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "Config should parse without error")
+
+	// Verify default values
+	assert.Equal(t, 1323, config.Cfg.Port, "Default Port should be 1323")
+	assert.Equal(t, "dev", config.Cfg.GoEnv, "Default GoEnv should be 'dev'")
+	assert.Equal(t, 10, config.Cfg.GQLComplexity, "Default GQLComplexity should be 10")
+	assert.Equal(t, "localhost", config.Cfg.PGHost, "Default PGHost should be 'localhost'")
+	assert.Equal(t, "testuser", config.Cfg.PGUser, "Default PGUser should be 'testuser'")
+	assert.Equal(t, "testpassword", config.Cfg.PGPassword, "Default PGPassword should be 'testpassword'")
+	assert.Equal(t, "flamingodb", config.Cfg.PGDBName, "Default PGDBName should be 'flamingodb'")
+	assert.Equal(t, "5432", config.Cfg.PGPort, "Default PGPort should be '5432'")
+	assert.Equal(t, "allow", config.Cfg.PGSSLMode, "Default PGSSLMode should be 'allow'")
+}
+
+func TestConfigCustomValues(t *testing.T) {
+	// Set environment variables to custom values
+	os.Setenv("PORT", "8080")
+	os.Setenv("GO_ENV", "production")
+	os.Setenv("GQL_COMPLEXITY", "20")
+	os.Setenv("PG_HOST", "customhost")
+	os.Setenv("PG_USER", "customuser")
+	os.Setenv("PG_PASSWORD", "custompassword")
+	os.Setenv("PG_DBNAME", "customdb")
+	os.Setenv("PG_PORT", "6543")
+	os.Setenv("PG_SSLMODE", "require")
+
+	// Parse environment variables
+	err := env.Parse(&config.Cfg)
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "Config should parse without error")
+
+	// Verify custom values
+	assert.Equal(t, 8080, config.Cfg.Port, "Port should be 8080")
+	assert.Equal(t, "production", config.Cfg.GoEnv, "GoEnv should be 'production'")
+	assert.Equal(t, 20, config.Cfg.GQLComplexity, "GQLComplexity should be 20")
+	assert.Equal(t, "customhost", config.Cfg.PGHost, "PGHost should be 'customhost'")
+	assert.Equal(t, "customuser", config.Cfg.PGUser, "PGUser should be 'customuser'")
+	assert.Equal(t, "custompassword", config.Cfg.PGPassword, "PGPassword should be 'custompassword'")
+	assert.Equal(t, "customdb", config.Cfg.PGDBName, "PGDBName should be 'customdb'")
+	assert.Equal(t, "6543", config.Cfg.PGPort, "PGPort should be '6543'")
+	assert.Equal(t, "require", config.Cfg.PGSSLMode, "PGSSLMode should be 'require'")
+}
diff --git a/frontend/.node-version b/frontend/.node-version
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..297d47b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/.node-version
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+20.13.1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index 24d4287..375a469 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -43,5 +43,8 @@
     "typescript": "^5.2.2",
     "vite": "^5.3.1",
     "vitest": "^1.6.0"
+  },
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=20.13.1"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/render.yaml b/render.yaml
index bba9794..e0bcb8a 100644
--- a/render.yaml
+++ b/render.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-version: 1
+version: "1"
 
 services:
   - type: web
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ services:
     startCommand: ./main
     healthCheckPath: /health
     envVars:
+      - fromGroup: flamingo-armond
       - key: GQL_COMPLEXITY
         sync: false
       - key: PG_HOST
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ services:
     rootDir: frontend
     buildCommand: npm install -g pnpm && pnpm install && pnpm run build
     staticPublishPath: frontend/build
+    envVars:
+      - fromGroup: flamingo-armond    
     buildFilter:
         paths:
         - src/**/*.tsx