diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-ppaas.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-ppaas.yml
index b777ff26..a695448e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-ppaas.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-ppaas.yml
@@ -62,24 +62,31 @@ jobs:
           cd $CONFIG_WASM_LIB_DIR
           wasm-pack build --release -t nodejs --scope fs
 
+      - name: Create .env file for controller that can be overridden by a .env.production file
+        run: |
+          set -x
+          # setup some envs to various paths that re required for build
+          PROJECT_ROOT=$PWD
+          CONTROLLER_DIR=$(realpath $PROJECT_ROOT/controller)
+          # .env.production will override .env, but NOT .env.local or environment variables passed in
+          ENV_FILE=$CONTROLLER_DIR/.env
+          touch "$ENV_FILE"
+          echo PEWPEWCONTROLLER_UNITTESTS_S3_BUCKET_NAME="unit-test-bucket" >> "$ENV_FILE"
+          echo PEWPEWCONTROLLER_UNITTESTS_S3_BUCKET_URL="https://unit-test-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com" >> "$ENV_FILE"
+          echo PEWPEWCONTROLLER_UNITTESTS_S3_KEYSPACE_PREFIX="unittests/" >> "$ENV_FILE"
+          echo PEWPEWCONTROLLER_UNITTESTS_S3_REGION_ENDPOINT="s3-us-east-1.amazonaws.com" >> "$ENV_FILE"
+          echo APPLICATION_NAME=pewpewcontroller >> "$ENV_FILE"
+          echo AGENT_ENV="unittests" >> "$ENV_FILE"
+          echo AGENT_DESC="c5n.large" >> "$ENV_FILE"
+          echo PEWPEWAGENT_UNITTESTS_SQS_SCALE_OUT_QUEUE_URL="https://sqs.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/unittests/sqs-scale-out" >> "$ENV_FILE"
+          echo PEWPEWAGENT_UNITTESTS_SQS_SCALE_IN_QUEUE_URL="https://sqs.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/unittests/sqs-scale-in" >> "$ENV_FILE"
+          echo PEWPEWCONTROLLER_UNITTESTS_SQS_COMMUNICATION_QUEUE_URL="https://sqs.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/unittests/sqs-communication" >> "$ENV_FILE"
+
       - name: Install NPM Dependencies
         run: npm ci
       - name: Run Lint
         run: npm run linterror
       - name: Build Controller
-        env:
-          # Minimum variables needed to compile
-          PEWPEWCONTROLLER_UNITTESTS_S3_BUCKET_NAME: "unit-test-bucket"
-          PEWPEWCONTROLLER_UNITTESTS_S3_BUCKET_URL: "https://unit-test-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com"
-          PEWPEWCONTROLLER_UNITTESTS_S3_KEYSPACE_PREFIX: "unittests/"
-          PEWPEWCONTROLLER_UNITTESTS_S3_REGION_ENDPOINT: "s3-us-east-1.amazonaws.com"
-          APPLICATION_NAME: pewpewcontroller
-          AGENT_ENV: "unittests"
-          AGENT_DESC: "c5n.large"
-          PEWPEWAGENT_UNITTESTS_SQS_SCALE_OUT_QUEUE_URL: "https://sqs.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/unittests/sqs-scale-out"
-          PEWPEWAGENT_UNITTESTS_SQS_SCALE_IN_QUEUE_URL: "https://sqs.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/unittests/sqs-scale-in"
-          PEWPEWCONTROLLER_UNITTESTS_SQS_COMMUNICATION_QUEUE_URL: "https://sqs.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/unittests/sqs-communication"
-
         run: npm run build:react
       - name: Run Tests
         run: NODE_ENV=test npm test