diff --git a/internal/db/mongo.go b/internal/db/mongo.go
index 98c8be82..63f5c5ca 100644
--- a/internal/db/mongo.go
+++ b/internal/db/mongo.go
@@ -110,7 +110,12 @@ func (mdbcl *MongoDBClient) ImportClusterIfEmpty(silent bool) (pkgtypes.Cluster,
 	// find the secret in mgmt cluster's kubefirst namespace and read import payload and clustername
 	var kcfg *k8s.KubernetesClient
 
-	if env.IsClusterZero == "" {
+	var isClusterZero bool = true 
+	if env.IsClusterZero == "false" {
+		isClusterZero = false 
+	}
+
+	if isClusterZero {
 		log.Info("IS_CLUSTER_ZERO is set to true, skipping import cluster logic.")
 		return pkgtypes.Cluster{}, nil
 	}
@@ -121,7 +126,12 @@ func (mdbcl *MongoDBClient) ImportClusterIfEmpty(silent bool) (pkgtypes.Cluster,
 	}
 	clusterDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s/.k1/%s", homeDir, "")
 
-	kcfg = k8s.CreateKubeConfig(env.InCluster, fmt.Sprintf("%s/kubeconfig", clusterDir))
+	var inCluster bool = false 
+	if env.InCluster == "true" {
+		inCluster = true 
+	}
+
+	kcfg = k8s.CreateKubeConfig(inCluster, fmt.Sprintf("%s/kubeconfig", clusterDir))
 
 	log.Infof("reading secret mongo-state to determine if import is needed")
 	secData, err := k8s.ReadSecretV2(kcfg.Clientset, "kubefirst", "mongodb-state")
diff --git a/internal/env/env.go b/internal/env/env.go
index 16db8d5d..8fa20b8c 100644
--- a/internal/env/env.go
+++ b/internal/env/env.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Env struct {
-	ServerPort        int    `env:"SERVER_PORT" envDefault:"8081"`
+	ServerPort        string `env:"SERVER_PORT" envDefault:"8081"`
 	K1AccessToken     string `env:"K1_ACCESS_TOKEN"`
 	MongoDBHost       string `env:"MONGODB_HOST,notEmpty"`
 	MongoDBHostType   string `env:"MONGODB_HOST_TYPE,notEmpty"`
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ type Env struct {
 	KubefirstTeamInfo string `env:"KUBEFIRST_TEAM_INFO"`
 	AWSRegion         string `env:"AWS_REGION"`
 	AWSProfile        string `env:"AWS_PROFILE"`
-	IsClusterZero     string `env:"IS_CLUSTER_ZERO"`
-	InCluster         bool   `env:"IN_CLUSTER" envDefault:"false"`
+	IsClusterZero     string `env:"IS_CLUSTER_ZERO" envDefault:"false"`
+	InCluster         string `env:"IN_CLUSTER" envDefault:"false"`
 	EnterpriseApiUrl  string `env:"ENTERPRISE_API_URL"`
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/env/env_test.go b/internal/env/env_test.go
index c569de9b..9117f2ad 100644
--- a/internal/env/env_test.go
+++ b/internal/env/env_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package env
 import (
 	"os"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/kubefirst/kubefirst-api/internal/constants"
 )
 
 func TestEnv(t *testing.T) {
@@ -51,13 +53,13 @@ func TestEnv(t *testing.T) {
 	}()
 
 	env := Env{}
-	env, err := GetEnv(true)
+	env, err := GetEnv(constants.SilenceGetEnv)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	if env.ServerPort != 8081 {
-		t.Errorf("expected ServerPort to be 8081, but got %d", env.ServerPort)
+	if env.ServerPort != "8081" {
+		t.Errorf("expected ServerPort to be 8081, but got %v", env.ServerPort)
 	}
 
 	if env.K1AccessToken != "k1_access_token" {
@@ -125,11 +127,11 @@ func TestEnv(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	if env.IsClusterZero != "true" {
-		t.Errorf("expected IsClusterZero to be true, but got false")
+		t.Errorf("expected IsClusterZero to be true, but got %v", env.IsClusterZero)
 	}
 
-	if env.InCluster != false {
-		t.Errorf("expected InCluster to be false, but got true")
+	if env.InCluster != "false" {
+		t.Errorf("expected InCluster to be false, but got %v", env.InCluster)
 	}
 
 	if env.EnterpriseApiUrl != "enterprise_api_url" {
diff --git a/internal/router/api/v1/cluster.go b/internal/router/api/v1/cluster.go
index ad537b2f..7fb613ea 100644
--- a/internal/router/api/v1/cluster.go
+++ b/internal/router/api/v1/cluster.go
@@ -289,8 +289,13 @@ func PostCreateCluster(c *gin.Context) {
 
 	env, _ := env.GetEnv(constants.SilenceGetEnv)
 
-	if env.InCluster {
-		kcfg := k8s.CreateKubeConfig(env.InCluster, "")
+	var inCluster bool = false 
+	if env.InCluster == "true" {
+		inCluster = true 
+	}
+
+	if inCluster {
+		kcfg := k8s.CreateKubeConfig(inCluster, "")
 		k1AuthSecret, err := k8s.ReadSecretV2(kcfg.Clientset, constants.KubefirstNamespace, constants.KubefirstAuthSecretName)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Warnf("authentication secret does not exist, continuing: %s", err)
diff --git a/internal/services/services.go b/internal/services/services.go
index 629fafb8..ef2d0c3f 100644
--- a/internal/services/services.go
+++ b/internal/services/services.go
@@ -97,7 +97,12 @@ func CreateService(cl *pkgtypes.Cluster, serviceName string, appDef *types.Gitop
 
 	env, _ := env.GetEnv(constants.SilenceGetEnv)
 
-	kcfg = k8s.CreateKubeConfig(env.InCluster, fmt.Sprintf("%s/kubeconfig", tmpGitopsDir))
+	var inCluster bool = false 
+	if env.InCluster == "true" {
+		inCluster = true 
+	}
+
+	kcfg = k8s.CreateKubeConfig(inCluster, fmt.Sprintf("%s/kubeconfig", tmpGitopsDir))
 
 	var fullDomainName string
 	if cl.SubdomainName != "" {