diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9e1d89c..68b4bc5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ lib/
 lib64
 pyvenv.cfg
 
+# collected static files for production-like environments
+collectstatic/
+
 # local copies of JavaScript libraries
 static/libs/jquery-2.1.1.min.js
 static/libs/underscore-min.js
@@ -30,5 +33,12 @@ logs/finetooth.log*
 .coverage
 htmlcov/
 
-# the database
+# the SQLite database
 db.sqlite3
+
+
+
+# sentinel file whose existence is used to decide whether it is the
+# case that we're in a dev environment (and should use the
+# corresponding Django settings)
+.development
diff --git a/Procfile b/Procfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..737b14a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Procfile
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+web: gunicorn wsgi --log-file -
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dev_requirements.txt b/dev_requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b44730e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev_requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+bleach==1.4
+Django==1.7
+django-bootstrap3==4.11.0
+django-debug-toolbar==1.2.1
+Markdown==2.4.1
+jasmine==2.0.1
+factory_boy==2.4.1
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index b44730e..2f7bd02 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 bleach==1.4
 Django==1.7
 django-bootstrap3==4.11.0
-django-debug-toolbar==1.2.1
 Markdown==2.4.1
-jasmine==2.0.1
-factory_boy==2.4.1
+dj-database-url==0.3.0
+dj-static==0.0.6
+gunicorn==19.1.1
+psycopg2==2.5.1
diff --git a/runtime.txt b/runtime.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02d9bbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+python-3.4.1
diff --git a/settings.py b/settings.py
index e68977f..af2eeba 100644
--- a/settings.py
+++ b/settings.py
@@ -5,21 +5,18 @@
 import os
 BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 
-# TODO: review
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.7/howto/deployment/checklist/
+IS_DEVELOPMENT = os.path.exists('.development')
 
-# SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret!
-# XXX TODO FIXME DANGER: the security warning on the previous line is
-# big deal; if/when deploying this somewhere, change this and DO NOT
-# keep the real value in a publicly-visible Git repo
-SECRET_KEY = "fake_development_unsecret_key"
+DEBUG = os.environ.get('DEBUG') or IS_DEVELOPMENT
 
-# SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production!
-DEBUG = True
+if IS_DEVELOPMENT:
+    SECRET_KEY = os.environ.get('SECRET_KEY') or "fake_development_unsecret_key"
+else:
+    SECRET_KEY = os.environ.get('SECRET_KEY')
 
-TEMPLATE_DEBUG = True
+TEMPLATE_DEBUG = DEBUG
 
-ALLOWED_HOSTS = []
+ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['*']
 
 INSTALLED_APPS = (
     'django.contrib.admin',
@@ -29,10 +26,12 @@
     'django.contrib.messages',
     'django.contrib.staticfiles',
     'bootstrap3',
-    'debug_toolbar',
     'core',
 )
 
+if DEBUG and IS_DEVELOPMENT:
+    INSTALLED_APPS += ('debug_toolbar',)
+
 MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = (
     'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
     'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
@@ -46,14 +45,18 @@
 
 WSGI_APPLICATION = 'wsgi.application'
 
-DATABASES = {
-    'default': {
-        # I <3 SQLite but maybe consider Postgres if/when deploying this
-        # somewhere
-        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
-        'NAME': os.path.join('db.sqlite3'),
+if IS_DEVELOPMENT:
+    DATABASES = {
+        'default': {
+            # I <3 SQLite but maybe consider Postgres if/when deploying this
+            # somewhere
+            'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
+            'NAME': os.path.join('db.sqlite3'),
+        }
     }
-}
+else:
+    import dj_database_url
+    DATABASES = {'default': dj_database_url.config()}
 
 AUTH_USER_MODEL = "core.FinetoothUser"
 
@@ -85,8 +88,12 @@
     'core.context_processors.contextual_static_serving_context_processor'
 )
 
+STATIC_ROOT = 'staticfiles'
+
 STATICFILES_DIRS = ('static',)
-SERVE_STATIC_LIBS_LOCALLY = True
+
+SERVE_STATIC_LIBS_LOCALLY = (os.environ.get('SERVE_STATIC_LIBS_LOCALLY')
+                             or IS_DEVELOPMENT)
 
 STATIC_URL = '/static/'
 
diff --git a/wsgi.py b/wsgi.py
index ac5b730..ada7558 100644
--- a/wsgi.py
+++ b/wsgi.py
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@
 """
 
 import os
-os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "Finetooth.settings")
+os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "settings")
 
 from django.core.wsgi import get_wsgi_application
-application = get_wsgi_application()
+from dj_static import Cling
+
+application = Cling(get_wsgi_application())