diff --git a/docker/api/pytest.sh b/docker/api/pytest.sh
index 7a4442aa..19c034fa 100755
--- a/docker/api/pytest.sh
+++ b/docker/api/pytest.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ cd /opt/cnaas/venv/cnaas-nms/src/
 
 source ../../bin/activate
 
-export JWT_SECRET_KEY="kMbSp+O4ZuF/AYOJtmGiMPOOWqvez5mVpml9A8f9Oso="
 echo "starting unittests: pytest ${PYTESTARGS[@]}"
 pytest "${PYTESTARGS[@]}"
 EXITSTATUS="$?"
diff --git a/pytest.ini b/pytest.ini
index 0ec78120..3387760b 100644
--- a/pytest.ini
+++ b/pytest.ini
@@ -6,3 +6,5 @@ markers =
     equipment: mark a test that requires live equipment to be available for testing
 
 addopts = --docker-compose=../docker/docker-compose_pytest.yaml
+env =
+    JWT_SECRET_KEY="kMbSp+O4ZuF/AYOJtmGiMPOOWqvez5mVpml9A8f9Oso="
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 2a4a69e3..1cbcabb4 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ psycopg2-binary==2.9.9
 pytest==7.4.4
 pytest-cov==4.1.0
 pytest-docker-compose==3.2.1
+pytest-env==1.1.3
 redis==5.0.1
 redis-lru==0.1.0
 Sphinx==7.2.6