diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a2f287501..2f9e1eaa6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -278,7 +278,9 @@ $ cd blockchain-explorer/app
     $ createdb `whoami`
     ```
 
-Connect to the PostgreSQL database and run DB status commands:
+Connect to the PostgreSQL database and run DB status commands. To export the
+settings from `app/explorerconfig.json` to the environment, run `source
+app/exportConfig.sh`; this will set `$DATABASE_DATABASE` and related envvars.
 
 * **Ubuntu**
 
@@ -373,7 +375,7 @@ $ npm run build
     ```
 
 * `npm start`
-  * It will have the backend and GUI service up
+  * It will have the backend and GUI service up, for as long as the process runs
 
 * `npm run app-stop`
   * It will stop the node server
diff --git a/app/exportConfig.sh b/app/exportConfig.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9900cec90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/exportConfig.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+echo "should be sourced"
+jq . ./explorerconfig.json >/dev/null
+
+export DATABASE_HOST=$(jq -r '.postgreSQL.host' ./explorerconfig.json)
+export DATABASE_PORT=$(jq -r '.postgreSQL.port' ./explorerconfig.json)
+export DATABASE_USERNAME=$(jq -r '.postgreSQL.username' ./explorerconfig.json)
+export DATABASE_DATABASE=$(jq -r '.postgreSQL.database' ./explorerconfig.json)
+export DATABASE_PASSWD=$(jq -r '.postgreSQL.passwd' ./explorerconfig.json)
diff --git a/start.sh b/start.sh
index 14ec6a6e8..485434bf3 100755
--- a/start.sh
+++ b/start.sh
@@ -20,4 +20,11 @@ export LOG_CONSOLE_STDOUT=${LOG_CONSOLE_STDOUT:-false}
 export DISCOVERY_AS_LOCALHOST=${DISCOVERY_AS_LOCALHOST:-true}
 export EXPLORER_APP_ROOT=${EXPLORER_APP_ROOT:-dist}
 
+function log_exit() {
+  echo "Server stopped"
+  exit
+}
+trap log_exit SIGINT EXIT
+echo "Server running..."
+
 node ${EXPLORER_APP_ROOT}/main.js name - hyperledger-explorer