diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7ae4f387..2ea0db6a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@
 
 ## 1.0.0ax (next from master branch)
   - naming changes:
-    - tbd...
+    - tbd
+  - upcoming breaking changes:
+    - selene.config.app_host renamed to selene.config.base_url
+      - selene.config.app_host still works but will be removed in next versions
     
 ## 1.0.0a8 (released 16.02.2017)
   - new features added
diff --git a/selene/config.py b/selene/config.py
index a8534998..aca3cbc9 100644
--- a/selene/config.py
+++ b/selene/config.py
@@ -1,27 +1,36 @@
-# todo: make the properties also "object oriented" to support different configs per different SeleneDriver instances
+# todo: make the properties also 'object oriented' to support different configs per different SeleneDriver instances
 import itertools
 import os
 import time
 
 from selene.browsers import Browser
+from selene.helpers import env
 
-timeout = 4
-poll_during_waits = 0.1
-app_host = ''
+
+timeout = env('selene_timeout') or 4
+poll_during_waits = env('selene_poll_during_waits') or 0.1
+
+base_url = env('selene_base_url') or ''
+app_host = None
+# todo: we may probably refactor selene.config to selene.browser.config where config - is an object, not a module
+# todo: then it would be better to add warnings.warn("use base_url instead", DeprecationWarning)
 
 # todo: make cashing work (currently will not work...)
-cash_elements = False
-"""To cash all elements after first successful find
-      config.cash_elements = True"""
+cash_elements = env('selene_cache_elements') == 'True' or False
+'''To cash all elements after first successful find
+      config.cash_elements = True'''
+
+browser_name = env('selene_browser_name') or Browser.FIREFOX
+
+maximize_window = False if env('selene_maximize_window') == 'False' else True
+
+hold_browser_open = env('selene_hold_browser_open') == 'True' or False
 
-browser_name = Browser.FIREFOX
-maximize_window = True
-hold_browser_open = False
 counter = itertools.count(start=int(round(time.time() * 1000)))
 
-screenshot_folder = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser("~"),
-                                 ".selene",
-                                 "screenshots",
-                                 str(next(counter)))
+screenshot_folder = env('selene_screenshot_folder') or os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'),
+                                                                    '.selene',
+                                                                    'screenshots',
+                                                                    str(next(counter)))
 
 desired_capabilities = None
diff --git a/selene/helpers.py b/selene/helpers.py
index 418edb3f..98265bb1 100644
--- a/selene/helpers.py
+++ b/selene/helpers.py
@@ -50,3 +50,10 @@ def css_or_by_to_by(css_selector_or_by):
     if isinstance(css_selector_or_by, str):
         return (By.CSS_SELECTOR, css_selector_or_by)
     raise TypeError('css_selector_or_by should be str with CSS selector or Tuple[by:str, value:str]')
+
+
+def env(key):
+    try:
+        return os.environ[key]
+    except KeyError:
+        return None
diff --git a/selene/tools.py b/selene/tools.py
index cca6401e..06c34b65 100644
--- a/selene/tools.py
+++ b/selene/tools.py
@@ -31,18 +31,20 @@ def visit(absolute_or_relative_url):
     """
     Loads a web page in the current browser session.
     :param absolute_or_relative_url:
-        an absolute url to web page in case of config.app_host is not specified,
+        an absolute url to web page in case of config.base_url is not specified,
         otherwise - relative url correspondingly
 
     :Usage:
         visit('http://mydomain.com/subpage1')
         visit('http://mydomain.com/subpage2')
         # OR
-        config.app_host = 'http://mydomain.com'
+        config.base_url = 'http://mydomain.com'
         visit('/subpage1')
         visit('/subpage2')
     """
-    get_driver().get(selene.config.app_host + absolute_or_relative_url)
+    # todo: refactor next line when app_host is removed
+    base_url = selene.config.app_host if selene.config.app_host else selene.config.base_url
+    get_driver().get(base_url + absolute_or_relative_url)
 
 
 def s(css_selector_or_by):