diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 51b15ed8..9cf3fe46 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ endif
 CFLAGS += -Wno-unused-parameter -Wno-unused-variable
 CFLAGS += -Ilibssh/include/ -Imsgpack/src
 
+if IS_DEVENV
+CFLAGS += -DDEVENV
+endif
+
 # Set flags for gcc. gcc4 whines abouts silly stuff so it needs slightly
 # different flags.
 if IS_GCC
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 013cd655..5be42271 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS(
 	]
 )
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(
+	devenv,
+	AC_HELP_STRING(--enable-devenv, "dev env (localhost, port 2200, no auth checks)"),
+	found_devenv=$enable_devenv
+)
+AM_CONDITIONAL(IS_DEVENV, test "x$found_devenv" = xyes)
+
 # Is this a debug build?
 #found_debug=yes
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(
diff --git a/tmate.h b/tmate.h
index d95c8efa..ed3f847b 100644
--- a/tmate.h
+++ b/tmate.h
@@ -57,8 +57,13 @@ extern void tmate_decoder_commit(struct tmate_decoder *decoder, size_t len);
 
 /* tmate-ssh-client.c */
 
+#ifdef DEVENV
+#define TMATE_HOST "localhost"
+#define TMATE_PORT 2200
+#else
 #define TMATE_HOST "tmate.io"
 #define TMATE_PORT 22
+#endif
 
 typedef struct ssh_session_struct* ssh_session;
 typedef struct ssh_channel_struct* ssh_channel;