diff --git a/SerpentRace_Backend/src/Api/index.ts b/SerpentRace_Backend/src/Api/index.ts
index 34290b3a..5bcc6a6e 100644
--- a/SerpentRace_Backend/src/Api/index.ts
+++ b/SerpentRace_Backend/src/Api/index.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,36 @@ const isDevelopment = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development';
 
 const loggingService = LoggingService.getInstance();
 
+// Validate required environment variables in production
+if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
+  const requiredEnvVars = [
+    'JWT_SECRET',
+    'DB_PASSWORD',
+    'DB_HOST',
+    'DB_NAME',
+    'POSTGRES_PASSWORD'
+  ];
+  
+  const missingVars = requiredEnvVars.filter(varName => !process.env[varName]);
+  
+  if (missingVars.length > 0) {
+    logError('[FATAL] Missing required environment variables in production:', missingVars.join(', '));
+    logError('[FATAL] Please configure all required environment variables in .env.server');
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+  
+  // Check for placeholder values that haven't been changed
+  if (process.env.JWT_SECRET && process.env.JWT_SECRET.includes('CHANGE_THIS')) {
+    logError('[FATAL] JWT_SECRET still contains placeholder value. Please set a proper secret in .env.server');
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+  
+  if (process.env.POSTGRES_PASSWORD && process.env.POSTGRES_PASSWORD.includes('CHANGE_THIS')) {
+    logError('[FATAL] POSTGRES_PASSWORD still contains placeholder value. Please set a proper password in .env.server');
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+}
+
 logStartup('SerpentRace Backend starting up', {
   environment: process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development',
   port: PORT,
diff --git a/SerpentRace_Backend/tsconfig.json b/SerpentRace_Backend/tsconfig.json
index 3b8f8bca..e3af7671 100644
--- a/SerpentRace_Backend/tsconfig.json
+++ b/SerpentRace_Backend/tsconfig.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
     /* Language and Environment */
     "target": "ES2020",                                  /* Set the JavaScript language version for emitted JavaScript and include compatible library declarations. */
-    "lib": ["ES2020"],                                        /* Specify a set of bundled library declaration files that describe the target runtime environment. */
+    // "lib": [],                                        /* Specify a set of bundled library declaration files that describe the target runtime environment. */
     // "jsx": "preserve",                                /* Specify what JSX code is generated. */
     // "libReplacement": true,                           /* Enable lib replacement. */
      "experimentalDecorators": true,                   /* Enable experimental support for legacy experimental decorators. */