diff --git a/server/config.py b/server/config.py
index f24de0ee6..2219fa571 100644
--- a/server/config.py
+++ b/server/config.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
+from typing import cast
 
 load_dotenv(os.path.dirname(__file__) / Path("../.env"))
 
@@ -9,34 +10,54 @@
 
 ENV = os.environ.get("ENV", "development")
 
-FRONTEND_URL = os.environ.get("FRONTEND_URL", "http://localhost:5173")
-BACKEND_URL = os.environ.get("BACKEND_URL", "http://127.0.0.1:2010")
+
+def _get_config_option(
+    name: str, default_value: str | None = None, required: bool = False
+) -> str | None:
+    if ENV == "production":
+        value = os.environ.get(name, None)
+        if value is None:
+            raise Exception(
+                f"Environment variable {name} not set. In production, "
+                "every environment variable must be set."
+            )
+    else:
+        value = os.environ.get(name, default_value)
+
+    if required and value is None:
+        raise Exception(f"Environment variable {name} is required but not set.")
+
+    return value
+
+
+FRONTEND_URL = _get_config_option("FRONTEND_URL", "http://localhost:5173")
+BACKEND_URL = _get_config_option("BACKEND_URL", "http://127.0.0.1:2010")
 ALLOWED_DOMAINS = [FRONTEND_URL]
-SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI = os.environ.get(
+SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI = _get_config_option(
     "DATABASE_URL", "postgresql://postgres:password@database/pigeondb"
 )
-REDIS_URL = os.environ.get("REDIS_URL", "redis")
+REDIS_URL = _get_config_option("REDIS_URL", "redis")
 
 FLASK_RUN_PORT = 2010
 DEBUG = True
-MAIL_USERNAME = os.environ.get("MAIL_USERNAME")
-MAIL_PASSWORD = os.environ.get("MAIL_PASSWORD")
-MAIL_CC = os.environ.get("MAIL_CC")
+MAIL_USERNAME = cast(str, _get_config_option("MAIL_USERNAME", required=True))
+MAIL_PASSWORD = cast(str, _get_config_option("MAIL_PASSWORD", required=True))
+MAIL_CC = _get_config_option("MAIL_CC", required=True)
 
 MAIL_SENDER_TAG = f'"Blueprint Team" <{MAIL_USERNAME}>'
 
-AUTH_CLIENT_ID = os.environ.get("AUTH_CLIENT_ID")
-AUTH_CLIENT_SECRET = os.environ.get("AUTH_CLIENT_SECRET")
-SESSION_SECRET = os.environ.get("SESSION_SECRET")
+AUTH_CLIENT_ID = _get_config_option("AUTH_CLIENT_ID", required=True)
+AUTH_CLIENT_SECRET = _get_config_option("AUTH_CLIENT_SECRET", required=True)
+SESSION_SECRET = _get_config_option("SESSION_SECRET", required=True)
 
-OPENAI_API_KEY = os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY")
+OPENAI_API_KEY = _get_config_option("OPENAI_API_KEY", required=True)
 
-AUTH_USERNAME = os.environ.get("AUTH_USERNAME")
-AUTH_PASSWORD = os.environ.get("AUTH_PASSWORD")
+AUTH_USERNAME = _get_config_option("AUTH_USERNAME", required=True)
+AUTH_PASSWORD = _get_config_option("AUTH_PASSWORD", required=True)
 
-AWS_REGION = os.environ.get("AWS_REGION")
-AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID = os.environ.get("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID")
-AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY = os.environ.get("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY")
+AWS_REGION = _get_config_option("AWS_REGION", required=True)
+AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID = _get_config_option("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID", required=True)
+AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY = _get_config_option("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY", required=True)
 
 AUTH_ADMINS = [
     {"name": "HackMIT", "email": "admin@hackmit.org"},
diff --git a/server/controllers/emails.py b/server/controllers/emails.py
index 2af2f0627..3e59ba9ea 100644
--- a/server/controllers/emails.py
+++ b/server/controllers/emails.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 from server.models.response import Response
 from server.models.document import Document
 from server.nlp.responses import generate_response
-from datetime import datetime
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
 import boto3
 
 cwd = os.path.dirname(__file__)
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ def increment_response_count(document_ids: list[list[int]]):
     for doc_ids_question in document_ids:
         for doc_id in doc_ids_question:
             document = Document.query.get(doc_id)
-            document.response_count += 1
+            if document:
+                document.response_count += 1
             db.session.commit()
 
 
@@ -110,10 +111,11 @@ def decrement_response_count(document_ids: list[list[int]]):
     for doc_ids_question in document_ids:
         for doc_id in doc_ids_question:
             document = Document.query.get(doc_id)
-            if document.to_delete and document.response_count == 1:
-                db.session.delete(document)
-            else:
-                document.response_count -= 1
+            if document:
+                if document.to_delete and document.response_count == 1:
+                    db.session.delete(document)
+                else:
+                    document.response_count -= 1
             db.session.commit()
 
 
@@ -141,7 +143,7 @@ def receive_email_mailgun():
             thread = Thread.query.get(replied_to_email.thread_id)
             if thread:
                 email = Email(
-                    datetime.utcnow(),
+                    datetime.now(timezone.utc),
                     data["From"],
                     data["Subject"],
                     data["stripped-text"],
@@ -156,7 +158,7 @@ def receive_email_mailgun():
         db.session.add(thread)
         db.session.commit()
         email = Email(
-            datetime.utcnow(),
+            datetime.now(timezone.utc),
             data["From"],
             data["Subject"],
             data["stripped-text"],
@@ -254,7 +256,7 @@ def receive_email():
         db.session.add(thread)
         db.session.commit()
         email = Email(
-            datetime.utcnow(),
+            datetime.now(timezone.utc),
             data["From"],
             data["Subject"],
             body,
@@ -314,7 +316,7 @@ def send_email_mailgun():
     server.sendmail(MAIL_USERNAME, [thread.first_sender], msg.as_bytes())
     thread.resolved = True
     reply_email = Email(
-        datetime.utcnow(),
+        datetime.now(timezone.utc),
         MAIL_SENDER_TAG,
         reply_to_email.subject,
         clean_text,