diff --git a/.env.sample b/.env.sample
index 25c2fd1a..98b69fda 100644
--- a/.env.sample
+++ b/.env.sample
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 # Copy this file to .env, remove this comment and change the keys
 #
-# Please use `openssl rand -hex 32` to create SEQUELIZE_SECRET
+# Please use `openssl rand -hex 32` to create SECRET_KEY
 
 DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:pass@example.com:5432/outline
 DATABASE_URL_TEST=postgres://user:pass@example.com:5432/outline-test
+SECRET_KEY=F0E5AD933D7F6FD8F4DBB3E038C501C052DC0593C686D21ACB30AE205D2F634B
 PORT=3000
 REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379
-SEQUELIZE_SECRET=F0E5AD933D7F6FD8F4DBB3E038C501C052DC0593C686D21ACB30AE205D2F634B
 SLACK_KEY=71315967491.XXXXXXXXXX
 SLACK_SECRET=d2dc414f9953226bad0a356c794XXXXX
 URL=http://localhost:3000
 DEPLOYMENT=hosted
+ENABLE_UPDATES=true
 GOOGLE_ANALYTICS_ID=
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0f6308e0..d7e470a0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,8 +20,28 @@ To install and run the application:
  1. Register a Slack app at https://api.slack.com/apps
  1. Copy the file `.env.sample` to `.env` and fill out the keys
  1. Run DB migrations `yarn sequelize db:migrate`
- 1. Start the development server `yarn start`
+ 
+ To run Outline in development mode with server and frontend code reloading:
 
+```shell
+yarn dev
+```
+
+To run Outline in production mode:
+
+```shell
+yarn start
+```
+
+## Development
+
+### Server
+
+To enable debugging statements, set the following env vars:
+
+```
+DEBUG=sql,cache,presenters
+```
 
 ## Migrations
 
diff --git a/app.json b/app.json
index 92659689..ea52a1ec 100644
--- a/app.json
+++ b/app.json
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     "REDIS_URL": {
       "required": true
     },
-    "SEQUELIZE_SECRET": {
+    "SECRET_KEY": {
       "required": true
     },
     "SLACK_KEY": {
@@ -51,10 +51,13 @@
     }
   },
   "formation": {},
-  "addons": ["heroku-postgresql", "heroku-redis"],
+  "addons": [
+    "heroku-postgresql",
+    "heroku-redis"
+  ],
   "buildpacks": [
     {
       "url": "heroku/nodejs"
     }
   ]
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/circle.yml b/circle.yml
index 875af71c..99947a85 100644
--- a/circle.yml
+++ b/circle.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ machine:
   environment:
     ENVIRONMENT: test
     PATH: "${PATH}:${HOME}/${CIRCLE_PROJECT_REPONAME}/node_modules/.bin"
-    SEQUELIZE_SECRET: F0E5AD933D7F6FD8F4DBB3E038C501C052DC0593C686D21ACB30AE205D2F634B
+    SECRET_KEY: F0E5AD933D7F6FD8F4DBB3E038C501C052DC0593C686D21ACB30AE205D2F634B
     DATABASE_URL_TEST: postgres://ubuntu@localhost:5432/circle_test
     DATABASE_URL: postgres://ubuntu@localhost:5432/circle_test
 
diff --git a/flow-typed/globals.js b/flow-typed/globals.js
index 37ccbbce..b5fbc176 100644
--- a/flow-typed/globals.js
+++ b/flow-typed/globals.js
@@ -6,3 +6,8 @@ declare var BASE_URL: string;
 declare var BUGSNAG_KEY: ?string;
 declare var DEPLOYMENT: string;
 declare var Bugsnag: any;
+declare var process: {
+  env: {
+    [string]: string,
+  },
+};
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 9f822e6c..d9f045b1 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,30 @@
 require('./init');
+
+if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
+  console.log(
+    '\n\x1b[33m%s\x1b[0m',
+    'Running Outline in production mode. Use `yarn dev` to run in development with live code reloading'
+  );
+} else if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
+  console.log(
+    '\n\x1b[33m%s\x1b[0m',
+    'Running Outline in development mode with React hot reloading. To run Outline in production mode, use `yarn start`'
+  );
+}
+
 const app = require('./server').default;
 const http = require('http');
 
+if (
+  process.env.SECRET_KEY ===
+  'F0E5AD933D7F6FD8F4DBB3E038C501C052DC0593C686D21ACB30AE205D2F634B'
+) {
+  console.error(
+    'Please set SECRET_KEY env variable with output of `openssl rand -hex 32`'
+  );
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
 const server = http.createServer(app.callback());
 server.listen(process.env.PORT || '3000');
 server.on('error', err => {
@@ -9,5 +32,5 @@ server.on('error', err => {
 });
 server.on('listening', () => {
   const address = server.address();
-  console.log(`Listening on http://localhost:${address.port}`);
+  console.log(`\n> Listening on http://localhost:${address.port}\n`);
 });
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 53361d1a..21c2cac3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,9 +9,8 @@
     "build:analyze":
       "NODE_ENV=production webpack --config webpack.config.prod.js --json | webpack-bundle-size-analyzer",
     "build": "npm run clean && npm run build:webpack",
-    "start": "node index.js",
-    "dev":
-      "NODE_ENV=development DEBUG=sql,cache,presenters ./node_modules/.bin/nodemon --inspect --watch server index.js",
+    "start": "NODE_ENV=production node index.js",
+    "dev": "NODE_ENV=development nodemon --inspect --watch server index.js",
     "lint": "npm run lint:flow && npm run lint:js",
     "lint:js": "eslint app",
     "lint:flow": "flow",
diff --git a/server/index.js b/server/index.js
index 92eb0738..6c593f24 100644
--- a/server/index.js
+++ b/server/index.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import logger from 'koa-logger';
 import mount from 'koa-mount';
 import Koa from 'koa';
 import bugsnag from 'bugsnag';
+import updates from './utils/updates';
 
 import api from './api';
 import routes from './routes';
@@ -82,4 +83,17 @@ app.use(
   })
 );
 
+/**
+ * Production updates and anonymous analytics.
+ * 
+ * Set ENABLE_UPDATES=false to disable them for your installation
+ */
+if (
+  process.env.ENABLE_UPDATES !== 'false' &&
+  process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production'
+) {
+  updates();
+  setInterval(updates, 24 * 3600 * 1000);
+}
+
 export default app;
diff --git a/server/sequelize.js b/server/sequelize.js
index c1633c94..4c0275ab 100644
--- a/server/sequelize.js
+++ b/server/sequelize.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import Sequelize from 'sequelize';
 import EncryptedField from 'sequelize-encrypted';
 import debug from 'debug';
 
-const secretKey = process.env.SEQUELIZE_SECRET;
+const secretKey = process.env.SECRET_KEY;
 
 export const encryptedFields = EncryptedField(Sequelize, secretKey);
 
diff --git a/server/utils/updates.js b/server/utils/updates.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..18d950b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/utils/updates.js
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+// @flow
+import crypto from 'crypto';
+import invariant from 'invariant';
+import fetch from 'isomorphic-fetch';
+import { client } from '../redis';
+import packageInfo from '../../package.json';
+
+import { User, Team, Collection, Document } from '../models';
+
+const UPDATES_URL = 'https://updates.getoutline.com';
+const UPDATES_KEY = 'UPDATES_KEY';
+
+export default async () => {
+  invariant(
+    process.env.SECRET_KEY && process.env.URL,
+    'SECRET_KEY or URL env var is not set'
+  );
+  const secret = process.env.SECRET_KEY.slice(0, 6) + process.env.URL;
+  const id = crypto.createHash('sha256').update(secret).digest('hex');
+
+  const [
+    userCount,
+    teamCount,
+    collectionCount,
+    documentCount,
+  ] = await Promise.all([
+    User.count(),
+    Team.count(),
+    Collection.count(),
+    Document.count(),
+  ]);
+
+  const body = JSON.stringify({
+    id,
+    version: 1,
+    clientVersion: packageInfo.version,
+    analytics: {
+      userCount,
+      teamCount,
+      collectionCount,
+      documentCount,
+    },
+  });
+
+  await client.del('UPDATES_KEY');
+
+  try {
+    const response = await fetch(UPDATES_URL, {
+      method: 'POST',
+      headers: {
+        Accept: 'application/json',
+        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+      },
+      body,
+    });
+
+    const data = await response.json();
+    if (data.severity) {
+      await client.set(
+        UPDATES_KEY,
+        JSON.stringify({
+          severity: data.severity,
+          message: data.message,
+          url: data.url,
+        })
+      );
+    }
+  } catch (_e) {
+    // no-op
+  }
+};