diff --git a/packages/playground/devEnv/servePlayground.ts b/packages/playground/devEnv/servePlayground.ts
index 531a431..5c7f790 100644
--- a/packages/playground/devEnv/servePlayground.ts
+++ b/packages/playground/devEnv/servePlayground.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ require('esbuild')
       sourcemap: true,
       define: {
         global: 'window',
-        '$env.isCore': false,
         ...convertObjectToWebpackDefinePaths({
           process: {env: envConfig},
           $env: envConfig,
diff --git a/packages/playground/package.json b/packages/playground/package.json
index 13f453b..d7468e0 100644
--- a/packages/playground/package.json
+++ b/packages/playground/package.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   "source": "src/index.tsx",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "types": "dist/index.d.ts",
+  "private": "true",
   "files": [
     "dist/**/*"
   ],
diff --git a/theatre/core/src/CoreBundle.ts b/theatre/core/src/CoreBundle.ts
index 1597b4d..8b0e11e 100644
--- a/theatre/core/src/CoreBundle.ts
+++ b/theatre/core/src/CoreBundle.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export default class CoreBundle {
   }
 
   get version() {
-    return $env.version
+    return process.env.version
   }
 
   getBitsForStudio(studio: Studio, callback: (bits: CoreBits) => void) {
diff --git a/theatre/core/src/coreExports.ts b/theatre/core/src/coreExports.ts
index 0705d83..0e6592a 100644
--- a/theatre/core/src/coreExports.ts
+++ b/theatre/core/src/coreExports.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type {
   IProjectConfig,
 } from '@theatre/core/projects/TheatreProject'
 import TheatreProject from '@theatre/core/projects/TheatreProject'
+import globals from '@theatre/shared/globals'
 import * as types from '@theatre/shared/propTypes'
 import {InvalidArgumentError} from '@theatre/shared/utils/errors'
 import {validateName} from '@theatre/shared/utils/sanitizers'
@@ -17,13 +18,13 @@ export function getProject(id: string, config: IProjectConfig = {}): IProject {
     return projectsSingleton.get(id)!.publicApi
   }
 
-  if ($env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
+  if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
     validateName(id, 'projectName in Theatre.getProject(projectName)', true)
     validateProjectIdOrThrow(id)
   }
 
   if (config.state) {
-    if ($env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       shallowValidateOnDiskState(id, config.state)
     } else {
       deepValidateOnDiskState(id, config.state)
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ const shallowValidateOnDiskState = (projectId: string, s: OnDiskState) => {
   if (
     Array.isArray(s) ||
     s == null ||
-    s.definitionVersion !== $env.currentProjectStateDefinitionVersion
+    s.definitionVersion !== globals.currentProjectStateDefinitionVersion
   ) {
     throw new InvalidArgumentError(
       `Error validating conf.state in Theatre.getProject(${JSON.stringify(
diff --git a/theatre/core/src/projects/Project.ts b/theatre/core/src/projects/Project.ts
index a857801..a2b74ed 100644
--- a/theatre/core/src/projects/Project.ts
+++ b/theatre/core/src/projects/Project.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import projectsSingleton from './projectsSingleton'
 import type {ProjectState} from './store/storeTypes'
 import type {Deferred} from '@theatre/shared/utils/defer'
 import {defer} from '@theatre/shared/utils/defer'
+import globals from '@theatre/shared/globals'
 
 export type Conf = Partial<{
   state: OnDiskState
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ export default class Project {
       },
       historic: config.state ?? {
         sheetsById: {},
-        definitionVersion: $env.currentProjectStateDefinitionVersion,
+        definitionVersion: globals.currentProjectStateDefinitionVersion,
       },
       ephemeral: {
         loadingState: {
diff --git a/theatre/core/src/projects/TheatreProject.ts b/theatre/core/src/projects/TheatreProject.ts
index 767e892..c448b51 100644
--- a/theatre/core/src/projects/TheatreProject.ts
+++ b/theatre/core/src/projects/TheatreProject.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export default class TheatreProject implements IProject {
       'project.sheet',
     )
 
-    if (!$env.isCore) {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       validateName(
         instanceId,
         'instanceId in project.sheet(sheetId, instanceId)',
diff --git a/theatre/core/src/projects/initialiseProjectState.ts b/theatre/core/src/projects/initialiseProjectState.ts
index 339d2bd..a2d7768 100644
--- a/theatre/core/src/projects/initialiseProjectState.ts
+++ b/theatre/core/src/projects/initialiseProjectState.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import delay from '@theatre/shared/utils/delay'
 import {original} from 'immer'
 import type Project from './Project'
 import type {OnDiskState} from './store/storeTypes'
+import globals from '@theatre/shared/globals'
 
 /**
  * @todo this could be turned into a simple derivation, like:
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ export default async function initialiseProjectState(
 
       drafts.historic.coreByProject[projectId] = {
         sheetsById: {},
-        definitionVersion: $env.currentProjectStateDefinitionVersion,
+        definitionVersion: globals.currentProjectStateDefinitionVersion,
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/theatre/core/src/sequences/Sequence.ts b/theatre/core/src/sequences/Sequence.ts
index e65bdfb..8ec819f 100644
--- a/theatre/core/src/sequences/Sequence.ts
+++ b/theatre/core/src/sequences/Sequence.ts
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ export default class Sequence {
   set position(requestedPosition: number) {
     let position = requestedPosition
     this.pause()
-    if (!$env.isCore) {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       if (typeof position !== 'number') {
         logger.error(
           `value t in sequence.position = t must be a number. ${typeof position} given`,
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ export default class Sequence {
             end: sequenceDuration,
           }
 
-    if (!$env.isCore) {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       if (typeof range.start !== 'number' || range.start < 0) {
         throw new InvalidArgumentError(
           `Argument conf.range.start in sequence.play(conf) must be a positive number. ${JSON.stringify(
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ export default class Sequence {
 
     const iterationCount =
       conf && typeof conf.iterationCount === 'number' ? conf.iterationCount : 1
-    if (!$env.isCore) {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       if (
         !(Number.isInteger(iterationCount) && iterationCount > 0) &&
         iterationCount !== Infinity
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ export default class Sequence {
 
     const rate = conf && typeof conf.rate !== 'undefined' ? conf.rate : 1
 
-    if (!$env.isCore) {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       if (typeof rate !== 'number' || rate === 0) {
         throw new InvalidArgumentError(
           `Argument conf.rate in sequence.play(conf) must be a number larger than 0. ${JSON.stringify(
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ export default class Sequence {
 
     const direction = conf && conf.direction ? conf.direction : 'normal'
 
-    if (!$env.isCore) {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       if (possibleDirections.indexOf(direction) === -1) {
         throw new InvalidArgumentError(
           `Argument conf.direction in sequence.play(conf) must be one of ${JSON.stringify(
diff --git a/theatre/core/src/sequences/TheatreSequence.ts b/theatre/core/src/sequences/TheatreSequence.ts
index 4773d0d..a54e25a 100644
--- a/theatre/core/src/sequences/TheatreSequence.ts
+++ b/theatre/core/src/sequences/TheatreSequence.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export default class TheatreSequence {
     if (privateAPI(this)._project.isReady()) {
       return privateAPI(this).play(conf)
     } else {
-      if (!$env.isCore) {
+      if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
         logger.warn(
           `You seem to have called sequence.play() before the project has finished loading.\n` +
             `This would **not** a problem in production when using '@theatre/core', since Theatre loads instantly in core mode. ` +
diff --git a/theatre/core/src/sequences/trackValueAtTime.ts b/theatre/core/src/sequences/trackValueAtTime.ts
index 9522bf9..0a1dbc1 100644
--- a/theatre/core/src/sequences/trackValueAtTime.ts
+++ b/theatre/core/src/sequences/trackValueAtTime.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ const pp = (
     const currentKeyframe = track.keyframes[currentKeyframeIndex]
 
     if (!currentKeyframe) {
-      if ($env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
+      if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
         logger.error(`Bug here`)
       }
       return states.error
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ const pp = (
       if (currentKeyframeIndex === 0) {
         return states.beforeFirstKeyframe(currentKeyframe)
       } else {
-        if ($env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
+        if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
           logger.error(`Bug here`)
         }
         return states.error
diff --git a/theatre/core/src/sheetObjects/SheetObjectTemplate.ts b/theatre/core/src/sheetObjects/SheetObjectTemplate.ts
index 38de081..bc076b6 100644
--- a/theatre/core/src/sheetObjects/SheetObjectTemplate.ts
+++ b/theatre/core/src/sheetObjects/SheetObjectTemplate.ts
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ export default class SheetObjectTemplate {
    * Not available in core.
    */
   getMapOfValidSequenceTracks_forStudio(): IDerivation<IPropPathToTrackIdTree> {
-    if (!$env.isCore) {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       return this._cache.get('getMapOfValidSequenceTracks_forStudio', () =>
         this.getArrayOfValidSequenceTracks().map((arr) => {
           let map = {}
diff --git a/theatre/devEnv/build.ts b/theatre/devEnv/build.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d230ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/theatre/devEnv/build.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import path from 'path'
+import {
+  convertObjectToWebpackDefinePaths,
+  getEnvConfig,
+} from './webpack/createWebpackConfig'
+
+const playgroundDir = path.join(__dirname, '..')
+
+const envConfig = getEnvConfig(true)
+
+require('esbuild').serve(
+  {
+    port,
+    servedir: path.join(playgroundDir, 'src'),
+  },
+  {
+    entryPoints: [path.join(playgroundDir, 'src/index.tsx')],
+    target: ['firefox88'],
+    loader: {'.png': 'file'},
+    // outdir: '.',
+    // watch: true,
+    bundle: true,
+    sourcemap: true,
+    define: {
+      global: 'window',
+      ...convertObjectToWebpackDefinePaths({
+        process: {env: envConfig},
+        'process.env': envConfig,
+      }),
+    },
+  },
+)
diff --git a/theatre/devEnv/webpack/createWebpackConfig.ts b/theatre/devEnv/webpack/createWebpackConfig.ts
index a97ad19..98d5186 100644
--- a/theatre/devEnv/webpack/createWebpackConfig.ts
+++ b/theatre/devEnv/webpack/createWebpackConfig.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ export default (type: 'playground' | 'development' | 'production') => {
 
   return bundles.map((which) => {
     const envConfig = getEnvConfig(isDev)
-    envConfig.isCore = which === 'core'
     envConfig.version = require('../../package.json').version
     const packageRoot = path.join(
       privatePackageRoot,
@@ -175,12 +174,6 @@ export default (type: 'playground' | 'development' | 'production') => {
       }
     }
 
-    if (which === 'core') {
-      config.plugins!.push(
-        new webpack.DefinePlugin({'$env.isCore': JSON.stringify(true)}),
-      )
-    }
-
     if (!isDev) {
       config.stats = {
         // @ts-ignore
@@ -196,12 +189,12 @@ export default (type: 'playground' | 'development' | 'production') => {
       }
     }
 
-    // defined process.env and $env
+    // defined process.env and process.env
     config.plugins!.push(
       new webpack.DefinePlugin(
         convertObjectToWebpackDefinePaths({
           process: {env: envConfig},
-          $env: envConfig,
+          'process.env': envConfig,
         }),
       ),
     )
diff --git a/theatre/devEnv/webpack/production.js b/theatre/devEnv/webpack/production.js
index 6dbce26..c98272a 100644
--- a/theatre/devEnv/webpack/production.js
+++ b/theatre/devEnv/webpack/production.js
@@ -2,5 +2,4 @@ require('ts-node').register({transpileOnly: true, skipProject: true})
 
 const createWebpackConfigObject = require('./createWebpackConfig')
 
-// @ts-ignore
 module.exports = createWebpackConfigObject('production')
diff --git a/theatre/globals.d.ts b/theatre/globals.d.ts
index 0b700d0..b22bea7 100644
--- a/theatre/globals.d.ts
+++ b/theatre/globals.d.ts
@@ -8,43 +8,11 @@ interface NodeModule {
   }
 }
 
-// First, the env variables that exist regardless of the value of NODE_ENV
-type CommonEnvironmentVariables = {
+interface ProcessEnv {
+  NODE_ENV: 'development' | 'production' | 'test'
   version: string
-  isCore: boolean
-  studioPersistenceKey: string
-  currentProjectStateDefinitionVersion: string
-  disableStatePersistence?: boolean
 }
 
-// Some environment variables are specific to NODE_ENV='development'
-type DevSpecificEnvironmentVariables = {
-  NODE_ENV: 'development'
-  devSpecific: {
-    devServerHost: string
-    devServerSSL?: {
-      useSSL?: boolean
-      pathToKey: string
-      pathToCert: string
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-type TestSpecificEnvironmentVariables = {
-  NODE_ENV: 'test'
-}
-
-type ProductionSpecificEnvironmentVariables = {
-  NODE_ENV: 'production'
-}
-
-type EnvironmentVariables =
-  | (CommonEnvironmentVariables & DevSpecificEnvironmentVariables)
-  | (CommonEnvironmentVariables & ProductionSpecificEnvironmentVariables)
-  | (CommonEnvironmentVariables & TestSpecificEnvironmentVariables)
-
-declare let $env: EnvironmentVariables
-
 declare module '*.svg' {
   var s: string
   export default s
diff --git a/theatre/sample.env.json b/theatre/sample.env.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 5928aa5..0000000
--- a/theatre/sample.env.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "NODE_ENV": "development",
-  "studioPersistenceKey": "theatrejs:0.3/studio",
-  "currentProjectStateDefinitionVersion": "0.3.0-dev",
-  "devSpecific": {
-    "devServerHost": "localhost",
-    "devServerSSL": {
-      "useSSL": false,
-      "pathToKey": "/path/to/cert.key",
-      "pathToCert": "/path/to/cert.pem"
-    },
-    "devServerPort": 10022
-  }
-}
diff --git a/theatre/shared/src/globals.ts b/theatre/shared/src/globals.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fde07f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/theatre/shared/src/globals.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+const globals = {
+  disableStatePersistence: false,
+  currentProjectStateDefinitionVersion: '0.3.0-dev',
+}
+
+export default globals
diff --git a/theatre/shared/src/setupTestEnv.ts b/theatre/shared/src/setupTestEnv.ts
index ee8be4a..5f8b0af 100644
--- a/theatre/shared/src/setupTestEnv.ts
+++ b/theatre/shared/src/setupTestEnv.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
-// @ts-expect-error ignore
-global.$env = {disableStatePersistence: true, ...process.env, isCore: false}
+import globals from './globals'
+
+globals.disableStatePersistence = true
diff --git a/theatre/shared/src/testUtils.ts b/theatre/shared/src/testUtils.ts
index 0dfeba0..0a0490e 100644
--- a/theatre/shared/src/testUtils.ts
+++ b/theatre/shared/src/testUtils.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@ import type {SheetState_Historic} from '@theatre/core/projects/store/types/Sheet
 import * as t from '@theatre/shared/propTypes'
 import getStudio from '@theatre/studio/getStudio'
 import coreTicker from '@theatre/core/coreTicker'
+import globals from './globals'
 /* eslint-enable no-restricted-syntax */
 
 let lastProjectN = 0
 export async function setupTestSheet(sheetState: SheetState_Historic) {
   const projectState: ProjectState_Historic = {
-    definitionVersion: $env.currentProjectStateDefinitionVersion,
+    definitionVersion: globals.currentProjectStateDefinitionVersion,
     sheetsById: {
       Sheet: sheetState,
     },
diff --git a/theatre/shared/src/utils/react/hooks.ts b/theatre/shared/src/utils/react/hooks.ts
index 8a44acd..55c59aa 100644
--- a/theatre/shared/src/utils/react/hooks.ts
+++ b/theatre/shared/src/utils/react/hooks.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ export function useForceUpdate(debugLabel?: string) {
   const [, setTick] = useState(0)
 
   const update = useCallback(() => {
-    if ($env.NODE_ENV === 'development' && debugLabel)
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production' && debugLabel)
       logger.log(debugLabel, 'forceUpdate', {trace: new Error()})
 
     setTick((tick) => tick + 1)
diff --git a/theatre/shared/src/utils/redux/configureStore.ts b/theatre/shared/src/utils/redux/configureStore.ts
index 9bae350..fbe46cd 100644
--- a/theatre/shared/src/utils/redux/configureStore.ts
+++ b/theatre/shared/src/utils/redux/configureStore.ts
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ export default function configureStore<State>(conf: Conf<State>): Store<State> {
   // const middlewares: $FixMe[] = []
   const enhancers = []
 
-  if ($env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
+  if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
     const devtoolsEnhancer: $IntentionalAny =
-      $env.NODE_ENV === 'development' &&
+      process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production' &&
       typeof window === 'object' &&
       window.__REDUX_DEVTOOLS_EXTENSION__
         ? window.__REDUX_DEVTOOLS_EXTENSION__(conf.devtoolsOptions)
diff --git a/theatre/shared/src/utils/slashedPaths.ts b/theatre/shared/src/utils/slashedPaths.ts
index b1921da..42c4d37 100644
--- a/theatre/shared/src/utils/slashedPaths.ts
+++ b/theatre/shared/src/utils/slashedPaths.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export function validateAndSanitiseSlashedPathOrThrow(
   fnName: string,
 ) {
   const sanitisedPath = sanifySlashedPath(unsanitisedPath)
-  if ($env.isCore) {
+  if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'development') {
     return sanitisedPath
   }
   const validation = getValidationErrorsOfSlashedPath(sanitisedPath)
diff --git a/theatre/studio/src/Studio.ts b/theatre/studio/src/Studio.ts
index 04ffd81..a851088 100644
--- a/theatre/studio/src/Studio.ts
+++ b/theatre/studio/src/Studio.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export default class Studio {
     this.publicApi = new TheatreStudio(this)
     this.atomP = this._store.atomP
 
-    if ($env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
       this.ui = new UI(this)
     }
 
diff --git a/theatre/studio/src/StudioStore/StudioStore.ts b/theatre/studio/src/StudioStore/StudioStore.ts
index c1c1ee6..f1b3577 100644
--- a/theatre/studio/src/StudioStore/StudioStore.ts
+++ b/theatre/studio/src/StudioStore/StudioStore.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import get from 'lodash-es/get'
 import type {Store} from 'redux'
 import {persistStateOfStudio} from './persistStateOfStudio'
 import {isSheetObject} from '@theatre/shared/instanceTypes'
+import globals from '@theatre/shared/globals'
 
 export type Drafts = {
   historic: Draft<StudioHistoricState>
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ export default class StudioStore {
     this._atom = atomFromReduxStore(this._reduxStore)
     this.atomP = this._atom.pointer
 
-    if ($env.disableStatePersistence !== true) {
+    if (globals.disableStatePersistence !== true) {
       const d = defer<void>()
       this.initialized = d.promise
       persistStateOfStudio(this._reduxStore, () => {
diff --git a/theatre/studio/src/StudioStore/persistStateOfStudio.ts b/theatre/studio/src/StudioStore/persistStateOfStudio.ts
index 2f6e4f3..0b291a5 100644
--- a/theatre/studio/src/StudioStore/persistStateOfStudio.ts
+++ b/theatre/studio/src/StudioStore/persistStateOfStudio.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import type {FullStudioState} from '@theatre/studio/store/index'
 import debounce from 'lodash-es/debounce'
 import type {Store} from 'redux'
 
+const studioPersistenceKey = 'theatrejs:0.3/studio'
+
 export const persistStateOfStudio = (
   reduxStore: Store<FullStudioState>,
   onInitialize: () => void,
@@ -13,7 +15,7 @@ export const persistStateOfStudio = (
     reduxStore.dispatch(studioActions.replacePersistentState(s))
   }
 
-  const storageKey = $env.studioPersistenceKey + '.persistent'
+  const storageKey = studioPersistenceKey + '.persistent'
   const getState = () => reduxStore.getState().$persistent
 
   loadFromPersistentStorage()
diff --git a/theatre/studio/src/UIRoot/UIRootWrapper.tsx b/theatre/studio/src/UIRoot/UIRootWrapper.tsx
index 234180c..3f6d594 100644
--- a/theatre/studio/src/UIRoot/UIRootWrapper.tsx
+++ b/theatre/studio/src/UIRoot/UIRootWrapper.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ export default class UIRootWrapper extends React.Component<{
   componentDidMount() {
     const self = this
     if (
-      $env.NODE_ENV === 'development' &&
+      process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production' &&
       typeof module === 'object' &&
       module &&
       module.hot
diff --git a/theatre/studio/src/index.ts b/theatre/studio/src/index.ts
index f815278..78e78ac 100644
--- a/theatre/studio/src/index.ts
+++ b/theatre/studio/src/index.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const studioPrivateAPI = new Studio()
 export const studio = studioPrivateAPI.publicApi
 export default studio
 
-if ($env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
+if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
   studio.ui.show()
 }