diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 458a33d452b3255915008c73a527cae17ebd922a..d385147c58182b864b1fc58c8a57b113ba8691aa 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ _The following steps show how to get the SDK running_
 
 Configuration properties e.g. for REST-API urls and proxy settings can be found in the YAML config ``config.yml`` within the root folder of the project.
 
-In order to run the SDK client a configuration needs to be provided as file in the same path as the jar (e.g. when the commandline client is used) or via reference using the environment variable ``CONFIG_LOCATION`` (e.g. when the SDK is used programmatically).
+In order to run the SDK client a configuration needs to be provided as file in the same path as the jar (e.g. when the commandline client is used) or via reference using the environment variable ``FIT_CONNECT_CONFIG`` (e.g. when the SDK is used programmatically).
 
 <p align="right">(<a href="#top">back to top</a>)</p>
 
diff --git a/client/README.md b/client/README.md
index 486ba31898a6c55f7d0aaa15efaec091271a2408..c8a2130f9f53bc40c8b2defdaf187b7b1ca48c6c 100644
--- a/client/README.md
+++ b/client/README.md
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ The sdk comes with a commandline client to be able to use the sdk without any co
 #### Setup & Build
 1. Build project root wih ``./mvnw clean package``
 2. Go to client/target and find a runnable jar ``client-VERSION.jar``
-3. set environment variable ``CONFIG_LOCATION`` or drop a configured [config.yml](../config.yml) file next to the runnable jar
-   1. Linux/MacOS: ``export CONFIG_LOCATION=path/to/config.yml``
-   2. Windows: ``set CONFIG_LOCATION=C:\Path\To\config.yml``
+3. set environment variable ``FIT_CONNECT_CONFIG`` or drop a configured [config.yml](../config.yml) file next to the runnable jar
+   1. Linux/MacOS: ``export FIT_CONNECT_CONFIG=path/to/config.yml``
+   2. Windows: ``set FIT_CONNECT_CONFIG=C:\Path\To\config.yml``
 4. run client with ``java -jar client-VERSION.jar [COMMAND] [OPTIONS]``
 
 #### SEND Example
diff --git a/client/src/main/java/dev/fitko/fitconnect/client/factory/ClientFactory.java b/client/src/main/java/dev/fitko/fitconnect/client/factory/ClientFactory.java
index 40e8d04390b7ef02d3a2e1ec7ca80225a6549705..6a6aeb31ac1021d640a5b66e093fd9ea9885fe03 100644
--- a/client/src/main/java/dev/fitko/fitconnect/client/factory/ClientFactory.java
+++ b/client/src/main/java/dev/fitko/fitconnect/client/factory/ClientFactory.java
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public final class ClientFactory {
     private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ClientFactory.class);
 
     private static final String CONFIG_DEFAULT_LOCATION = "config.yml";
-    private static final String CUSTOM_CONFIG_KEY = "CONFIG_LOCATION";
+    private static final String CUSTOM_CONFIG_KEY = "FIT_CONNECT_CONFIG";
 
     private static final String SENDER_BANNER = getSplashScreenResource("/sender-banner.txt");
     private static final String SUBSCRIBER_BANNER = getSplashScreenResource("/subscriber-banner.txt");
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ public final class ClientFactory {
             LOGGER.info("Using sdk environment config {} with {}", applicationConfig.getCurrentEnvironment(), applicationConfig);
             return applicationConfig;
         } catch (final IOException e) {
-            throw new IllegalStateException("Config could not be loaded, please provide a 'config.yml' in the root path or in the ENV-var 'CONFIG_LOCATION'", e);
+            throw new IllegalStateException("Config could not be loaded, please provide a 'config.yml' in the root path or in the ENV-var 'FIT_CONNECT_CONFIG'", e);
         }
     }