diff --git a/arch/tools/pyproject.toml b/arch/tools/pyproject.toml
index d6305e6a..eeb48b5b 100644
--- a/arch/tools/pyproject.toml
+++ b/arch/tools/pyproject.toml
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ include = [
 # Include package data (docker-compose.yaml and other files)[
     "config/docker-compose.yaml",
     "config/arch_config_schema.yaml",
-    "config/stage.env"
 ]
 
 [tool.poetry.dependencies]
diff --git a/demos/hr_agent/arch_config.yaml b/demos/hr_agent/arch_config.yaml
index b926f7ad..1e93dfa1 100644
--- a/demos/hr_agent/arch_config.yaml
+++ b/demos/hr_agent/arch_config.yaml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ listener:
 llm_providers:
   - name: OpenAI
     provider: openai
-    access_key: OPENAI_API_KEY
+    access_key: $OPENAI_API_KEY
     model: gpt-4o-mini
     default: true
 
diff --git a/demos/insurance_agent/arch_config.yaml b/demos/insurance_agent/arch_config.yaml
index c6ea99fe..63997f72 100644
--- a/demos/insurance_agent/arch_config.yaml
+++ b/demos/insurance_agent/arch_config.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ system_prompt: |
 llm_providers:
   - name: OpenAI
     provider: openai
-    access_key: OPENAI_API_KEY
+    access_key: $OPENAI_API_KEY
     model: gpt-4o
     default: true
 
diff --git a/demos/network_agent/arch_config.yaml b/demos/network_agent/arch_config.yaml
index 63ada88e..a684f4ef 100644
--- a/demos/network_agent/arch_config.yaml
+++ b/demos/network_agent/arch_config.yaml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ listener:
 llm_providers:
   - name: OpenAI
     provider: openai
-    access_key: OPENAI_API_KEY
+    access_key: $OPENAI_API_KEY
     model: gpt-3.5-turbo
     default: true
 
diff --git a/docs/source/build_with_arch/includes/agent/function-calling-agent.yaml b/docs/source/build_with_arch/includes/agent/function-calling-agent.yaml
index 5e31615b..bafd3b41 100644
--- a/docs/source/build_with_arch/includes/agent/function-calling-agent.yaml
+++ b/docs/source/build_with_arch/includes/agent/function-calling-agent.yaml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ listener:
 llm_providers:
   - name: OpenAI
     provider: openai
-    access_key: OPENAI_API_KEY
+    access_key: $OPENAI_API_KEY
     model: gpt-3.5-turbo
     default: true
 
diff --git a/docs/source/concepts/includes/arch_config.yaml b/docs/source/concepts/includes/arch_config.yaml
index bb52ea60..44da39ff 100644
--- a/docs/source/concepts/includes/arch_config.yaml
+++ b/docs/source/concepts/includes/arch_config.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ listener:
 llm_providers:
   - name: OpenAI
     provider: openai
-    access_key: OPENAI_API_KEY
+    access_key: $OPENAI_API_KEY
     model: gpt-4o
     default: true
     stream: true
diff --git a/docs/source/get_started/includes/quickstart.yaml b/docs/source/get_started/includes/quickstart.yaml
index c448ae82..3125be99 100644
--- a/docs/source/get_started/includes/quickstart.yaml
+++ b/docs/source/get_started/includes/quickstart.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ listen:
 llm_providers:
   - name: OpenAI
     provider: openai
-    access_key: OPENAI_API_KEY
+    access_key: $OPENAI_API_KEY
     model: gpt-4o
     default: true
     stream: true
diff --git a/docs/source/guides/includes/arch_config.yaml b/docs/source/guides/includes/arch_config.yaml
index 4112a204..52496afd 100644
--- a/docs/source/guides/includes/arch_config.yaml
+++ b/docs/source/guides/includes/arch_config.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ listener:
 llm_providers:
   - name: OpenAI
     provider: openai
-    access_key: OPENAI_API_KEY
+    access_key: $OPENAI_API_KEY
     model: gpt-4o
     default: true
     stream: true
diff --git a/docs/source/resources/includes/arch_config_full_reference.yaml b/docs/source/resources/includes/arch_config_full_reference.yaml
index 2206aa2e..1f97369a 100644
--- a/docs/source/resources/includes/arch_config_full_reference.yaml
+++ b/docs/source/resources/includes/arch_config_full_reference.yaml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ endpoints:
 llm_providers:
   - name: OpenAI
     provider: openai
-    access_key: OPENAI_API_KEY
+    access_key: $OPENAI_API_KEY
     model: gpt-4o
     default: true
     stream: true
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ llm_providers:
 
   - name: Mistral8x7b
     provider: mistral
-    access_key: MISTRAL_API_KEY
+    access_key: $MISTRAL_API_KEY
     model: mistral-8x7b
 
   - name: MistralLocal7b