diff --git a/cof/settings/common.py b/cof/settings/common.py
index ffcb8ee5..73959c71 100644
--- a/cof/settings/common.py
+++ b/cof/settings/common.py
@@ -8,26 +8,42 @@ the local development server should be here.
 
 import os
 
-# Database credentials
 try:
-    from .secret import DBNAME, DBUSER, DBPASSWD
+    from . import secret
 except ImportError:
-    # On the local development VM, theses credentials are in the environment
-    DBNAME = os.environ["DBNAME"]
-    DBUSER = os.environ["DBUSER"]
-    DBPASSWD = os.environ["DBPASSWD"]
-except KeyError:
-    raise RuntimeError("Secrets missing")
-
-
-# Other secrets
-try:
-    from .secret import (
-        SECRET_KEY, RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC_KEY, RECAPTCHA_PRIVATE_KEY, ADMINS,
-        REDIS_PASSWD, REDIS_DB, REDIS_HOST, REDIS_PORT, KFETOPEN_TOKEN,
+    raise ImportError(
+        "The secret.py file is missing.\n"
+        "For a development environment, simply copy secret_example.py"
     )
-except ImportError:
-    raise RuntimeError("Secrets missing")
+
+
+def import_secret(name):
+    """
+    Shorthand for importing a value from the secret module and raising an
+    informative exception if a secret is missing.
+    """
+    try:
+        return getattr(secret, name)
+    except AttributeError:
+        raise RuntimeError("Secret missing: {}".format(name))
+
+
+SECRET_KEY = import_secret("SECRET_KEY")
+ADMINS = import_secret("ADMINS")
+
+DBNAME = import_secret("DBNAME")
+DBUSER = import_secret("DBUSER")
+DBPASSWD = import_secret("DBPASSWD")
+
+REDIS_PASSWD = import_secret("REDIS_PASSWD")
+REDIS_DB = import_secret("REDIS_DB")
+REDIS_HOST = import_secret("REDIS_HOST")
+REDIS_PORT = import_secret("REDIS_PORT")
+
+RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC_KEY = import_secret("RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC_KEY")
+RECAPTCHA_PRIVATE_KEY = import_secret("RECAPTCHA_PRIVATE_KEY")
+
+KFETOPEN_TOKEN = import_secret("KFETOPEN_TOKEN")
 
 
 BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(
diff --git a/cof/settings/secret_example.py b/cof/settings/secret_example.py
index a1d35b68..0dbc91dc 100644
--- a/cof/settings/secret_example.py
+++ b/cof/settings/secret_example.py
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 SECRET_KEY = 'q()(zn4m63i%5cp4)f+ww4-28_w+ly3q9=6imw2ciu&_(5_4ah'
-RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC_KEY = "DUMMY"
-RECAPTCHA_PRIVATE_KEY = "DUMMY"
+ADMINS = None
+
+DBUSER = "cof_gestion"
+DBNAME = "cof_gestion"
+DBPASSWD = "4KZt3nGPLVeWSvtBZPSM3fSzXpzEU4"
+
 REDIS_PASSWD = "dummy"
 REDIS_PORT = 6379
 REDIS_DB = 0
 REDIS_HOST = "127.0.0.1"
-ADMINS = None
+
+RECAPTCHA_PUBLIC_KEY = "DUMMY"
+RECAPTCHA_PRIVATE_KEY = "DUMMY"
 
 KFETOPEN_TOKEN = "plop"