diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index c48a862ae046..a0b64a131c7f 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ func (s *Ethereum) APIs() []rpc.API {
 		Service:   backends.NewEthBackendServer(s.APIBackend),
 	})
 
-	sessionManager := suave_builder.NewSessionManager(s.blockchain, s.txPool, &suave_builder.Config{})
+	sessionManager := suave_builder.NewSessionManager(s.blockchain, s.txPool, suave_builder.NewConfig())
 
 	apis = append(apis, rpc.API{
 		Namespace: "suavex",
diff --git a/suave/builder/session_manager.go b/suave/builder/session_manager.go
index f99d076d76fc..351bfbdd4668 100644
--- a/suave/builder/session_manager.go
+++ b/suave/builder/session_manager.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -25,6 +27,36 @@ type Config struct {
 	MaxConcurrentSessions int
 }
 
+func NewConfig() *Config {
+	cfg := &Config{
+		GasCeil:               1000000000000000000,
+		SessionIdleTimeout:    5 * time.Second,
+		MaxConcurrentSessions: 16,
+	}
+
+	// apply env if exists
+	var err error
+	if valStr := os.Getenv("GAS_CEIL"); valStr != "" {
+		if cfg.GasCeil, err = strconv.ParseUint(valStr, 10, 64); err != nil {
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to parse GAS_CEIL flag as uint: %v", err))
+		}
+	}
+
+	if valStr := os.Getenv("SESSION_IDLE_TIMEOUT"); valStr != "" {
+		if cfg.SessionIdleTimeout, err = time.ParseDuration(valStr); err != nil {
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to parse SESSION_IDLE_TIMEOUT flag as duration: %v", err))
+		}
+	}
+
+	if valStr := os.Getenv("MAX_CONCURRENT_SESSIONS"); valStr != "" {
+		if cfg.MaxConcurrentSessions, err = strconv.Atoi(valStr); err != nil {
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to parse MAX_CONCURRENT_SESSIONS flag as int: %v", err))
+		}
+	}
+
+	return cfg
+}
+
 type SessionManager struct {
 	sem           chan struct{}
 	sessions      map[string]*miner.Builder
@@ -36,14 +68,8 @@ type SessionManager struct {
 }
 
 func NewSessionManager(blockchain *core.BlockChain, pool *txpool.TxPool, config *Config) *SessionManager {
-	if config.GasCeil == 0 {
-		config.GasCeil = 1000000000000000000
-	}
-	if config.SessionIdleTimeout == 0 {
-		config.SessionIdleTimeout = 5 * time.Second
-	}
-	if config.MaxConcurrentSessions <= 0 {
-		config.MaxConcurrentSessions = 16 // chosen arbitrarily
+	if config == nil {
+		panic("empty session manager config")
 	}
 
 	sem := make(chan struct{}, config.MaxConcurrentSessions)
@@ -197,7 +223,7 @@ func (s *SessionManager) Bid(sessionId string, blsPubKey phase0.BLSPubKey) (*api
 }
 
 func (s *SessionManager) GetBalance(sessionId string, addr common.Address) (*big.Int, error) {
-	builder, err := s.getSession(sessionId)
+	builder, err := s.getSession(sessionId, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/suave/builder/session_manager_test.go b/suave/builder/session_manager_test.go
index 0cfbfa0aa426..1607922c60de 100644
--- a/suave/builder/session_manager_test.go
+++ b/suave/builder/session_manager_test.go
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestSessionManager_SessionTimeout(t *testing.T) {
-	mngr, _ := newSessionManager(t, &Config{
-		SessionIdleTimeout: 500 * time.Millisecond,
-	})
+	config := NewConfig()
+	config.SessionIdleTimeout = 500 * time.Millisecond
+	mngr, _ := newSessionManager(t, config)
 
 	args := &api.BuildBlockArgs{}
 
@@ -43,10 +43,10 @@ func TestSessionManager_MaxConcurrentSessions(t *testing.T) {
 	const d = time.Millisecond * 100
 	args := &api.BuildBlockArgs{}
 
-	mngr, _ := newSessionManager(t, &Config{
-		MaxConcurrentSessions: 1,
-		SessionIdleTimeout:    d,
-	})
+	config := NewConfig()
+	config.MaxConcurrentSessions = 1
+	config.SessionIdleTimeout = d
+	mngr, _ := newSessionManager(t, config)
 
 	t.Run("SessionAvailable", func(t *testing.T) {
 		sess, err := mngr.NewSession(context.TODO(), args)
@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@ func TestSessionManager_MaxConcurrentSessions(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSessionManager_SessionRefresh(t *testing.T) {
-	mngr, _ := newSessionManager(t, &Config{
-		SessionIdleTimeout: 500 * time.Millisecond,
-	})
+	config := NewConfig()
+	config.SessionIdleTimeout = 500 * time.Millisecond
+	mngr, _ := newSessionManager(t, config)
 
 	args := &api.BuildBlockArgs{}
 	id, err := mngr.NewSession(context.TODO(), args)
@@ -103,8 +103,7 @@ func TestSessionManager_SessionRefresh(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSessionManager_StartSession(t *testing.T) {
-	// test that the session starts and it can simulate transactions
-	mngr, bMock := newSessionManager(t, &Config{})
+	mngr, bMock := newSessionManager(t, NewConfig())
 
 	args := &api.BuildBlockArgs{}
 	id, err := mngr.NewSession(context.TODO(), args)