diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7dc6b01c65..caaa0a28a2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
    + A `<host>:<admin_server_port>/live` endpoint is available for checking if postgrest is running on its port/socket. 200 OK = alive, 503 = dead.
    + A `<host>:<admin_server_port>/ready` endpoint is available for checking a correct internal state(the database connection plus the schema cache). 200 OK = ready, 503 = not ready.
  - #1988, Add the current user to the request log on stdout - @DavidLindbom, @wolfgangwalther
- - #1991, Add the ability to run without `db-uri` using libpq's PG environment variables to connect. @wolfgangwalther
- - #1769, Add the ability to run without `db-schemas`, defaulting to `db-schemas=public`. @wolfgangwalther
- - #1689, Add the ability to run without `db-anon-role` disabling anonymous access. @wolfgangwalther
+ - #1823, Add the ability to run postgrest without any configuration. @wolfgangwalther
+   + #1991, Add the ability to run without `db-uri` using libpq's PG environment variables to connect. @wolfgangwalther
+   + #1769, Add the ability to run without `db-schemas`, defaulting to `db-schemas=public`. @wolfgangwalther
+   + #1689, Add the ability to run without `db-anon-role` disabling anonymous access. @wolfgangwalther
 
 ### Fixed
 
diff --git a/main/Main.hs b/main/Main.hs
index d9d39373ac..5d5e18a710 100644
--- a/main/Main.hs
+++ b/main/Main.hs
@@ -2,15 +2,11 @@
 
 module Main (main) where
 
-import qualified Data.Map.Strict as M
-
 import System.IO (BufferMode (..), hSetBuffering)
 
 import qualified PostgREST.App as App
 import qualified PostgREST.CLI as CLI
 
-import PostgREST.Config (readPGRSTEnvironment)
-
 import Protolude
 
 #ifndef mingw32_HOST_OS
@@ -20,8 +16,7 @@ import qualified PostgREST.Unix as Unix
 main :: IO ()
 main = do
   setBuffering
-  hasPGRSTEnv <- not . M.null <$> readPGRSTEnvironment
-  opts <- CLI.readCLIShowHelp hasPGRSTEnv
+  opts <- CLI.readCLIShowHelp
   CLI.main installSignalHandlers runAppInSocket opts
 
 installSignalHandlers :: App.SignalHandlerInstaller
diff --git a/src/PostgREST/CLI.hs b/src/PostgREST/CLI.hs
index 6f83d1d37b..0a7a9bf00a 100644
--- a/src/PostgREST/CLI.hs
+++ b/src/PostgREST/CLI.hs
@@ -82,12 +82,12 @@ data Command
   | CmdDumpSchema
 
 -- | Read command line interface options. Also prints help.
-readCLIShowHelp :: Bool -> IO CLI
-readCLIShowHelp hasEnvironment =
+readCLIShowHelp :: IO CLI
+readCLIShowHelp =
   O.customExecParser prefs opts
   where
     prefs = O.prefs $ O.showHelpOnError <> O.showHelpOnEmpty
-    opts = O.info parser $ O.fullDesc <> progDesc <> footer
+    opts = O.info parser $ O.fullDesc <> progDesc
     parser = O.helper <*> exampleParser <*> cliParser
 
     progDesc =
@@ -96,11 +96,6 @@ readCLIShowHelp hasEnvironment =
         <> BS.unpack prettyVersion
         <> " / create a REST API to an existing Postgres database"
 
-    footer =
-      O.footer $
-        "To run PostgREST, please pass the FILENAME argument"
-        <> " or set PGRST_ environment variables."
-
     exampleParser =
       O.infoOption exampleConfigFile $
         O.long "example"
@@ -111,12 +106,12 @@ readCLIShowHelp hasEnvironment =
     cliParser =
       CLI
         <$> (dumpConfigFlag <|> dumpSchemaFlag)
-        <*> optionalIf hasEnvironment configFileOption
+        <*> O.optional configFileOption
 
     configFileOption =
       O.strArgument $
         O.metavar "FILENAME"
-        <> O.help "Path to configuration file (optional with PGRST_ environment variables)"
+        <> O.help "Path to configuration file"
 
     dumpConfigFlag =
       O.flag CmdRun CmdDumpConfig $
@@ -128,10 +123,6 @@ readCLIShowHelp hasEnvironment =
         O.long "dump-schema"
         <> O.help "Dump loaded schema as JSON and exit (for debugging, output structure is unstable)"
 
-    optionalIf :: Alternative f => Bool -> f a -> f (Maybe a)
-    optionalIf True  = O.optional
-    optionalIf False = fmap Just
-
 exampleConfigFile :: [Char]
 exampleConfigFile =
   [str|### REQUIRED:
diff --git a/test/io/fixtures.yaml b/test/io/fixtures.yaml
index 19e957c917..45f71e2455 100644
--- a/test/io/fixtures.yaml
+++ b/test/io/fixtures.yaml
@@ -10,13 +10,11 @@ cli:
     args: ['-e']
   - name: dump config
     args: ['--dump-config']
-    use_defaultenv: true
   - name: dump schema
     args: ['--dump-schema']
     use_defaultenv: true
-# failures: config files
   - name: no config
-    expect: error
+# failures: config files
   - name: non-existant config file
     expect: error
     args: ['does_not_exist.conf']