diff --git a/llama_toolchain/agentic_system/meta_reference/agentic_system.py b/llama_toolchain/agentic_system/meta_reference/agentic_system.py
index ae1d282aa6..5252e75151 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/agentic_system/meta_reference/agentic_system.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/agentic_system/meta_reference/agentic_system.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ async def get_provider_impl(config: AgenticSystemConfig, deps: Dict[Api, Provide
     ), f"Unexpected config type: {type(config)}"
 
     impl = MetaReferenceAgenticSystemImpl(
+        config,
         deps[Api.inference],
         deps[Api.safety],
     )
@@ -58,7 +59,10 @@ async def get_provider_impl(config: AgenticSystemConfig, deps: Dict[Api, Provide
 
 
 class MetaReferenceAgenticSystemImpl(AgenticSystem):
-    def __init__(self, inference_api: Inference, safety_api: Safety):
+    def __init__(
+        self, config: AgenticSystemConfig, inference_api: Inference, safety_api: Safety
+    ):
+        self.config = config
         self.inference_api = inference_api
         self.safety_api = safety_api
 
@@ -77,9 +81,15 @@ async def create_agentic_system(
         for dfn in cfg.available_tools:
             if isinstance(dfn.tool_name, BuiltinTool):
                 if dfn.tool_name == BuiltinTool.wolfram_alpha:
-                    tool = WolframAlphaTool(os.environ.get("WOLFRAM_ALPHA_API_KEY"))
+                    key = self.config.wolfram_api_key
+                    if not key:
+                        raise ValueError("Wolfram API key not defined in config")
+                    tool = WolframAlphaTool(key)
                 elif dfn.tool_name == BuiltinTool.brave_search:
-                    tool = BraveSearchTool(os.environ.get("BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY"))
+                    key = self.config.brave_search_api_key
+                    if not key:
+                        raise ValueError("Brave API key not defined in config")
+                    tool = BraveSearchTool(key)
                 elif dfn.tool_name == BuiltinTool.code_interpreter:
                     tool = CodeInterpreterTool()
                 elif dfn.tool_name == BuiltinTool.photogen:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/agentic_system/meta_reference/config.py b/llama_toolchain/agentic_system/meta_reference/config.py
index 3497840219..cff22d03dd 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/agentic_system/meta_reference/config.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/agentic_system/meta_reference/config.py
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@
 # This source code is licensed under the terms described in the LICENSE file in
 # the root directory of this source tree.
 
+from typing import Optional
+
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 
 
 class AgenticSystemConfig(BaseModel):
-    # placeholder, no separate configuration is needed for now
-    pass
+    brave_search_api_key: Optional[str] = None
+    wolfram_api_key: Optional[str] = None
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/distribution/distribution.py b/llama_toolchain/distribution/distribution.py
index f92547ba7e..f96d0cac6c 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/distribution/distribution.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/distribution/distribution.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 # `llama-toolchain` is automatically installed by the installation script.
 SERVER_DEPENDENCIES = [
     "fastapi",
-    "python-dotenv",
     "uvicorn",
 ]
 
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/distribution/server.py b/llama_toolchain/distribution/server.py
index d1140e6a08..8707fa9edd 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/distribution/server.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/distribution/server.py
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 import fire
 import httpx
 import yaml
-from dotenv import load_dotenv
 
 from fastapi import FastAPI, HTTPException, Request, Response
 from fastapi.exceptions import RequestValidationError
@@ -42,8 +41,6 @@
 
 from .registry import resolve_distribution_spec
 
-load_dotenv()
-
 
 def is_async_iterator_type(typ):
     if hasattr(typ, "__origin__"):