diff --git a/.github/workflows/run-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/run-tests.yml
index b53ce02b..e93be144 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run-tests.yml
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/setup-node@v4
       with:
         node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
-        cache: 'npm'
-        cache-dependency-path: '**/package.json'
+        # cache: 'npm'
+        # cache-dependency-path: '**/package.json'
 
     - name: Install dependencies
       run: npm install
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7e6a88be..1aaf8f2b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@
     "url": "https://github.com/supercharge/framework/issues"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@supercharge/eslint-config-typescript": "~4.0.1",
+    "@supercharge/eslint-config-typescript": "~4.0.2",
     "@supercharge/tsconfig": "~7.0.0",
-    "@types/node": "~20.10.5",
+    "@types/node": "~20.12.8",
     "eslint": "~8.56.0",
-    "lerna": "~8.0.1",
-    "nx": "17.1.2"
+    "lerna": "~8.1.2",
+    "nx": "18.3.4"
   },
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=22"
diff --git a/packages/core/package.json b/packages/core/package.json
index 11331e8c..29d88220 100644
--- a/packages/core/package.json
+++ b/packages/core/package.json
@@ -21,12 +21,11 @@
     "@supercharge/console": "^4.0.0-alpha.2",
     "@supercharge/contracts": "^4.0.0-alpha.2",
     "@supercharge/errors": "~2.0.1",
-    "@supercharge/fs": "~3.4.0",
+    "@supercharge/fs": "~3.4.2",
     "@supercharge/goodies": "~2.0.0",
     "@supercharge/http": "^4.0.0-alpha.2",
     "@supercharge/set": "~2.2.1",
     "@supercharge/support": "^4.0.0-alpha.2",
-    "dotenv": "~16.3.1",
     "type-fest": "~4.8.3",
     "youch": "~3.3.3",
     "youch-terminal": "~2.2.3"
@@ -35,7 +34,6 @@
     "@supercharge/view": "^4.0.0-alpha.2",
     "c8": "~9.1.0",
     "expect": "~29.7.0",
-    "mocked-env": "~1.3.5",
     "sinon": "~17.0.1",
     "supertest": "~7.0.0",
     "typescript": "~5.4.5",
diff --git a/packages/core/src/bootstrappers/load-environment-variables.ts b/packages/core/src/bootstrappers/load-environment-variables.ts
index 7e85d63f..f0748b51 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/bootstrappers/load-environment-variables.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/bootstrappers/load-environment-variables.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 
 import Path from 'node:path'
 import Fs from '@supercharge/fs'
+import { parseEnv } from 'node:util'
 import { Str } from '@supercharge/strings'
-import Dotenv, { DotenvConfigOptions } from 'dotenv'
 import { Application, Bootstrapper } from '@supercharge/contracts'
 import { EnvironmentFileError } from '../errors/environment-file-error.js'
 
@@ -42,23 +42,22 @@ export class LoadEnvironmentVariables implements Bootstrapper {
     const envPath = this.app.environmentFilePath()
 
     if (await Fs.notExists(envPath)) {
-      throw new Error(`Invalid environment file. Cannot find env file "${envPath}".`)
+      throw new EnvironmentFileError(`Invalid environment file. Cannot find env file "${envPath}".`)
     }
 
-    await this.loadEnvironmentFile(
-      this.app.environmentFilePath(), { override: false }
-    )
+    await this.loadEnvironmentFile(envPath)
   }
 
   /**
-   * Load the given environment `file` content into `process.env`.
+   * Load the environment file from the given `path` into `process.env`.
    */
-  async loadEnvironmentFile (path: string, options: DotenvConfigOptions): Promise<void> {
-    const { error } = Dotenv.config({ path, ...options })
+  async loadEnvironmentFile (envFilePath: string): Promise<void> {
+    const content = await Fs.content(envFilePath)
+    const environmentVariables = parseEnv(content)
 
-    if (error) {
-      throw new EnvironmentFileError(`Failed to load environment file "${path}"`, { cause: error })
-    }
+    Object.entries(environmentVariables).forEach(([key, value]) => {
+      process.env[key] = value
+    })
   }
 
   /**
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ export class LoadEnvironmentVariables implements Bootstrapper {
       : this.app.resolveFromBasePath(this.app.environmentPath(), `.env.${env}`)
 
     if (await Fs.exists(envFilePath)) {
-      await this.loadEnvironmentFile(envFilePath, { override: true })
+      await this.loadEnvironmentFile(envFilePath)
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/test/http-kernel.js b/packages/core/test/http-kernel.js
index f164eca8..69f48b36 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/http-kernel.js
+++ b/packages/core/test/http-kernel.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import { test } from 'uvu'
 import Path from 'node:path'
 import { expect } from 'expect'
 import Supertest from 'supertest'
-import MockedEnv from 'mocked-env'
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url'
 import { Server } from '@supercharge/http'
 import { HttpKernel, Application, ErrorHandler } from '../dist/index.js'
@@ -67,8 +66,6 @@ test('fails to bootstrap the HTTP kernel when missing a .env file', async () =>
 })
 
 test('loads specific environment from .env.testing file because of NODE_ENV=testing', async () => {
-  const restoreEnv = MockedEnv({ restore: true })
-
   const env = app.env().get('NODE_ENV')
   app.env().set('NODE_ENV', 'testing')
 
@@ -78,8 +75,6 @@ test('loads specific environment from .env.testing file because of NODE_ENV=test
   expect(app.env().get('OVERWRITE')).toEqual('1')
 
   app.env().set('NODE_ENV', env)
-
-  restoreEnv()
 })
 
 test('registers and calls booted callbacks', async () => {
diff --git a/packages/env/package.json b/packages/env/package.json
index 81f8f9db..bf01ef31 100644
--- a/packages/env/package.json
+++ b/packages/env/package.json
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@supercharge/contracts": "^4.0.0-alpha.2",
     "@supercharge/fs": "~3.4.0",
-    "@supercharge/strings": "~2.0.0",
-    "dotenv": "~16.3.1"
+    "@supercharge/strings": "~2.0.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/lodash": "~4.14.202",