Index: backend/src/main/java/com/trekr/backend/BackendApplication.java
===================================================================
--- backend/src/main/java/com/trekr/backend/BackendApplication.java	(revision c4c43f36be9f46e4a3e8aaf7198b6db598eb6d5d)
+++ backend/src/main/java/com/trekr/backend/BackendApplication.java	(revision 37307aadda57d1e5b86180b9b2b8a6318ec36095)
@@ -4,4 +4,8 @@
 import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;
+
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.nio.file.Paths;
 
 @SpringBootApplication
@@ -60,10 +64,15 @@
         for (String[] candidate : candidates) {
             try {
+                Path envPath = Paths.get(candidate[0], candidate[1]).normalize();
+                if (!Files.isRegularFile(envPath)) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
                 Dotenv loaded = Dotenv.configure()
-                        .directory(candidate[0])
-                        .filename(candidate[1])
+                        .directory(envPath.getParent().toString())
+                        .filename(envPath.getFileName().toString())
                         .ignoreIfMissing()
                         .load();
-                if (loaded != null && !loaded.entries().isEmpty()) {
+                if (loaded != null) {
                     dotenv = loaded;
                     break;