diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1643e2ad4..ee4d4007f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -140,9 +140,9 @@ On success, the Chrome extension will be located at: `browser-extensions/chrome/
 To enable external services, set the `COPAY_EXTERNAL_SERVICES_CONFIG_LOCATION` or `BITPAY_EXTERNAL_SERVICES_CONFIG_LOCATION` environment variable to the location of your configuration before running the `apply` task.
 
 ```sh
-COPAY_EXTERNAL_SERVICES_CONFIG_LOCATION="~/.copay/externalServices.json" && npm run apply:copay
+COPAY_EXTERNAL_SERVICES_CONFIG_LOCATION="~/.copay/externalServices.json" npm run apply:copay
 # or
-BITPAY_EXTERNAL_SERVICES_CONFIG_LOCATION="~/.bitpay/externalServices.json" && npm run apply:bitpay
+BITPAY_EXTERNAL_SERVICES_CONFIG_LOCATION="~/.bitpay/externalServices.json" npm run apply:bitpay
 ```
 
 ## About Copay
diff --git a/app-template/apply.js b/app-template/apply.js
index 7cad2bccd..2f0015e34 100755
--- a/app-template/apply.js
+++ b/app-template/apply.js
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ fs.writeFileSync('../appConfig.json', configBlob, 'utf8');
 var externalServices;
 try {
   var confName = configDir.toUpperCase();
-  externalServicesConf = confName + '_EXTERNAL_SERVICES_CONFIG_LOCATION';
+  var externalServicesConf = confName + '_EXTERNAL_SERVICES_CONFIG_LOCATION';
   console.log('Looking for ' + externalServicesConf + '...');
   if(typeof process.env[externalServicesConf] !== 'undefined') {
     var location = process.env[externalServicesConf]
@@ -93,8 +93,11 @@ try {
     console.log('Found at: ' + location);
     console.log('Copying ' + location + ' to root');
     externalServices = fs.readFileSync(location, 'utf8');
+  } else {
+    throw externalServicesConf + ' environment variable not set.';
   }
 } catch(err) {
+  console.log(err);
   externalServices = '{}';
   console.log('External services not configured');
 }