diff --git a/estela-api/config/settings/base.py b/estela-api/config/settings/base.py
index b96f71fc..e7155949 100644
--- a/estela-api/config/settings/base.py
+++ b/estela-api/config/settings/base.py
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@
 
 MIDDLEWARE = [
     "django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware",
+    "whitenoise.middleware.WhiteNoiseMiddleware",
     "django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware",
     "django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware",
     "django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware",
diff --git a/estela-api/config/settings/local.py b/estela-api/config/settings/local.py
index b1a537f9..69899ba5 100644
--- a/estela-api/config/settings/local.py
+++ b/estela-api/config/settings/local.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+import environ as _environ
+
 from config.settings.base import *  # noqa: F401,F403,F405
 
-DEBUG = True
+DEBUG = _environ.Env().bool("DEBUG", default=False)
 
 RUN_JOBS_PER_LOT = 100
 CHECK_JOB_ERRORS_BATCH_SIZE = 10
diff --git a/estela-api/config/urls.py b/estela-api/config/urls.py
index 0506cb5c..023d246e 100644
--- a/estela-api/config/urls.py
+++ b/estela-api/config/urls.py
@@ -39,5 +39,4 @@ def get(self, request):
 ]
 urlpatterns = urlpatterns + django_external_apps_url
 
-if settings.DEBUG:
-    urlpatterns += static(settings.STATIC_URL, document_root=settings.STATIC_ROOT)
+urlpatterns += static(settings.STATIC_URL, document_root=settings.STATIC_ROOT)
diff --git a/estela-api/requirements/base.in b/estela-api/requirements/base.in
index 25783f2d..890c204e 100644
--- a/estela-api/requirements/base.in
+++ b/estela-api/requirements/base.in
@@ -19,4 +19,5 @@ pymongo[srv]
 pyodbc
 redis
 gunicorn
+whitenoise
 git+https://github.com/bitmakerla/estela-queue-adapter.git
diff --git a/estela-api/requirements/base.txt b/estela-api/requirements/base.txt
index 0c8512fb..fb1b3946 100644
--- a/estela-api/requirements/base.txt
+++ b/estela-api/requirements/base.txt
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ google-resumable-media==2.5.0
 googleapis-common-protos==1.60.0
     # via google-api-core
 gunicorn==20.1.0
+whitenoise==6.7.0
     # via -r base.in
 idna==2.10
     # via requests
diff --git a/estela-api/requirements/test.txt b/estela-api/requirements/test.txt
index 4a55859e..947f53d6 100644
--- a/estela-api/requirements/test.txt
+++ b/estela-api/requirements/test.txt
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ googleapis-common-protos==1.60.0
     #   -r base.txt
     #   google-api-core
 gunicorn==20.1.0
+whitenoise==6.7.0
     # via -r base.txt
 idna==2.10
     # via