diff --git a/.env.dev.sample b/.env.dev.sample
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4e4554c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.dev.sample
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+YDB_ANONYMOUS_CREDENTIALS=1
+YDB_SSL_ROOT_CERTIFICATES_FILE=../slo-tests/playground/data/ydb_certs/ca.pem
+YDB_ENDPOINT=grpc://<localhost / fqdn / ip-address>:<2135 / 2136>
+YDB_LOG_LEVEL=debug
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index cd5c8dc3..b7a75252 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ jobs:
 
     services:
       ydb:
-        image: ghcr.io/ydb-platform/local-ydb:nightly
+        image: ydbplatform/local-ydb:24.1
         ports:
           - 2135:2135
           - 2136:2136
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9860352e..0d346edf 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+
+.env
+
 #npm
 npm-debug.log*
 node_modules
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 617f3887..a64d65e5 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
         "@types/uuid": "^8.3.4",
         "@yandex-cloud/nodejs-sdk": "^2.0.0",
         "cross-env": "^7.0.3",
+        "dotenv": "^16.4.5",
         "husky": "^7.0.4",
         "npm-run-all": "^4.1.5",
         "rimraf": "^5.0.1",
@@ -3839,6 +3840,19 @@
         "node": ">=8"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/dotenv": {
+      "version": "16.4.5",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dotenv/-/dotenv-16.4.5.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-ZmdL2rui+eB2YwhsWzjInR8LldtZHGDoQ1ugH85ppHKwpUHL7j7rN0Ti9NCnGiQbhaZ11FpR+7ao1dNsmduNUg==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "license": "BSD-2-Clause",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=12"
+      },
+      "funding": {
+        "url": "https://dotenvx.com"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/dotgitignore": {
       "version": "2.1.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dotgitignore/-/dotgitignore-2.1.0.tgz",
@@ -13168,6 +13182,12 @@
         "is-obj": "^2.0.0"
       }
     },
+    "dotenv": {
+      "version": "16.4.5",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dotenv/-/dotenv-16.4.5.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-ZmdL2rui+eB2YwhsWzjInR8LldtZHGDoQ1ugH85ppHKwpUHL7j7rN0Ti9NCnGiQbhaZ11FpR+7ao1dNsmduNUg==",
+      "dev": true
+    },
     "dotgitignore": {
       "version": "2.1.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dotgitignore/-/dotgitignore-2.1.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3402626b..5dbf353b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
     "@types/uuid": "^8.3.4",
     "@yandex-cloud/nodejs-sdk": "^2.0.0",
     "cross-env": "^7.0.3",
+    "dotenv": "^16.4.5",
     "husky": "^7.0.4",
     "npm-run-all": "^4.1.5",
     "rimraf": "^5.0.1",
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/connection.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/connection.test.ts
index 21477b40..92f912b1 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/connection.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/connection.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import {initDriver, destroyDriver} from "../../utils/test";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 describe('Connection', () => {
     it('Test GRPC connection', async () => {
-        let driver = await initDriver({endpoint: 'grpc://localhost:2136'});
+        let driver = await initDriver({endpoint: process.env.YDB_ENDPOINT || 'grpc://localhost:2136'});
         await driver.tableClient.withSession(async (session) => {
             await session.executeQuery('SELECT 1');
         });
@@ -10,7 +12,7 @@ describe('Connection', () => {
     });
 
     it('Test GRPCS connection', async () => {
-        let driver = await initDriver({endpoint: 'grpcs://localhost:2135'});
+        let driver = await initDriver({endpoint: process.env.YDB_ENDPOINT || 'grpcs://localhost:2135'});
         await driver.tableClient.withSession(async (session) => {
             await session.executeQuery('SELECT 1');
         });
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/method-execute.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/method-execute.ts
index cfab573f..fa842aaf 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/method-execute.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/method-execute.ts
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@ import {ctxSymbol} from "../../../query/symbols";
 import StatsMode = Ydb.Query.StatsMode;
 import ExecMode = Ydb.Query.ExecMode;
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 const DATABASE = '/local';
-const ENDPOINT = 'grpc://localhost:2136';
+const ENDPOINT = process.env.YDB_ENDPOINT || 'grpc://localhost:2136';
 const TABLE_NAME = 'test_table_1'
 
 describe('Query.execute()', () => {
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/query-service-client.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/query-service-client.ts
index ad79237b..9d2936d1 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/query-service-client.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/query-service-client.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ import fs from "fs";
 import {AUTO_TX} from "../../../table";
 import {QuerySession, IExecuteResult} from "../../../query";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 const DATABASE = '/local';
-const ENDPOINT = 'grpcs://localhost:2135';
+const ENDPOINT = process.env.YDB_ENDPOINT || 'grpc://localhost:2135';
 
 describe('Query client', () => {
 
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/rows-conversion.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/rows-conversion.ts
index c828e726..4d887fe3 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/rows-conversion.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/rows-conversion.ts
@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@ import {getDefaultLogger} from "../../../logger/get-default-logger";
 import {ctxSymbol} from "../../../query/symbols";
 import {Context} from "../../../context";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 const DATABASE = '/local';
-const ENDPOINT = 'grpcs://localhost:2136';
+const ENDPOINT = process.env.YDB_ENDPOINT || 'grpc://localhost:2136';
 const TABLE_NAME = 'test_table_3'
 
 interface IRow {
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/transactions.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/transactions.ts
index 897fe5e8..88e336ba 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/transactions.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/query-service/transactions.ts
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ import {getDefaultLogger} from "../../../logger/get-default-logger";
 import {ctxSymbol} from "../../../query/symbols";
 import {Context} from "../../../context";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 const DATABASE = '/local';
-const ENDPOINT = 'grpc://localhost:2136';
+const ENDPOINT = process.env.YDB_ENDPOINT || 'grpc://localhost:2136';
 
 describe('Query service transactions', () => {
 
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/retries.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/retries.test.ts
index 20170b45..410a9e26 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/retries.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/retries.test.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ import {pessimizable} from "../../utils";
 import {destroyDriver, initDriver} from "../../utils/test";
 import {LogLevel, SimpleLogger} from "../../logger/simple-logger";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 const logger = new SimpleLogger({level: LogLevel.error});
 class ErrorThrower {
     constructor(public endpoint: Endpoint) {}
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/alter-table.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/alter-table.test.ts
index a49db325..19b3daea 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/alter-table.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/alter-table.test.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import {
 } from "../../../table";
 import {initDriver, destroyDriver} from "../../../utils/test";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 const getTableName = () => `table_alter_${Math.trunc(1000 * Math.random())}`;
 
 describe('Alter table', () => {
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/bulk-upsert.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/bulk-upsert.test.ts
index 125a70f0..560db7e0 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/bulk-upsert.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/bulk-upsert.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import Driver from '../../../driver';
 import {TableSession} from "../../../table";
 import {Row, initDriver, destroyDriver, createTable, fillTableWithData, TABLE} from "../../../utils/test";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 async function readTable(session: TableSession): Promise<Row[]> {
     const rows: Row[] = [];
 
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/bytestring-identity.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/bytestring-identity.test.ts
index a1f97370..ef8d8f4b 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/bytestring-identity.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/bytestring-identity.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import {withRetries} from '../../../retries_obsoleted';
 import {Column, TableSession, TableDescription} from "../../../table";
 import {initDriver, destroyDriver, TABLE} from "../../../utils/test";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 async function createTable(session: TableSession) {
     await session.dropTable(TABLE);
     await session.createTable(
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/create-table.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/create-table.test.ts
index 834cff36..3546aa2f 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/create-table.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/create-table.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import {Ydb} from 'ydb-sdk-proto';
 import {Column, DescribeTableSettings, TableDescription} from "../../../table";
 import {initDriver, destroyDriver} from "../../../utils/test";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 const getTableName = () => `table_create_${Math.trunc(100000 * Math.random())}`;
 
 describe('Create table', () => {
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/graceful-session-close.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/graceful-session-close.test.ts
index a8853d47..36200666 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/graceful-session-close.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/graceful-session-close.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import {initDriver, destroyDriver} from "../../../utils/test";
 
 const SHUTDOWN_URL = process.env.YDB_SHUTDOWN_URL || 'http://localhost:8765/actors/kqp_proxy?force_shutdown=all';
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 describe('Graceful session close', () => {
 
     // TODO: Fix and enable test nce issue  will be resolved https://github.com/ydb-platform/ydb/issues/2981
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/read-table.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/read-table.test.ts
index c6a8ee6a..35bda833 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/read-table.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/read-table.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import {TypedValues, TypedData} from '../../../types';
 import {ReadTableSettings, TableSession} from "../../../table";
 import {Row, initDriver, destroyDriver, createTable, fillTableWithData, TABLE} from "../../../utils/test";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 async function readTable(session: TableSession, settings: ReadTableSettings): Promise<TypedData[]> {
     const rows: TypedData[] = [];
 
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/scan-query.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/scan-query.test.ts
index 2e7de85e..775fbb5c 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/scan-query.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/scan-query.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import {TypedData} from '../../../types';
 import {TableSession} from "../../../table";
 import {Row, initDriver, destroyDriver, createTable, fillTableWithData, TABLE} from "../../../utils/test";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 async function executeScanQuery(session: TableSession): Promise<TypedData[]> {
     const query = `SELECT * FROM ${TABLE};`;
 
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/types.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/types.test.ts
index 0413904f..a1628db9 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/types.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/table-service/types.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import {TypedData, TypedValues, Types} from '../../../types';
 import NullValue = google.protobuf.NullValue;
 import {initDriver, destroyDriver} from "../../../utils/test";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 describe('Types', () => {
     let driver: Driver;
 
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/topic-service/internal.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/topic-service/internal.test.ts
index af38d1a5..d0d6e36f 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/topic-service/internal.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/topic-service/internal.test.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ import {TopicService} from "../../../topic";
 import {google, Ydb} from "ydb-sdk-proto";
 import {openReadStreamWithEvents, openWriteStreamWithEvents} from "../../../topic/symbols";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
+
 const DATABASE = '/local';
-const ENDPOINT = 'grpc://localhost:2136';
+const ENDPOINT = process.env.YDB_ENDPOINT || 'grpc://localhost:2136';
 
 describe('Topic: General', () => {
     let discoveryService: DiscoveryService;
diff --git a/src/__tests__/e2e/topic-service/send-messages.test.ts b/src/__tests__/e2e/topic-service/send-messages.test.ts
index f54cfff5..fbb1cb34 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/e2e/topic-service/send-messages.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/e2e/topic-service/send-messages.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 import {AnonymousAuthService, Driver as YDB} from '../../../index';
 import {google, Ydb} from "ydb-sdk-proto";
 
+if (process.env.TEST_ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') require('dotenv').config();
 
 // create topic
 
-describe('Topic: Send messages', () => {
+xdescribe('Topic: Send messages', () => {
     let ydb: YDB | undefined;
 
     beforeEach(async () => {
diff --git a/src/discovery/endpoint.ts b/src/discovery/endpoint.ts
index 72ffa52b..7f18e41d 100644
--- a/src/discovery/endpoint.ts
+++ b/src/discovery/endpoint.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ export class Endpoint extends Ydb.Discovery.EndpointInfo {
     }
 
     public toString(): string {
+        // TODO: Find out how to specify a host ip/name for local development
+        if (process.env.YDB_ENDPOINT) {
+            const str = process.env.YDB_ENDPOINT;
+            const n = str.indexOf('://'); // remove grpc(s)?://
+            return n > 0 ? str.substr(n + 3) : str;
+        } // for development only
         let result = this.address;
         if (this.port) {
             result += ':' + this.port;
diff --git a/src/utils/test/init-driver.ts b/src/utils/test/init-driver.ts
index d463e954..a0abf5f0 100644
--- a/src/utils/test/init-driver.ts
+++ b/src/utils/test/init-driver.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export async function initDriver(settings?: Partial<IDriverSettings>): Promise<D
     }
     const sslCredentials = {rootCertificates: fs.readFileSync(certFile)};
     const driver = new Driver({
-        endpoint: `grpc://localhost:2136`,
+        endpoint: process.env.YDB_ENDPOINT || `grpc://localhost:2136`,
         database: DATABASE,
         authService: new AnonymousAuthService(),
         sslCredentials,