diff --git a/export.py b/export.py
index cb764a7..6b87618 100644
--- a/export.py
+++ b/export.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class MyHTMLParser(HTMLParser):
             elif 'id="metadata-description"' in self.get_starttag_text():
                 self.description += data
 
-def subprrun(jobs, headers):
+def subprrun(jobs, mysession):
     while not jobs.empty():
         collect() #cleanup memory
         langcode, vid = jobs.get()
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def subprrun(jobs, headers):
             ("o", "U")
         )
 
-        page = requests.get("https://www.youtube.com/timedtext_editor", headers=headers, params=pparams)
+        page = mysession.get("https://www.youtube.com/timedtext_editor", params=pparams)
 
         assert not "accounts.google.com" in page.url, "Please supply authentication cookie information in config.json. See README.md for more information."
 
diff --git a/worker.py b/worker.py
index a037b5b..26dc9a2 100644
--- a/worker.py
+++ b/worker.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 from threading import Thread
 import requests
 from time import sleep
-from os import mkdir, rmdir, listdir
-from os.path import isdir
+from os import mkdir, rmdir, listdir, environ
+from os.path import isdir, isfile
 from json import dumps, loads
 
 from shutil import make_archive, rmtree
@@ -40,9 +40,19 @@ recmixes = set()
 recplayl = set()
 
 #HSID, SSID, SID cookies required
-cookies = loads(open("config.json").read())
-
-headers = {"cookie": "HSID="+cookies["HSID"]+"; SSID="+cookies["SSID"]+"; SID="+cookies["SID"], "Accept-Language": "en-US",}
+if "HSID" in environ.keys() and "SSID" in environ.keys() and "SID" in environ.keys():
+    cookies = {"HSID": environ["HSID"], "SSID": environ["SSID"], "SID": environ["SID"]}
+elif isfile("config.json"):
+    cookies = loads(open("config.json").read())
+else:
+    print("HSID, SSID, and SID cookies from youtube.com are required. Specify in config.json or as environment variables.")
+    assert False
+if not (cookies["HSID"] and cookies["SSID"] and cookies["SID"]):
+    print("HSID, SSID, and SID cookies from youtube.com are required. Specify in config.json or as environment variables.")
+    assert False
+
+mysession = requests.session()
+mysession.headers.update({"cookie": "HSID="+cookies["HSID"]+"; SSID="+cookies["SSID"]+"; SID="+cookies["SID"], "Accept-Language": "en-US",})
 del cookies
 
 def prrun():
@@ -166,7 +176,7 @@ while True:
     subthreads = []
 
     for r in range(50):
-        subrunthread = Thread(target=subprrun, args=(subtjobs,headers))
+        subrunthread = Thread(target=subprrun, args=(subtjobs,mysession))
         subrunthread.start()
         subthreads.append(subrunthread)
         del subrunthread