diff --git a/config/environments/production.rb.sample b/config/environments/production.rb.sample
index 3b19c592f..8257958fa 100644
--- a/config/environments/production.rb.sample
+++ b/config/environments/production.rb.sample
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ Discourse::Application.configure do
   # a comma delimited list of emails your devs have
   # developers have god like rights and may impersonate anyone in the system
   # normal admins may only impersonate other moderators (not admins)
-  config.developer_emails = []
+  if emails = ENV["DEVELOPER_EMAILS"]
+    config.developer_emails = emails.split(",")
+  end
 
 end
diff --git a/lib/auth/default_current_user_provider.rb b/lib/auth/default_current_user_provider.rb
index 98430e320..14341fccc 100644
--- a/lib/auth/default_current_user_provider.rb
+++ b/lib/auth/default_current_user_provider.rb
@@ -63,9 +63,19 @@ class Auth::DefaultCurrentUserProvider
       user.save!
     end
     cookies.permanent[TOKEN_COOKIE] = { value: user.auth_token, httponly: true }
+    make_developer_admin(user)
     @env[CURRENT_USER_KEY] = user
   end
 
+  def make_developer_admin(user)
+    if  user.active? &&
+        !user.admin &&
+        Rails.configuration.respond_to?(:developer_emails) &&
+        Rails.configuration.developer_emails.include?(user.email)
+      user.update_column(:admin, true)
+    end
+  end
+
   def log_off_user(session, cookies)
     cookies[TOKEN_COOKIE] = nil
   end