diff --git a/ids.js b/ids.js
index b9c68ff..3bf51e6 100644
--- a/ids.js
+++ b/ids.js
@@ -93,11 +93,17 @@ async function fetchLevels(sheet) {
   return levelObjs;
 }
 
-const doc = new GoogleSpreadsheet(IDS_ID, { apiKey: process.env.API_KEY });
-await doc.loadInfo(); // loads document properties and worksheets
-console.log('loaded IDS spreadsheet');
+let doc;
+
+export async function loadSpreadsheet() {
+  doc = new GoogleSpreadsheet(IDS_ID, { apiKey: process.env.API_KEY });
+  await doc.loadInfo(); // loads document properties and worksheets
+  console.log('loaded IDS spreadsheet');
+}
 
 export async function fetchAllLevels() {
+  if (!doc) await loadSpreadsheet();
+
   console.log('fetching IDS levels');
   return {
     regular: await fetchLevels(doc.sheetsById[IDS_REGULAR_LEVELS_ID]),
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index c934127..499ca71 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -52,10 +52,15 @@ async function saveCache() {
 }
 
 async function fetchSheets() {
-  const nlw = await fetchNLWLevels();
-  const ids = await fetchIDSLevels();
-  levels = { nlw, ids, metadata: levels.metadata };
-  await saveCache();
+  if (!process.env.API_KEY || process.env.API_KEY === '') {
+    console.warn('! API_KEY not set, going to rely on cache');
+  } else {
+    const nlw = await fetchNLWLevels();
+    const ids = await fetchIDSLevels();
+    levels = { nlw, ids, metadata: levels.metadata };
+    await saveCache();
+  }
+
   await loadupMetadataQueue();
 }
 
diff --git a/nlw.js b/nlw.js
index a22ba7a..97bdeb4 100644
--- a/nlw.js
+++ b/nlw.js
@@ -127,11 +127,17 @@ async function fetchLevels(sheet, platformer, pending) {
   return levelObjs;
 }
 
-const doc = new GoogleSpreadsheet(NLW_ID, { apiKey: process.env.API_KEY });
-await doc.loadInfo(); // loads document properties and worksheets
-console.log('loaded NLW spreadsheet');
+let doc;
+
+async function loadSpreadsheet() {
+  doc = new GoogleSpreadsheet(NLW_ID, { apiKey: process.env.API_KEY });
+  await doc.loadInfo(); // loads document properties and worksheets
+  console.log('loaded NLW spreadsheet');
+}
 
 export async function fetchAllLevels() {
+  if (!doc) await loadSpreadsheet();
+
   console.log('fetching NLW levels');
   return {
     regular: await fetchLevels(doc.sheetsById[NLW_REGULAR_LEVELS_ID], false, false),