diff --git a/backend/app/config.py b/backend/app/config.py
index f4d599a..5cbcb68 100644
--- a/backend/app/config.py
+++ b/backend/app/config.py
@@ -1,38 +1,40 @@
 """
 Application configuration
 """
-from typing import Union
+from typing import Union, Any
 from pydantic_settings import BaseSettings, SettingsConfigDict
 from pydantic import Field, field_validator, ValidationInfo
 
 
-def parse_cors_origins(v: Union[str, list]) -> list[str]:
-    """Parse CORS origins from comma-separated string or list"""
-    if isinstance(v, str):
-        # Parse comma-separated string
-        return [origin.strip() for origin in v.split(',') if origin.strip()]
-    if isinstance(v, list):
-        return v
-    return ["*"]
-
-
 class Settings(BaseSettings):
     """Application settings"""
 
-    model_config = SettingsConfigDict(env_file=".env")
+    model_config = SettingsConfigDict(
+        env_file=".env",
+        # Don't try to parse json for environment variables
+        env_parse_none_str=None,
+    )
 
     # Application
     app_name: str = "Cosmo - Deep Space Explorer"
     api_prefix: str = "/api"
 
-    # CORS settings - allow all origins for development (IP access support)
-    cors_origins: list[str] = Field(default_factory=lambda: ["*"])
+    # CORS settings - stored as string in env, converted to list
+    cors_origins: Union[str, list[str]] = "*"
 
     @field_validator('cors_origins', mode='before')
     @classmethod
-    def validate_cors_origins(cls, v: Union[str, list], info: ValidationInfo) -> list[str]:
+    def validate_cors_origins(cls, v: Any) -> list[str]:
         """Parse CORS origins from comma-separated string or JSON array"""
-        return parse_cors_origins(v)
+        if v is None:
+            return ["*"]
+        if isinstance(v, str):
+            # Parse comma-separated string
+            origins = [origin.strip() for origin in v.split(',') if origin.strip()]
+            return origins if origins else ["*"]
+        if isinstance(v, list):
+            return v
+        return ["*"]
 
     # Cache settings
     cache_ttl_days: int = 3