diff --git a/app/models/app_config.rb b/app/models/app_config.rb
index 409a58c64..152d6156b 100644
--- a/app/models/app_config.rb
+++ b/app/models/app_config.rb
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
 # licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
 # the COPYRIGHT file.
 require 'uri'
+require File.join(Rails.root, 'lib', 'enviroment_configuration')
 
 class AppConfig < Settingslogic
+  ARRAY_VARS = [:community_spotlight, :admins]
 
   def self.source_file_name
     config_file = File.join(Rails.root, "config", "application.yml")
-    if !File.exists?(config_file) && (Rails.env == 'test' || Rails.env.include?("integration") || ENV["HEROKU"])
+    if !File.exists?(config_file) && (Rails.env == 'test' || Rails.env.include?("integration") || EnviromentConfiguration.heroku?)
       config_file = File.join(Rails.root, "config", "application.yml.example")
     end
     config_file
@@ -117,10 +119,18 @@ HELP
 
   def self.[] (key)
     return self.pod_uri if key == :pod_uri
-    return ENV[key.to_s] if ENV[key.to_s] && ENV["HEROKU"]
+    return fetch_from_env(key.to_s) if EnviromentConfiguration.heroku?
     super
   end
 
+  def fetch_from_env(key)
+    if ARRAY_VARS.include?(key.to_sym)
+      ENV[key].split(EnviromentConfiguration::ARRAY_SEPERATOR)
+    else
+     ENV[key] if ENV[key] 
+    end
+  end
+
   def self.[]= (key, value)
     super
     if key.to_sym == :pod_url
diff --git a/lib/enviroment_configuration.rb b/lib/enviroment_configuration.rb
index 7c0160277..6e35cad40 100644
--- a/lib/enviroment_configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/enviroment_configuration.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 module EnviromentConfiguration
+  ARRAY_SEPERATOR = '%|%'
   def self.heroku?
     ENV['HEROKU']
   end
@@ -35,4 +36,4 @@ module EnviromentConfiguration
       AppConfig[:ca_file]
     end
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/lib/tasks/heroku.rake b/lib/tasks/heroku.rake
index d7d58e482..f6c34b9fd 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/heroku.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/heroku.rake
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2012, Diaspora Inc.  This file is
+# licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
+# the COPYRIGHT file.
+#
+require File.join(Rails.root, 'lib', 'enviroment_configuration')
+
 namespace :heroku do
   HEROKU_CONFIG_ADD_COMMAND = "heroku config:add HEROKU=true"
 
@@ -6,7 +12,11 @@ namespace :heroku do
     application_config = YAML.load_file('config/application.yml')['production'] rescue {}
     application_config.delete_if { |k, v| v.blank? }
 
-    heroku_env = application_config.map{|k, v| "#{k}=#{v}"}.join(' ')
+    heroku_env = application_config.map do|key, value| 
+      value =value.join(EnviromentConfiguration::ARRAY_SEPERATOR) if value.respond_to?(:join)
+
+      "#{key}=#{value}"
+    end.join(' ')
 
     puts "Generating and setting a new secret token"
     token = ActiveSupport::SecureRandom.hex(40)#reloads secret token every time you reload vars.... this expires cookies, and kinda sucks
diff --git a/spec/models/app_config_spec.rb b/spec/models/app_config_spec.rb
index 044f5d84e..a993ca83c 100644
--- a/spec/models/app_config_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/app_config_spec.rb
@@ -141,6 +141,28 @@ describe AppConfig do
     end
   end
 
+  context 'configurations which are arrays' do
+
+    it 'should be set to be admins or community_spotlight' do
+      AppConfig::ARRAY_VARS.should =~ [:community_spotlight, :admins]
+    end
+
+    context 'on heroku' do
+      before do
+        ENV['admins'] = "maxwell#{EnviromentConfiguration::ARRAY_SEPERATOR}daniel"
+        EnviromentConfiguration.stub(:heroku?).and_return(true)
+      end
+
+      after do
+        EnviromentConfiguration.stub(:heroku?).and_return(false)
+      end
+
+      it 'converts a string with ARRAY_SEPERATOR to an array' do
+        AppConfig[:admins].should be_a Array
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   describe ".pod_uri" do
     it "properly parses the pod_url" do
       AppConfig.pod_uri = nil