diff --git a/Envfile b/Envfile
index bcddf4ad4..af48c4689 100644
--- a/Envfile
+++ b/Envfile
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ variable :FASTLY_API_KEY, :String, default: "Optional"
 variable :FASTLY_SERVICE_ID, :String, default: "Optional"
 
 # Honeycomb for monitoring and observability
-# https://www.honeycomb.io/
-variable :HONEYCOMB_API_KEY, :String, default: "Optional"
+# (https://www.honeycomb.io/)
+variable :HONEYCOMB_API_KEY, :String, default: ""
 
 # Google analytic
 # (https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/reporting/core/v4)
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 7d99d7623..247203634 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ gem "inline_svg", "~> 1.5" # Embed SVG documents in your Rails views and style t
 gem "jbuilder", "~> 2.9" # Create JSON structures via a Builder-style DSL
 gem "jquery-rails", "~> 4.3" #  A gem to automate using jQuery with Rails
 gem "kaminari", "~> 1.1" # A Scope & Engine based, clean, powerful, customizable and sophisticated paginator
+gem "libhoney", "~> 1.14" # Ruby gem for sending data to Honeycomb
 gem "liquid", "~> 4.0" # A secure, non-evaling end user template engine with aesthetic markup
 gem "nokogiri", "~> 1.10" # HTML, XML, SAX, and Reader parser
 gem "octokit", "~> 4.14" # Simple wrapper for the GitHub API
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 1b2826542..6173899a8 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -930,6 +930,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   jquery-rails (~> 4.3)
   kaminari (~> 1.1)
   launchy (~> 2.4)
+  libhoney (~> 1.14)
   liquid (~> 4.0)
   memory_profiler (~> 0.9)
   nakayoshi_fork (~> 0.0.4)
diff --git a/config/initializers/honeycomb.rb b/config/initializers/honeycomb.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a4a46a8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/initializers/honeycomb.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+if Rails.env.test?
+  Honeycomb.configure do |config|
+    config.client = Libhoney::TestClient.new
+  end
+
+  HoneycombClient = Libhoney::TestClient.new
+else
+  honeycomb_api_key = ApplicationConfig["HONEYCOMB_API_KEY"]
+
+  # Honeycomb automatic Rails integration
+  Honeycomb.configure do |config|
+    config.write_key = honeycomb_api_key
+    config.dataset = "rails"
+    config.notification_events = %w[
+      sql.active_record
+      render_template.action_view
+      render_partial.action_view
+      render_collection.action_view
+      process_action.action_controller
+      send_file.action_controller
+      send_data.action_controller
+      deliver.action_mailer
+    ].freeze
+  end
+
+  # here we create an additional Honeycomb client that can be used to send custom events
+  HoneycombClient = Libhoney::Client.new(writekey: honeycomb_api_key, dataset: "dev-ruby")
+end
diff --git a/config/initializers/honeycomb_event_client.rb b/config/initializers/honeycomb_event_client.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index 03c45222d..000000000
--- a/config/initializers/honeycomb_event_client.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-HoneycombClient = Libhoney::Client.new(writekey: ENV["HONEYCOMB_API_KEY"], dataset: 'dev-ruby')
diff --git a/config/initializers/honeycomb_rails.rb b/config/initializers/honeycomb_rails.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index 722a2ccce..000000000
--- a/config/initializers/honeycomb_rails.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-Honeycomb.configure do |config|
-  config.write_key = ENV["HONEYCOMB_API_KEY"]
-  config.dataset = "rails"
-  config.notification_events = %w[
-    sql.active_record
-    render_template.action_view
-    render_partial.action_view
-    render_collection.action_view
-    process_action.action_controller
-    send_file.action_controller
-    send_data.action_controller
-    deliver.action_mailer
-  ].freeze
-end