diff --git a/app/views/layouts/darkswarm.html.haml b/app/views/layouts/darkswarm.html.haml
index 6998b99ed7..20a47be970 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/darkswarm.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/layouts/darkswarm.html.haml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     %link{href: "https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Roboto:400,300italic,400italic,300,700,700italic|Oswald:300,400,700", rel: "stylesheet", type: "text/css"}
 
     = yield :scripts
-    %script{src: "//maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?libraries=places,geometry&key=#{ENV['GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY']}"}
+    %script{src: "//maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?libraries=places,geometry#{ ENV['GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY'] ? '&key=' + ENV['GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY'] : ''} "}
     = split_stylesheet_link_tag "darkswarm/all"
     = javascript_include_tag "darkswarm/all"
 
diff --git a/config/application.yml.example b/config/application.yml.example
index b3b21c39ad..5b38a6da60 100644
--- a/config/application.yml.example
+++ b/config/application.yml.example
@@ -22,4 +22,5 @@ CURRENCY: AUD
 # DISCOURSE_URL must be the URL of your Discourse instance.
 #DISCOURSE_URL: "https://noticeboard.openfoodnetwork.org.au"
 
-GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
+# see: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/get-api-key
+# GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx