diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f6bade1..e3c96ae 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 Install the CLI then grab your [OpenAI key](https://openai.com/api/) and add it as an env variable with the two commands below.
 
 1. `npm install -g aicommits`
-2. `export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx`
+2. `export OPENAI_KEY=sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx`
 
 It's recommended to add the line in #2 to your `.zshrc` or `.bashrc` so it persists instead of having to define it in each terminal session.
 
diff --git a/aicommits.ts b/aicommits.ts
index c57dc83..5fb8639 100644
--- a/aicommits.ts
+++ b/aicommits.ts
@@ -5,15 +5,15 @@ import { execSync } from "child_process";
 import inquirer from "inquirer";
 import fetch from "node-fetch";
 
-let OPENAI_API_KEY = process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY;
+let OPENAI_KEY = process.env.OPENAI_KEY ?? process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY;
 
 export async function main() {
   console.log(chalk.white("▲ ") + chalk.green("Welcome to AICommits!"));
 
-  if (!OPENAI_API_KEY) {
+  if (!OPENAI_KEY) {
     console.error(
       chalk.white("▲ ") +
-        "Please save your OpenAI API key as an env variable by doing 'export OPENAI_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY'"
+        "Please save your OpenAI API key as an env variable by doing 'export OPENAI_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY'"
     );
     process.exit(1);
   }
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ async function generateCommitMessage(prompt: string) {
   const response = await fetch("https://api.openai.com/v1/completions", {
     headers: {
       "Content-Type": "application/json",
-      Authorization: `Bearer ${OPENAI_API_KEY ?? ""}`,
+      Authorization: `Bearer ${OPENAI_KEY ?? ""}`,
     },
     method: "POST",
     body: JSON.stringify(payload),