diff --git a/doc/requestsync.1 b/doc/requestsync.1
index 0134fe2..ff9d7c7 100644
--- a/doc/requestsync.1
+++ b/doc/requestsync.1
@@ -67,6 +67,14 @@ This disables the upload permissions check described above.
 Use this flag after FeatureFreeze for non-bug fix syncs. \fBrequestsync\fR will
 subscribe ubuntu-release team instead of sponsorship team.
 .TP
+.B \-\-lpinstance\fR=\fIINSTANCE\fR
+Use the specified instance of Launchpad (e.g. "staging"), instead of
+the default of "production".
+.TP
+.B \-\-no\-conf
+Do not read any configuration files, or configuration from environment
+variables.
+.TP
 .B <source package>
 This is the source package that you would like to be synced from Debian.
 .TP
@@ -80,27 +88,40 @@ In some cases, the base version (where the Ubuntu package started differing
 from the Debian package) cannot be automatically determined.
 Specify this option in this case.
 
-.SH ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
+.SH ENVIRONMENT
 \fBrequestsync\fR uses the following variables which should be set in your
 shell's configuration by adding \fIexport VARIABLE=\fR lines, where VARIABLE is
 one of the following:
-
 .TP
-.B DEBEMAIL
+.BR UBUMAIL ", " DEBEMAIL
 Specifies which email should be used when sending to Launchpad.
+.P
+All of the \fBCONFIGURATION VARIABLES\fR below are also supported as
+environment variables.
+Variables in the environment take precedence to those in configuration
+files.
+
+.SH CONFIGURATION VARIABLES
 .TP
-.B DEBSMTP
+.B REQUESTSYNC_SMTP_SERVER
 Set which SMTP server to use when sending mail.
 If unspecified this defaults to fiordland.ubuntu.com.
 .TP
-.B DEBSMTP_PORT
+.B REQUESTSYNC_SMTP_PORT
 Sets which port of the SMTP server to use. Default is 25.
 .TP
-.B DEBSMTP_USER \fRand\fB DEBSMTP_PASS
+.BR REQUESTSYNC_SMTP_USER " and " REQUESTSYNC_SMTP_PASS
 Sets the username and password to use when authenticating to the SMTP server.
+.TP
+.BR REQUESTSYNC_USE_LPAPI
+Setting this to \fIyes\fR is equivalent to running with \fB--lp\fR.
+.TP
+.BR REQUESTSYNC_LPINSTANCE ", " UBUNTUTOOLS_LPINSTANCE
+The default value for \fB--lpinstance\fR.
 
 .SH SEE ALSO
-.BR rmadison (1)
+.BR rmadison (1),
+.BR ubuntu\-dev\-tools (5)
 
 .SH AUTHOR
 .B requestsync
diff --git a/requestsync b/requestsync
index d554244..59ef919 100755
--- a/requestsync
+++ b/requestsync
@@ -26,11 +26,13 @@
 #
 # ##################################################################
 
-import sys
 from optparse import OptionParser
+import os
+import sys
+
 from debian.changelog import Version
 
-# ubuntu-dev-tools modules
+from ubuntutools.config import UDTConfig, ubu_email
 from ubuntutools.lp import udtexceptions
 from ubuntutools.requestsync.common import (edit_report, getDebianChangelog,
                                             raw_input_exit_on_ctrlc)
@@ -57,6 +59,9 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 	optParser.add_option('--lp', action='store_true',
 		dest='lpapi', default=False,
 		help='Specify whether to use the LP API for filing the sync request (recommended).')
+	optParser.add_option('--lpinstance', type='string', metavar='INSTANCE',
+		dest='lpinstance', default=None,
+		help='Launchpad instance to connect to (default: production).')
 	optParser.add_option('-s', action='store_true',
 		dest='sponsorship', default=False,
 		help='Force sponsorship')
@@ -67,6 +72,9 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 		dest='ffe', default=False,
 		help='Use this after FeatureFreeze for non-bug fix syncs, changes ' \
 			'default subscription to the appropriate release team.')
+	optParser.add_option('--no-conf', action='store_true',
+		dest='no_conf', default=False,
+		help="Don't read config files or environment variables")
 
 	(options, args) = optParser.parse_args()
 
@@ -74,8 +82,19 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 		optParser.print_help()
 		sys.exit(1)
 
+	config = UDTConfig(options.no_conf)
+	if not options.lpapi:
+		options.lpapi = config.get_value('USE_LPAPI', default=False,
+		                                 boolean=True)
+	if options.lpinstance is None:
+		options.lpinstance = config.get_value('LPINSTANCE')
+
 	# import the needed requestsync module
 	if options.lpapi:
+		# Needs to be set before lpapicache is imported:
+		import ubuntutools.lp
+		ubuntutools.lp.service = options.lpinstance
+
 		from ubuntutools.requestsync.lp import (checkExistingReports,
 		                                        getDebianSrcPkg,
 		                                        getUbuntuSrcPkg,
@@ -90,10 +109,12 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 	else:
 		from ubuntutools.requestsync.mail import (checkExistingReports,
 		                                          getDebianSrcPkg,
-		                                          getEmailAddress,
 		                                          getUbuntuSrcPkg,
 		                                          mailBug, needSponsorship)
-		if not getEmailAddress():
+		if not any(x in os.environ for x in ('UBUMAIL', 'DEBEMAIL', 'EMAIL')):
+			print >> sys.stderr, (
+				'E: The environment variable UBUMAIL, DEBEMAIL or EMAIL needs '
+				'to be set to let this script mail the sync request.')
 			sys.exit(1)
 
 	newsource = options.newpkg
@@ -242,5 +263,17 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 		# Post sync request using LP API
 		postBug(srcpkg, subscribe, mapping[status], title, report)
 	else:
+		email_from = ubu_email(export=False)[1]
+		mailserver_host = config.get_value('SMTP_SERVER',
+				default='fiordland.ubuntu.com',
+				compat_keys=['UBUSMTP', 'DEBSMTP'])
+		mailserver_port = config.get_value('SMTP_PORT', default=25,
+				compat_keys=['UBUSMTP_PORT', 'DEBSMTP_PORT'])
+		mailserver_user = config.get_value('SMTP_USER',
+				compat_keys=['UBUSMTP_USER', 'DEBSMTP_USER'])
+		mailserver_pass = config.get_value('SMTP_PASS',
+				compat_keys=['UBUSMTP_PASS', 'DEBSMTP_PASS'])
 		# Mail sync request
-		mailBug(srcpkg, subscribe, status, title, report, options.keyid)
+		mailBug(srcpkg, subscribe, status, title, report, options.lpinstance,
+		        options.keyid, email_from, mailserver_host, mailserver_port,
+		        mailserver_user, mailserver_pass)
diff --git a/ubuntutools/requestsync/lp.py b/ubuntutools/requestsync/lp.py
index 288ffa2..9aef9be 100644
--- a/ubuntutools/requestsync/lp.py
+++ b/ubuntutools/requestsync/lp.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def needSponsorship(name, component, release):
 	itself or the component
 	'''
 	archive = Distribution('ubuntu').getArchive()
-        distroseries = Distribution('ubuntu').getSeries(release)
+	distroseries = Distribution('ubuntu').getSeries(release)
 
 	need_sponsor = not PersonTeam.me.canUploadPackage(archive, distroseries, name, component)
 	if need_sponsor:
diff --git a/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py b/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py
index ee0dec1..f6f4b00 100644
--- a/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py
+++ b/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ from ubuntutools.lp.udtexceptions import PackageNotFoundException
 __all__ = [
 	'getDebianSrcPkg',
 	'getUbuntuSrcPkg',
-	'getEmailAddress',
 	'needSponsorship',
 	'checkExistingReports',
 	'mailBug',
@@ -106,18 +105,6 @@ def getDebianSrcPkg(name, release):
 def getUbuntuSrcPkg(name, release):
 	return getSrcPkg('ubuntu', name, release)
 
-def getEmailAddress():
-	'''
-	Get the From email address from the UBUMAIL, DEBEMAIL or EMAIL
-	environment variable or give an error.
-	'''
-	myemailaddr = os.getenv('UBUMAIL') or os.getenv('DEBEMAIL') or os.getenv('EMAIL')
-	if not myemailaddr:
-		print >> sys.stderr, 'E: The environment variable UBUMAIL, ' \
-			'DEBEMAIL or EMAIL needs to be set to let this script ' \
-			'mail the sync request.'
-	return myemailaddr
-
 def needSponsorship(name, component, release):
 	'''
 	Ask the user if he has upload permissions for the package or the
@@ -143,16 +130,20 @@ def checkExistingReports(srcpkg):
 		'for duplicate sync requests before continuing.' % srcpkg
 	raw_input_exit_on_ctrlc('Press [Enter] to continue or [Ctrl-C] to abort. ')
 
-def mailBug(srcpkg, subscribe, status, bugtitle, bugtext, keyid = None):
+def mailBug(srcpkg, subscribe, status, bugtitle, bugtext, lpinstance, keyid,
+            myemailaddr, mailserver_host, mailserver_port, mailserver_user,
+            mailserver_pass):
 	'''
 	Submit the sync request per email.
 	'''
 
-	to = 'new@bugs.launchpad.net'
-
-	# getEmailAddress() can't fail here as the main code in requestsync
-	# already checks its return value
-	myemailaddr = getEmailAddress()
+	if lpinstance == 'production':
+		to = 'new@bugs.launchpad.net'
+	elif lpinstance == 'staging':
+		to = 'new@bugs.staging.launchpad.net'
+	else:
+		print >> sys.stderr, 'Error: Unknown launchpad instance:', lpinstance
+		sys.exit(1)
 
 	# generate mailbody
 	if srcpkg:
@@ -195,10 +186,6 @@ Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
 	print 'The final report is:\n%s' % mail
 	raw_input_exit_on_ctrlc('Press [Enter] to continue or [Ctrl-C] to abort. ')
 
-	# get server address and port
-	mailserver_host = os.getenv('UBUSMTP') or os.getenv('DEBSMTP') or 'fiordland.ubuntu.com'
-	mailserver_port = os.getenv('UBUSMTP_PORT') or os.getenv('DEBSMTP_PORT') or 25
-
 	# connect to the server
 	try:
 		print 'Connecting to %s:%s ...' % (mailserver_host, mailserver_port)
@@ -208,9 +195,6 @@ Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
 			(mailserver_host, mailserver_port, s[1], s[0])
 		return
 
-	# authenticate to the server
-	mailserver_user = os.getenv('UBUSMTP_USER') or os.getenv('DEBSMTP_USER')
-	mailserver_pass = os.getenv('UBUSMTP_PASS') or os.getenv('DEBSMTP_PASS')
 	if mailserver_user and mailserver_pass:
 		try:
 			s.login(mailserver_user, mailserver_pass)