diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f4dddda..48b53fe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -869,11 +869,10 @@ Note, that Jane's user/device tuple should also be returned in order to display
 
 ### Browser API keys
 
-In order to use the Recorder's maps and views, you have to obtain a [Google API "Browser key"](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/get-api-key). You then add this key to your docroot directory so that the Recorder can find it. (You should already have a file called `apikey.js.sample` in that directory; copy or rename the file to `apikey.js` and ensure its content is valid JavaScript:
+In order to use the Recorder's maps and views, you have to obtain a [Google API "Browser key"](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/get-api-key). You then pass this key to your Recorder invocation. 
 
 ```bash
-$ cat .../static/apikey.js
-var apiKey = "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx";
+$ ot-recorder --browser-apikey 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' ...
 ```
 
 
diff --git a/docroot/static/.gitignore b/docroot/static/.gitignore
index 1ba7f96..e69de29 100644
--- a/docroot/static/.gitignore
+++ b/docroot/static/.gitignore
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-apikey.js
diff --git a/docroot/static/apikey.js.sample b/docroot/static/apikey.js.sample
deleted file mode 100644
index 45dfcef..0000000
--- a/docroot/static/apikey.js.sample
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-var apiKey = "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx";
diff --git a/http.c b/http.c
index b5f8ca9..35a0249 100644
--- a/http.c
+++ b/http.c
@@ -826,6 +826,23 @@ static JsonNode *viewdata(struct mg_connection *conn, JsonNode *view, int limit)
 	return (locs);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Build and return JavaScript file containing an API key variable in it.
+ */
+
+static int apikey(struct mg_connection *conn)
+{
+	struct udata *ud = (struct udata *)conn->server_param;
+	static UT_string *sbuf = NULL;
+
+	utstring_renew(sbuf);
+	utstring_printf(sbuf, "var apiKey = '%s';",
+		ud->browser_apikey ? ud->browser_apikey : "");
+
+	mg_printf_data(conn, "%s", UB(sbuf));
+	return (MG_TRUE);
+}
+
 /*
  * We're being asked for a view. `viewname' contains the ID for this view.
  * A view is a JSON file in docroot. The JSON describes which file
@@ -1393,6 +1410,9 @@ int ev_handler(struct mg_connection *conn, enum mg_event ev)
 				return view(conn, conn->uri + strlen("/view/"));
 			}
 
+			if (strstr(conn->uri, "/apikey.js") != NULL) {
+				return apikey(conn);
+			}
 
 
 			if (!strcmp(conn->request_method, "POST")) {
diff --git a/recorder.c b/recorder.c
index 07ae03e..bdfa7e4 100644
--- a/recorder.c
+++ b/recorder.c
@@ -1144,6 +1144,7 @@ void usage(char *prog)
 	printf("  --http-port <port>	-A     HTTP port (8083); 0 to disable HTTP\n");
 	printf("  --doc-root <directory>       document root (%s)\n", DOCROOT);
 	printf("  --http-logdir <directory>    directory in which to store access.log\n");
+	printf("  --browser-apikey <key>       Google maps browser API key\n");
 #endif
 #ifdef WITH_LUA
 	printf("  --lua-script <script.lua>    path to Lua script. If unset, no Lua hooks\n");
@@ -1212,6 +1213,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	udata.http_host		= strdup("localhost");
 	udata.http_port		= 8083;
 	udata.http_logdir	= NULL;
+	udata.browser_apikey	= NULL;
 #endif
 #ifdef WITH_LUA
 	udata.luascript		= NULL;
@@ -1302,6 +1304,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			{ "http-port",	required_argument,	0, 	'A'},
 			{ "doc-root",	required_argument,	0, 	2},
 			{ "http-logdir",	required_argument,	0, 	14},
+			{ "browser-apikey",	required_argument,	0, 	15},
 #endif
 			{0, 0, 0, 0}
 		  };
@@ -1386,6 +1389,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			case 14:
 				if (ud->http_logdir) free(ud->http_logdir);
 				ud->http_logdir = strdup(optarg);
+				break;
+			case 15:
+				if (ud->browser_apikey) free(ud->browser_apikey);
+				ud->browser_apikey = strdup(optarg);
+				break;
 #endif
 			case 'D':
 				ud->skipdemo = FALSE;
@@ -1705,6 +1713,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 #ifdef WITH_HTTP
 	mg_destroy_server(&udata.mgserver);
 	free(ud->http_host);
+	free(ud->browser_apikey);
 	if (ud->http_logdir) free(ud->http_logdir);
 #endif
 
diff --git a/udata.h b/udata.h
index de3cd60..268bb98 100644
--- a/udata.h
+++ b/udata.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ struct udata {
 	char *http_host;		/* address of http bind */
 	int http_port;			/* port number for above */
 	char *http_logdir;		/* full path to http access log */
+	char *browser_apikey;		/* Google maps browser API key */
 #endif
 #ifdef WITH_LUA
 	char *luascript;		/* Path to Lua script */