diff --git a/doc/test.html b/doc/test.html
index 4ef47a1485..c0d1873a84 100644
--- a/doc/test.html
+++ b/doc/test.html
@@ -160,6 +160,8 @@ setenv BOINC_KEY_DIR        /home/david/boinc_keys
 # path of some pre-generated security keys
 setenv BOINC_PLATFORM       i686-pc-linux-gnu
 # platform name of this machine
+setenv BOINC_SHMEM_KEY      0x3abc1234
+# shared-memory key; must be less than 2^31
 </pre>
 <h4>1.5) Example script</h4>
 
diff --git a/test/test.inc b/test/test.inc
index 6d7182a9a2..af9e8f6a4d 100644
--- a/test/test.inc
+++ b/test/test.inc
@@ -113,8 +113,7 @@ class Project {
         $this->plat_names = array();
         $this->db_passwd = "";
         $this->generate_keys = false;
-        $this->shmem_key = "0xbeefacafe";
-        //$this->shmem_key = "0x" . rand(0,6) . rand(0,9) . rand(0,9) . rand(0,9) . rand(0,9) . rand(0,9) . rand(0,9) . rand(0,9);
+        $this->shmem_key = get_env_var("BOINC_SHMEM_KEY");
         $this->resource_share = 1;
     }