diff --git a/rq/scripts/__init__.py b/rq/scripts/__init__.py
index 575a8cb..ec188ee 100644
--- a/rq/scripts/__init__.py
+++ b/rq/scripts/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 import importlib
-import redis
+import os
+from functools import partial
 from warnings import warn
+
+import redis
+from first import first
+
 from rq import use_connection
 
 
@@ -32,31 +37,20 @@ def read_config_file(module):
 
 def setup_default_arguments(args, settings):
     """ Sets up args from settings or defaults """
-    if args.url is None:
-        args.url = settings.get('REDIS_URL')
+    args.url = first([args.url, settings.get('REDIS_URL'), os.environ.get('RQ_REDIS_URL')])
 
     if (args.host or args.port or args.socket or args.db or args.password):
         warn('Host, port, db, password options for Redis will not be '
              'supported in future versions of RQ. '
              'Please use `REDIS_URL` or `--url` instead.', DeprecationWarning)
 
-    if args.host is None:
-        args.host = settings.get('REDIS_HOST', 'localhost')
-
-    if args.port is None:
-        args.port = int(settings.get('REDIS_PORT', 6379))
-    else:
-        args.port = int(args.port)
-
-    socket = settings.get('REDIS_SOCKET', False)
-    if args.socket is None and socket:
-        args.socket = socket
-
-    if args.db is None:
-        args.db = settings.get('REDIS_DB', 0)
+    strict_first = partial(first, key=lambda obj: obj is not None)
 
-    if args.password is None:
-        args.password = settings.get('REDIS_PASSWORD', None)
+    args.host = strict_first([args.host, settings.get('REDIS_HOST'), os.environ.get('RQ_REDIS_HOST'), 'localhost'])
+    args.port = int(strict_first([args.port, settings.get('REDIS_PORT'), os.environ.get('RQ_REDIS_PORT'), 6379]))
+    args.socket = strict_first([args.socket, settings.get('REDIS_SOCKET'), os.environ.get('RQ_REDIS_SOCKET'), False])
+    args.db = strict_first([args.db, settings.get('REDIS_DB'), os.environ.get('RQ_REDIS_DB'), 0])
+    args.password = strict_first([args.password, settings.get('REDIS_PASSWORD'), os.environ.get('RQ_REDIS_PASSWORD')])
 
 
 def setup_redis(args):
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 500093a..91ab911 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def get_version():
 
 
 def get_dependencies():
-    deps = ['redis >= 2.4.13']
+    deps = ['redis >= 2.4.13', 'first >= 2.0']
     if sys.version_info < (2, 7) or \
             (sys.version_info >= (3, 0) and sys.version_info < (3, 1)):
         deps += ['importlib']