diff --git a/great_ai/large_file/large_file/large_file_base.py b/great_ai/large_file/large_file/large_file_base.py
index 2f9ff2b..5bee7db 100644
--- a/great_ai/large_file/large_file/large_file_base.py
+++ b/great_ai/large_file/large_file/large_file_base.py
@@ -84,9 +84,11 @@ class LargeFileBase(ABC):
     @classmethod
     def configure_credentials_from_file(
         cls,
-        secrets_path: Union[Path, str],
+        secrets: Union[Path, str, ConfigFile],
     ) -> None:
-        cls.configure_credentials(**ConfigFile(secrets_path))
+        if not isinstance(secrets, ConfigFile):
+            secrets = ConfigFile(secrets)
+        cls.configure_credentials(**{k.lower(): v for k, v in secrets.items()})
 
     @classmethod
     def configure_credentials(cls, **kwargs: str) -> None:
diff --git a/great_ai/persistence/mongodb_driver.py b/great_ai/persistence/mongodb_driver.py
index 7c2600d..49e7b3e 100644
--- a/great_ai/persistence/mongodb_driver.py
+++ b/great_ai/persistence/mongodb_driver.py
@@ -90,17 +90,8 @@ class MongodbDriver(TracingDatabaseDriver):
 
         query: Dict[str, Any] = {
             "filter": {},
-            "sort": [
-                (col.column_id, 1 if col.direction == "asc" else -1) for col in sort_by
-            ],
         }
 
-        if skip:
-            query["skip"] = skip
-
-        if take:
-            query["limit"] = take
-
         and_query: List[Dict[str, Any]] = [{}]
         and_query.extend({"tags": tag} for tag in conjunctive_tags)
         and_query.extend(
@@ -120,10 +111,21 @@ class MongodbDriver(TracingDatabaseDriver):
         query["filter"]["$and"] = and_query
 
         with MongoClient[Any](self.mongo_connection_string) as client:
-            values = client[self.mongo_database].traces.find(**query)
-            documents = [Trace[Any].parse_obj(t) for t in values]
+            count = client[self.mongo_database].traces.count_documents(**query)
 
-        return documents, len(documents)
+            if skip:
+                query["skip"] = skip
+
+            if take:
+                query["limit"] = take
+
+            query["sort"] = [
+                (col.column_id, 1 if col.direction == "asc" else -1) for col in sort_by
+            ]
+
+            with client[self.mongo_database].traces.find(**query) as cursor:
+                documents = [Trace[Any].parse_obj(t) for t in cursor]
+        return documents, count
 
     def update(self, id: str, new_version: Trace) -> None:
         serialized = new_version.to_flat_dict()
diff --git a/great_ai/persistence/tracing_database_driver.py b/great_ai/persistence/tracing_database_driver.py
index 17cccfc..4995361 100644
--- a/great_ai/persistence/tracing_database_driver.py
+++ b/great_ai/persistence/tracing_database_driver.py
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@ class TracingDatabaseDriver(ABC):
     @classmethod
     def configure_credentials_from_file(
         cls,
-        secrets_path: Union[Path, str],
+        secrets: Union[Path, str, ConfigFile],
     ) -> None:
-        cls.configure_credentials(**ConfigFile(secrets_path))
+        if not isinstance(secrets, ConfigFile):
+            secrets = ConfigFile(secrets)
+        cls.configure_credentials(**{k.lower(): v for k, v in secrets.items()})
 
     @classmethod
     def configure_credentials(
diff --git a/great_ai/utilities/config_file/config_file.py b/great_ai/utilities/config_file/config_file.py
index 92a4951..0161842 100644
--- a/great_ai/utilities/config_file/config_file.py
+++ b/great_ai/utilities/config_file/config_file.py
@@ -6,24 +6,30 @@ from ..logger import get_logger
 from .parse_error import ParseError
 from .pattern import pattern
 
-ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE_KEY_PREFIX = "ENV"
-
 logger = get_logger("ConfigFile")
 
 
 class ConfigFile(Mapping[str, str]):
-    def __init__(self, path: Union[Path, str]) -> None:
+    ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE_KEY_PREFIX = "ENV"
+
+    def __init__(self, path: Union[Path, str], *, ignore_missing: bool = False) -> None:
         if not isinstance(path, Path):
             path = Path(path)
 
         if not path.exists():
             raise FileNotFoundError(path.absolute())
 
+        self._ignore_missing = ignore_missing
+
         self._path = path
         self._key_values: Dict[str, str] = {}
 
         self._parse()
 
+    @property
+    def path(self) -> Path:
+        return self._path
+
     def _parse(self) -> None:
         with open(self._path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
             lines: str = f.read()
@@ -39,21 +45,23 @@ class ConfigFile(Mapping[str, str]):
 
             already_exists = key in self._key_values
             if already_exists and not value.startswith(
-                f"{ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE_KEY_PREFIX}:"
+                f"{self.ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE_KEY_PREFIX}:"
             ):
                 raise KeyError(
                     f"Key `{key}` has been already defined and its value is `{self._key_values[key]}`"
                 )
 
-            if value.startswith(f"{ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE_KEY_PREFIX}:"):
+            if value.startswith(f"{self.ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE_KEY_PREFIX}:"):
                 _, value = value.split(":")
                 if value not in os.environ:
-                    issue = f'The value of `{key}` contains the "{ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE_KEY_PREFIX}` prefix but `{value}` is not defined as an environment variable'
+                    issue = f'The value of `{key}` contains the "{self.ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLE_KEY_PREFIX}` prefix but `{value}` is not defined as an environment variable'
                     if already_exists:
                         logger.warning(
                             f"{issue}, using the default value defined above (`{self._key_values[key]}`)"
                         )
                         continue
+                    elif self._ignore_missing:
+                        logger.warning(issue)
                     else:
                         raise KeyError(
                             f"{issue} and no default value has been provided"