diff --git a/docs/development.md b/docs/development.md
index 75faea55ca..2f3ad57f95 100644
--- a/docs/development.md
+++ b/docs/development.md
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ Root checkout dev is intentionally split across terminals:
 - `npm run dev:app` runs Expo on `http://localhost:8081` and connects to the dev daemon.
 - `npm run dev:desktop` runs its own Electron-flavored Expo server on the first free port from `8082` through `8089`. It never claims port `8081`.
 
+Desktop dev launches its desktop-managed daemon with `PASEO_NODE_ENV=development`,
+so development-only providers such as Mock Load Test are available. Packaged
+desktop launches always force the daemon to production mode.
+
 `npm run dev` is only a shorthand for `npm run dev:server`. Keep `127.0.0.1:6767` for the packaged app and production-style `~/.paseo` state.
 
 ### PASEO_HOME
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/daemon/node-entrypoint-launcher.test.ts b/packages/desktop/src/daemon/node-entrypoint-launcher.test.ts
index f56086d712..4f74eba9ab 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/daemon/node-entrypoint-launcher.test.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/daemon/node-entrypoint-launcher.test.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ describe("node-entrypoint-launcher", () => {
           entrypoint: CLI_ENTRYPOINT,
           argvMode: "node-script",
           args: ["ls"],
-          baseEnv: { PATH: "/usr/bin" },
+          baseEnv: { PATH: "/usr/bin", PASEO_NODE_ENV: "production" },
         }),
       ).toEqual({
         command: "/opt/homebrew/bin/electron",
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ describe("node-entrypoint-launcher", () => {
         env: {
           PATH: "/usr/bin",
           ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE: "1",
+          PASEO_NODE_ENV: "development",
         },
       });
     });
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/daemon/node-entrypoint-launcher.ts b/packages/desktop/src/daemon/node-entrypoint-launcher.ts
index 302a87ddc5..8f7e2d8731 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/daemon/node-entrypoint-launcher.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/daemon/node-entrypoint-launcher.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export function createElectronNodeEnv(
   return {
     ...baseEnv,
     ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE: "1",
-    ...(options?.isPackaged === true ? { [PASEO_NODE_ENV]: "production" } : {}),
+    [PASEO_NODE_ENV]: options?.isPackaged === true ? "production" : "development",
   };
 }