diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/.changes/remove-test-telemetry-branch.md b/packages/coding-agent/.changes/remove-test-telemetry-branch.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..350439952
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/.changes/remove-test-telemetry-branch.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Stopped treating `NODE_ENV=test` as an implicit telemetry opt-out.
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/telemetry.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/telemetry.ts
index de8eb860f..bb32bce5f 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/telemetry.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/telemetry.ts
@@ -212,9 +212,6 @@ export function isTelemetryEnabled(settingsManager: SettingsManager): boolean {
 	if (override !== undefined) {
 		return override;
 	}
-	if (process.env.NODE_ENV === "test") {
-		return false;
-	}
 	return settingsManager.getTelemetryEnabled();
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/test/agent-session-services.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/test/agent-session-services.test.ts
index 81a2414a3..7c1eec6c7 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/test/agent-session-services.test.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/test/agent-session-services.test.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ describe("createAgentSessionFromServices", () => {
 	});
 
 	it("shows the telemetry disclosure independently of the Herdr reporter", async () => {
+		vi.stubEnv("DO_NOT_TRACK", "0");
 		vi.stubEnv("PRIME_AGENT_TELEMETRY", "1");
 		const tempDir = join(tmpdir(), `pi-session-telemetry-notice-${Date.now()}`);
 		mkdirSync(tempDir, { recursive: true });
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ describe("createAgentSessionFromServices", () => {
 	});
 
 	it("honors an explicit daemon-carried telemetry opt-out", async () => {
+		vi.stubEnv("DO_NOT_TRACK", "0");
 		vi.stubEnv("PRIME_AGENT_TELEMETRY", "1");
 		const tempDir = join(tmpdir(), `pi-session-daemon-telemetry-opt-out-${Date.now()}`);
 		mkdirSync(tempDir, { recursive: true });
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ describe("createAgentSessionFromServices", () => {
 	});
 
 	it("does not install top-level telemetry for a resumed child session", async () => {
+		vi.stubEnv("DO_NOT_TRACK", "0");
 		vi.stubEnv("PRIME_AGENT_TELEMETRY", "1");
 		const tempDir = join(tmpdir(), `pi-session-child-telemetry-${Date.now()}`);
 		mkdirSync(tempDir, { recursive: true });
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/test/telemetry.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/test/telemetry.test.ts
index 12b4e17c5..49c2ba426 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/test/telemetry.test.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/test/telemetry.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { lstatSync, mkdtempSync, readFileSync, statSync, symlinkSync, writeFileS
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import type { AssistantMessage } from "@earendil-works/pi-ai";
-import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import type { AgentSession, AgentSessionEvent } from "../src/core/agent-session.js";
 import { SettingsManager } from "../src/core/settings-manager.js";
 import {
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ describe("telemetry controls", () => {
 	it("honors settings and environment opt-outs", () => {
 		const settings = SettingsManager.inMemory({ telemetry: { enabled: true } });
 
-		vi.stubEnv("NODE_ENV", "production");
+		vi.stubEnv("DO_NOT_TRACK", "0");
 		expect(isTelemetryEnabled(settings)).toBe(true);
 
 		vi.stubEnv("DO_NOT_TRACK", "1");
@@ -251,14 +251,6 @@ describe("telemetry controls", () => {
 		expect(isTelemetryEnabled(settings)).toBe(false);
 	});
 
-	it("is disabled by default in tests unless explicitly enabled", () => {
-		const settings = SettingsManager.inMemory({ telemetry: { enabled: true } });
-		vi.stubEnv("NODE_ENV", "test");
-		expect(isTelemetryEnabled(settings)).toBe(false);
-		vi.stubEnv("PRIME_AGENT_TELEMETRY", "1");
-		expect(isTelemetryEnabled(settings)).toBe(true);
-	});
-
 	it("normalizes malformed telemetry settings before updating them", async () => {
 		const settings = SettingsManager.inMemory({ telemetry: true as never });
 		const disabledSettings = SettingsManager.inMemory({ telemetry: false as never });
@@ -276,6 +268,10 @@ describe("telemetry controls", () => {
 });
 
 describe("agent telemetry aggregation", () => {
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		vi.stubEnv("DO_NOT_TRACK", "0");
+	});
+
 	it("captures only allowlisted built-in command names", async () => {
 		vi.stubEnv("PRIME_AGENT_TELEMETRY", "1");
 		const sink = new FakeTelemetrySink();
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/vitest.config.ts b/packages/coding-agent/vitest.config.ts
index 04ec6693a..320ff2a98 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/vitest.config.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
 		globals: true,
 		environment: "node",
 		testTimeout: 30000,
+		env: { DO_NOT_TRACK: "1" },
 		tags: [
 			{
 				name: "process-stress",