diff --git a/api-server/server/boot/donate.js b/api-server/server/boot/donate.js
index 0fb604ac66..1833434029 100644
--- a/api-server/server/boot/donate.js
+++ b/api-server/server/boot/donate.js
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ export default function donateBoot(app, done) {
   const publicInvalid = !pubKey || pubKey === 'pk_from_stipe_dashboard';
 
   if (secretInvalid || publicInvalid) {
-    if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
+    if (process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production') {
       throw new Error('Stripe API keys are required to boot the server!');
     }
     console.info('No Stripe API keys were found, moving on...');
diff --git a/api-server/server/boot/explorer.js b/api-server/server/boot/explorer.js
index 18b35142be..97d0d17774 100644
--- a/api-server/server/boot/explorer.js
+++ b/api-server/server/boot/explorer.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const createDebugger = require('debug');
 const log = createDebugger('fcc:boot:explorer');
 
 module.exports = function mountLoopBackExplorer(app) {
-  if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
+  if (process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production') {
     return;
   }
   let explorer;
diff --git a/api-server/server/middlewares/csp.js b/api-server/server/middlewares/csp.js
index 335d9aa894..a8ce8dae5f 100644
--- a/api-server/server/middlewares/csp.js
+++ b/api-server/server/middlewares/csp.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ let trusted = [
 const host = process.env.HOST || 'localhost';
 const port = process.env.SYNC_PORT || '3000';
 
-if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+if (process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
   trusted = trusted.concat([`ws://${host}:${port}`, 'http://localhost:8000']);
 }
 
diff --git a/api-server/server/middlewares/error-handlers.js b/api-server/server/middlewares/error-handlers.js
index 59c59b0371..e7571a334f 100644
--- a/api-server/server/middlewares/error-handlers.js
+++ b/api-server/server/middlewares/error-handlers.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { homeLocation } from '../../../config/env';
 
 import { unwrapHandledError } from '../utils/create-handled-error.js';
 
-const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production';
+const isDev = process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV !== 'production';
 
 export default function prodErrorHandler() {
   // error handling in production.
diff --git a/api-server/server/middlewares/error-reporter.js b/api-server/server/middlewares/error-reporter.js
index 7b6668cb18..81a368b202 100644
--- a/api-server/server/middlewares/error-reporter.js
+++ b/api-server/server/middlewares/error-reporter.js
@@ -27,13 +27,16 @@ ${JSON.stringify(error, null, 2)}
 };
 
 export function reportError(err) {
-  return process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production'
+  return process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production'
     ? reporter.error(err.message, err)
     : console.error(err);
 }
 
 export default function errrorReporter() {
-  if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production' && process.env.ERROR_REPORTER) {
+  if (
+    process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV !== 'production' &&
+    process.env.ERROR_REPORTER
+  ) {
     return (err, req, res, next) => {
       console.error(errTemplate(err, req));
 
diff --git a/api-server/server/utils/map.js b/api-server/server/utils/map.js
index 48172292ae..d34d69e0f8 100644
--- a/api-server/server/utils/map.js
+++ b/api-server/server/utils/map.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
   getFirstChallenge as _getFirstChallenge
 } from '../../common/utils/map.js';
 
-const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production';
+const isDev = process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV !== 'production';
 const isBeta = !!process.env.BETA;
 const challengesRegex = /^(bonfire|waypoint|zipline|basejump|checkpoint)/i;
 const addNameIdMap = _.once(_addNameIdToMap);
diff --git a/api-server/server/utils/url-utils.js b/api-server/server/utils/url-utils.js
index d3a26ebd58..fc9aeb9a3b 100644
--- a/api-server/server/utils/url-utils.js
+++ b/api-server/server/utils/url-utils.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production';
+const isDev = process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV !== 'production';
 const isBeta = !!process.env.BETA;
 
 export function getEmailSender() {
diff --git a/client/gatsby-node.js b/client/gatsby-node.js
index 79a5216f43..ae0650abb2 100644
--- a/client/gatsby-node.js
+++ b/client/gatsby-node.js
@@ -149,7 +149,9 @@ exports.onCreateWebpackConfig = ({ stage, plugins, actions }) => {
         ),
         STRIPE_PUBLIC_KEY: JSON.stringify(process.env.STRIPE_PUBLIC_KEY || ''),
         ROLLBAR_CLIENT_ID: JSON.stringify(process.env.ROLLBAR_CLIENT_ID || ''),
-        ENVIRONMENT: JSON.stringify(process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development'),
+        ENVIRONMENT: JSON.stringify(
+          process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV || 'development'
+        ),
         PAYPAL_SUPPORTERS: JSON.stringify(process.env.PAYPAL_SUPPORTERS || 404)
       })
     ]
diff --git a/config/env.js b/config/env.js
index db42ecd191..dd682234d2 100644
--- a/config/env.js
+++ b/config/env.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 const path = require('path');
 
-if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+if (process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
   const envPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '../.env');
   require('dotenv').config({ path: envPath });
 }
diff --git a/tools/scripts/build/ensure-env.js b/tools/scripts/build/ensure-env.js
index 00e4c78ed7..a1cae780a7 100644
--- a/tools/scripts/build/ensure-env.js
+++ b/tools/scripts/build/ensure-env.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const { createRedirects } = require('./create-redirects');
 
 const log = debug('fcc:tools:ensure-env');
 
-const { NODE_ENV } = process.env;
+const { FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV } = process.env;
 
 const {
   apiLocation: api,
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ const clientPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '../../../client');
 const clientStaticPath = path.resolve(clientPath, 'static');
 const globalConfigPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '../../../config');
 
-if (NODE_ENV === 'production') {
+if (FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production') {
   const redirects = createRedirects({ api, news, forum });
   fs.writeFile(`${clientStaticPath}/_redirects`, redirects, function(err) {
     if (err) {
@@ -35,16 +35,16 @@ if (NODE_ENV === 'production') {
     log('_redirects written');
   });
 } else {
-  log(`ignoring creation of redirect file in ${NODE_ENV}`);
+  log(`ignoring creation of redirect file in ${FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV}`);
 }
 
 const migrationMapPath = `${apiPath}/server/resources/pathMigration.json`;
 fs.access(migrationMapPath, err => {
-  if (err && NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+  if (err && FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
     log('creating pathMigration');
     return fs.writeFileSync(migrationMapPath, '{}');
   }
-  if (NODE_ENV === 'production') {
+  if (FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV === 'production') {
     return getChallengesForLang(locale)
       .then(createPathMigrationMap)
       .then(map => {