diff --git a/nodejs/__test__/fixtures/oauth_browser.cmd b/nodejs/__test__/fixtures/oauth_browser.cmd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8e97db307
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nodejs/__test__/fixtures/oauth_browser.cmd
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+@rem SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+@rem SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright The LanceDB Authors
+@exit /b 0
diff --git a/nodejs/__test__/oauth.test.ts b/nodejs/__test__/oauth.test.ts
index 0a04bb2aa..627da786f 100644
--- a/nodejs/__test__/oauth.test.ts
+++ b/nodejs/__test__/oauth.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 import * as fs from "fs";
 import * as http from "http";
+import { execFileSync } from "node:child_process";
 import * as os from "os";
 import * as path from "path";
 import { OAuthConfig, OAuthFlowType, OAuthSession } from "../lancedb/oauth";
@@ -23,9 +24,15 @@ function deviceConfig(issuerUrl: string, cacheDir: string): OAuthConfig {
 
 describe("OAuthSession", () => {
   beforeAll(() => {
-    // Point the Rust browser helper at a no-op so device-flow logins never
-    // open a real browser window during tests.
-    process.env.LANCEDB_OAUTH_BROWSER = "/usr/bin/true";
+    // Child processes inherit the real environment, just as Rust reads it.
+    // Fail before login if the browser override only exists in Jest's sandbox.
+    const browser = execFileSync(
+      process.execPath,
+      ["-p", "process.env.LANCEDB_OAUTH_BROWSER ?? ''"],
+      { encoding: "utf8" },
+    ).trim();
+    expect(browser).not.toBe("");
+    expect(browser).toBe(process.env.LANCEDB_OAUTH_BROWSER);
   });
 
   it("reports an absent session and logout is idempotent", async () => {
diff --git a/nodejs/jest.config.js b/nodejs/jest.config.js
index dc99083a5..c137a4b9e 100644
--- a/nodejs/jest.config.js
+++ b/nodejs/jest.config.js
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+const path = require("node:path");
+
+// Set the real process environment before Jest creates its sandbox and workers.
+// Assigning process.env inside a test does not reach Rust's std::env.
+process.env.LANCEDB_OAUTH_BROWSER =
+  process.platform === "win32"
+    ? path.join(__dirname, "__test__/fixtures/oauth_browser.cmd")
+    : "/usr/bin/true";
+
 /** @type {import('ts-jest').JestConfigWithTsJest} */
 module.exports = {
   preset: "ts-jest",