diff --git a/lib/error-reporting/__tests__/client-lite.test.ts b/lib/error-reporting/__tests__/client-lite.test.ts
index 3c6064839..5e4ab5d04 100644
--- a/lib/error-reporting/__tests__/client-lite.test.ts
+++ b/lib/error-reporting/__tests__/client-lite.test.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,12 @@
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 
-vi.mock('@/lib/lite', async (importOriginal) => ({
-  ...(await importOriginal<typeof import('@/lib/lite')>()),
-  IS_LITE: true,
-}));
-
 import { captureException, configureErrorReporting, resetErrorReportingForTests } from '../client';
 
 const DSN = 'https://6f0b9c79ed3a4315b76595bc2536ac40@bugsink.example.org/3';
 let fetchSpy: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
 
 beforeEach(() => {
+  vi.stubEnv('NEXT_PUBLIC_BULWARK_LITE', '1');
   resetErrorReportingForTests();
   sessionStorage.clear();
   fetchSpy = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(new Response(null, { status: 200 }));
@@ -18,6 +14,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 });
 
 afterEach(() => {
+  vi.unstubAllEnvs();
   vi.unstubAllGlobals();
 });
 
diff --git a/lib/error-reporting/client.ts b/lib/error-reporting/client.ts
index 712a21f14..23d6e69db 100644
--- a/lib/error-reporting/client.ts
+++ b/lib/error-reporting/client.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { apiFetch, getPathPrefix } from '@/lib/browser-navigation';
-import { IS_LITE } from '@/lib/lite';
 import { scrubRoutePath } from '@/lib/route-groups';
 import { debugIdsByPath } from './debug-ids';
 import {
@@ -201,9 +200,10 @@ function deliver(report: ErrorReport): void {
       mode: 'cors',
     });
   }
-  // Lite has no server: the bundler drops this branch, and the endpoint
-  // with it (scripts/lite/verify.mjs fails on undocumented /api strings).
-  if (!IS_LITE && settings.collect) {
+  // Lite has no server. Read here, not through IS_LITE: the bundler inlines
+  // the variable only in this module, so the branch and the endpoint string
+  // leave the Lite bundle (scripts/lite/verify.mjs).
+  if (process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BULWARK_LITE !== '1' && settings.collect) {
     send('/api/errors', JSON.stringify({
       name: report.name,
       message: report.message,