diff --git a/.github/workflows/curriculum-i18n-submodule.yml b/.github/workflows/curriculum-i18n-submodule.yml
index b713ac1794a..37221afac65 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/curriculum-i18n-submodule.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/curriculum-i18n-submodule.yml
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set Environment variables
         run: |
-          cp sample.env .env
+          sed '/^[[:space:]]*#/d; /^$/d' sample.env >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Install node_modules
         run: pnpm install
diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-playwright.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e-playwright.yml
index 9461eb898ab..1480592af1c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e-playwright.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-playwright.yml
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set freeCodeCamp Environment Variables
         run: |
-          cp sample.env .env
+          sed '/^[[:space:]]*#/d; /^$/d' sample.env >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Install and Build
         run: |
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set freeCodeCamp Environment Variables (needed by api)
         run: |
-          cp sample.env .env
+          sed '/^[[:space:]]*#/d; /^$/d' sample.env >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          cp sample.env .env # for docker compose
 
       - name: Install playwright dependencies
         run: npx playwright install --with-deps
diff --git a/.github/workflows/i18n-validate-builds.yml b/.github/workflows/i18n-validate-builds.yml
index c565eeb7d98..68c3ce40f80 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/i18n-validate-builds.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/i18n-validate-builds.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set freeCodeCamp Environment Variables
         run: |
-          cp sample.env .env
+          sed '/^[[:space:]]*#/d; /^$/d' sample.env >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Install Dependencies
         run: pnpm install
diff --git a/.github/workflows/i18n-validate-prs.yml b/.github/workflows/i18n-validate-prs.yml
index e8c01d969be..efe090acdb9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/i18n-validate-prs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/i18n-validate-prs.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set freeCodeCamp Environment Variables
         run: |
-          cp sample.env .env
+          sed '/^[[:space:]]*#/d; /^$/d' sample.env >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Install Dependencies
         run: pnpm install
diff --git a/.github/workflows/node.js-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/node.js-tests.yml
index 5a2a25a5936..dddb228c0e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/node.js-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/node.js-tests.yml
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
+      - name: Check format of sample.env
+        run: docker run --rm -v `pwd`:/app -w /app dotenvlinter/dotenv-linter check --ignore-checks UnorderedKey sample.env
+
       - name: Use Node.js ${{ matrix.node-version }}
         uses: actions/setup-node@6044e13b5dc448c55e2357c09f80417699197238 # v6
         with:
@@ -64,8 +67,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set Environment variables
         run: |
-          cp sample.env .env
-          cat .env
+          sed '/^[[:space:]]*#/d; /^$/d' sample.env >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          cat sample.env
 
       - name: Install node_modules
         run: pnpm install
@@ -116,7 +119,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set freeCodeCamp Environment Variables
         run: |
-          cp sample.env .env
+          sed '/^[[:space:]]*#/d; /^$/d' sample.env >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Install and Build
         run: |
@@ -158,8 +161,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set Environment variables
         run: |
-          cp sample.env .env
-          cat .env
+          sed '/^[[:space:]]*#/d; /^$/d' sample.env >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          cat sample.env
 
       - name: Start MongoDB
         run: docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml up -d
@@ -210,9 +213,9 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set Environment variables
         run: |
-          cp sample.env .env
+          sed '/^[[:space:]]*#/d; /^$/d' sample.env >> $GITHUB_ENV
           echo 'SHOW_UPCOMING_CHANGES=true' >> .env
-          cat .env
+          cat sample.env
 
       - name: Start MongoDB
         run: docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml up -d
@@ -265,8 +268,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set Environment variables
         run: |
-          cp sample.env .env
-          cat .env
+          sed '/^[[:space:]]*#/d; /^$/d' sample.env >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          cat sample.env
 
       - name: Start MongoDB
         uses: supercharge/mongodb-github-action@315db7fe45ac2880b7758f1933e6e5d59afd5e94 # 1.12.1
diff --git a/api/src/utils/env.ts b/api/src/utils/env.ts
index 06d51611839..f38d3e3389a 100644
--- a/api/src/utils/env.ts
+++ b/api/src/utils/env.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@ const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 const envPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '../../../.env');
 const { error } = config({ path: envPath });
 
-if (error && process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+if (
+  error &&
+  process.env.FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV == 'production' &&
+  process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test'
+) {
   console.warn(`
   ----------------------------------------------------
   Warning: .env file not found.
diff --git a/api/turbo.json b/api/turbo.json
index 8107abf4d92..53c6b09b814 100644
--- a/api/turbo.json
+++ b/api/turbo.json
@@ -39,7 +39,41 @@
       ]
     },
     "test": {
-      "passThroughEnv": ["VITEST_WORKER_ID"]
+      "passThroughEnv": ["VITEST_WORKER_ID"],
+      "env": [
+        "API_LOCATION",
+        "AUTH0_CLIENT_ID",
+        "AUTH0_CLIENT_SECRET",
+        "AUTH0_DOMAIN",
+        "COOKIE_DOMAIN",
+        "COOKIE_SECRET",
+        "DEPLOYMENT_ENV",
+        "DEPLOYMENT_VERSION",
+        "EMAIL_PROVIDER",
+        "FCC_API_LOG_LEVEL",
+        "FCC_API_LOG_TRANSPORT",
+        "FCC_ENABLE_DEV_LOGIN_MODE",
+        "FCC_ENABLE_SENTRY_ROUTES",
+        "FCC_ENABLE_SHADOW_CAPTURE",
+        "FCC_ENABLE_SWAGGER_UI",
+        "FCC_ENABLE_TEST_LOGGING",
+        "FREECODECAMP_NODE_ENV",
+        "GROWTHBOOK_FASTIFY_API_HOST",
+        "GROWTHBOOK_FASTIFY_CLIENT_KEY",
+        "HOME_LOCATION",
+        "HOST",
+        "JWT_SECRET",
+        "MAILPIT_HOST",
+        "NODE_ENV",
+        "PORT",
+        "SENTRY_DSN",
+        "SENTRY_ENVIRONMENT",
+        "SES_ID",
+        "SES_REGION",
+        "SES_SECRET",
+        "SHOW_UPCOMING_CHANGES",
+        "STRIPE_SECRET_KEY"
+      ]
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/curriculum/src/config.ts b/curriculum/src/config.ts
index 208f5841b0a..20cd146e828 100644
--- a/curriculum/src/config.ts
+++ b/curriculum/src/config.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export function testedLang() {
       Before the site can be built, this language needs to be manually approved`);
     }
   } else {
-    throw Error('LOCALE must be set for testing');
+    throw Error('CURRICULUM_LOCALE must be set for testing');
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/curriculum/turbo.json b/curriculum/turbo.json
index 30755fb01ca..001594ba58b 100644
--- a/curriculum/turbo.json
+++ b/curriculum/turbo.json
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
     "test-content": {
       "passThroughEnv": ["VITEST_POOL_ID", "PUPPETEER_WS_ENDPOINT"],
       "env": ["FCC_*", "CURRICULUM_LOCALE", "SHOW_UPCOMING_CHANGES"]
+    },
+    "lint": {
+      "env": ["CURRICULUM_LOCALE"]
     }
   }
 }