diff --git a/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_agent.py b/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_agent.py
index 6ea81fc8..25967497 100644
--- a/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_agent.py
+++ b/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_agent.py
@@ -2060,7 +2060,7 @@ async def run_browser_agent(
                     f"[browser-agent {session_id}] browser card {browser_id} is unusable "
                     f"({card_gone_streak} consecutive gone/hung results); aborting fast"
                 )
-                if os.environ.get("OSW_DEADCARD_EVICT") == "1":
+                if os.environ.get("OSW_DEADCARD_EVICT", "1") != "0":
                     DEAD_CARDS.add(browser_id)
                     logger.info(f"[browser-agent] {browser_id} marked dead; same-host reuse will skip it")
                 break
@@ -2408,7 +2408,7 @@ async def run_browser_agents(
                         await execute_browser_tool("BrowserNavigate", {"url": url}, browser_id)
                     except Exception:
                         pass
-            elif os.environ.get("OSW_PRELUDE_TRIM") == "1":
+            elif os.environ.get("OSW_PRELUDE_TRIM", "1") != "0":
                 # Poll until the mounting card serves real page text instead of a blind 2s; capped, so the worst case is the old wait plus one probe.
                 p_mount_t0 = time.monotonic()
                 while time.monotonic() - p_mount_t0 < 2.5:
@@ -2429,7 +2429,7 @@ async def run_browser_agents(
         is_pre_selected = browser_id in pre_selected
         p_nav_url = url or ("" if reused else entry_url)
         # The fresh card already opened AT entry_url, so the pre-loop nav is a full second page load of the same page; trim mode drops it (perceive reads the mounting page, and the loop can still navigate itself if that read comes up empty).
-        if (os.environ.get("OSW_PRELUDE_TRIM") == "1" and not reused and not url
+        if (os.environ.get("OSW_PRELUDE_TRIM", "1") != "0" and not reused and not url
                 and entry_url and p_nav_url == entry_url):
             p_nav_url = ""
         try:
diff --git a/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_fast_read.py b/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_fast_read.py
index bd13a0f9..627ca041 100644
--- a/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_fast_read.py
+++ b/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_fast_read.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ P_MAX_LINKS = 60
 
 
 def hop_enabled() -> bool:
-    return os.environ.get("OSW_FASTREAD_HOP") == "1"
+    return os.environ.get("OSW_FASTREAD_HOP", "1") != "0"
 
 
 def extract_links(html: str, base_url: str) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
diff --git a/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_prestage.py b/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_prestage.py
index 2b13bdba..67bc1246 100644
--- a/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_prestage.py
+++ b/backend/apps/agents/browser/browser_prestage.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ ToolRunner = Callable[[str, dict, str, str], Awaitable[dict]]
 
 
 def prestage_enabled() -> bool:
-    return os.environ.get("OSW_PRESTAGE") == "1"
+    return os.environ.get("OSW_PRESTAGE", "1") != "0"
 
 
 def list_entry_for(list_text: str, index: int) -> str:
diff --git a/backend/tests/conftest.py b/backend/tests/conftest.py
index 1cfeb17b..4f5a1dcf 100644
--- a/backend/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/backend/tests/conftest.py
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ def _isolate_browser_state(monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setenv("OPENSWARM_BROWSER_SKILLS_DIR", skills_dir)
     monkeypatch.setenv("OPENSWARM_BROWSER_METRICS_DIR", metrics_dir)
     monkeypatch.setenv("OPENSWARM_BROWSER_PLAYBOOK_DIR", playbook_dir)
+    # The speed levers are default-ON in prod; pin them off for the suite so mocked loop tests keep exact aux-call/turn expectations (same pattern as OPENSWARM_PERSISTENT_CLIENT). The levers are exercised by their own live gates + targeted tests that set the flag explicitly.
+    monkeypatch.setenv("OSW_PRESTAGE", "0")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("OSW_FASTREAD_HOP", "0")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("OSW_PRELUDE_TRIM", "0")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("OSW_DEADCARD_EVICT", "0")
 
     def _reset():
         for mod in ("browser_skills", "browser_playbook"):