diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 3495fe143..42ee765c9 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -28057,7 +28057,8 @@
         "@repo/utils": "*",
         "@supabase/auth-js": "2.71.1",
         "@supabase/functions-js": "2.4.5",
-        "@supabase/supabase-js": "2.55.0"
+        "@supabase/supabase-js": "2.55.0",
+        "dotenv": "^16.6.1"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@cucumber/cucumber": "^11.3.0",
diff --git a/packages/database/README.md b/packages/database/README.md
index a7061234a..0ba28f556 100644
--- a/packages/database/README.md
+++ b/packages/database/README.md
@@ -1,11 +1,17 @@
 This contains the database schema for vector embeddings and concepts.
 
-There are three usage scenarios:
+There are four usage scenarios:
+
+## Developing without the database
+
+Your frontend will not use the database.
+Optional: Set `SUPABASE_USE_DB=none` in your console before running `turbo dev`. (This is now the default.)
 
 ## Local development setup
 
 Normal scenario: Your backend and frontend will work against a database instance within docker.
 It does mean you will have a fresh database with minimal data.
+Set `SUPABASE_USE_DB=local` in your console before running `turbo dev`.
 
 ### Installation
 
diff --git a/packages/database/package.json b/packages/database/package.json
index 0ff7522f9..8a83e6e72 100644
--- a/packages/database/package.json
+++ b/packages/database/package.json
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@
       "default": "./dist/src/lib/*.js"
     },
     "./dbDotEnv": {
-      "types": "./dist/src/dbDotEnv.d.ts",
-      "require": "./dist/src/dbDotEnv.js",
-      "default": "./dist/src/dbDotEnv.js"
+      "types": "./types/dbDotEnv.d.ts",
+      "import": "./src/dbDotEnv.js",
+      "require": "./src/dbDotEnv.js",
+      "default": "./src/dbDotEnv.js"
     },
     "./dbTypes": {
       "types": "./dist/src/dbTypes.d.ts",
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@
         "dist/src/lib/*.d.ts"
       ],
       "./dbDotEnv": [
-        "dist/src/dbDotEnv.d.ts"
+        "src/dbDotEnv.d.ts"
       ],
       "./dbTypes": [
         "dist/src/dbTypes.d.ts"
@@ -42,13 +43,16 @@
   },
   "scripts": {
     "init": "supabase login",
-    "dev": "supabase start && tsx scripts/createEnv.mts && supabase functions serve",
+    "dev": "tsx scripts/dev.ts",
+    "compile": "tsc",
+    "serve": "supabase start && tsx scripts/createEnv.mts && supabase functions serve",
     "stop": "supabase stop",
     "check-types": "tsc --emitDeclarationOnly --skipLibCheck",
     "check-schema": "tsx scripts/lint.ts && supabase stop && npm run dbdiff",
     "lint": "eslint . && tsx scripts/lint.ts",
     "lint:fix": "tsx scripts/lint.ts -f",
-    "build": "tsc && tsx scripts/build.ts && npm run genenv -- local",
+    "build": "tsc",
+    "build-schema": "tsx scripts/build.ts && npm run genenv -- local",
     "test": "tsc && cucumber-js",
     "genenv": "tsx scripts/createEnv.mts",
     "gentypes:production": "supabase start && supabase gen types typescript --project-id \"$SUPABASE_PROJECT_ID\" --schema public > src/dbTypes.ts",
@@ -61,7 +65,8 @@
     "@repo/utils": "*",
     "@supabase/auth-js": "2.71.1",
     "@supabase/functions-js": "2.4.5",
-    "@supabase/supabase-js": "2.55.0"
+    "@supabase/supabase-js": "2.55.0",
+    "dotenv": "^16.6.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@repo/typescript-config": "*",
diff --git a/packages/database/scripts/build.ts b/packages/database/scripts/build.ts
index f46db498c..85f0d1c1c 100644
--- a/packages/database/scripts/build.ts
+++ b/packages/database/scripts/build.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
 import { writeFileSync } from "fs";
 import { join, dirname } from "path";
-import { fileURLToPath } from "url";
+import { getVariant } from "@repo/database/dbDotEnv";
 
 const __dirname = dirname(__filename);
 const projectRoot = join(__dirname, "..");
 
 if (process.env.HOME !== "/vercel") {
   try {
+    if (getVariant() === "none") {
+      console.log("Not using the database");
+      process.exit(0);
+    }
     execSync("supabase start", { cwd: projectRoot, stdio: "inherit" });
     execSync("supabase migrations up", { cwd: projectRoot, stdio: "inherit" });
     const stdout = execSync(
diff --git a/packages/database/scripts/dev.ts b/packages/database/scripts/dev.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed8fbf284
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/database/scripts/dev.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { execSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { join, dirname } from "path";
+import { getVariant } from "@repo/database/dbDotEnv";
+
+const __dirname = dirname(__filename);
+const projectRoot = join(__dirname, "..");
+
+if (process.env.HOME !== "/vercel") {
+  try {
+    execSync("npm run compile", { cwd: projectRoot, stdio: "inherit" });
+    if (getVariant() === "none") {
+      console.log("Not using the database");
+      process.exit(0);
+    }
+    execSync("npm run serve", { cwd: projectRoot, stdio: "inherit" });
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error(err);
+    throw err;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/database/src/dbDotEnv.ts b/packages/database/src/dbDotEnv.js
similarity index 78%
rename from packages/database/src/dbDotEnv.ts
rename to packages/database/src/dbDotEnv.js
index b6afc9bfc..e1e8b0ad1 100644
--- a/packages/database/src/dbDotEnv.ts
+++ b/packages/database/src/dbDotEnv.js
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import dotenv from "dotenv";
 import { readFileSync, existsSync } from "fs";
 import { join, dirname, basename } from "path";
-import { fileURLToPath } from "url";
 
-const findRoot = (): string => {
+const findRoot = () => {
   let dir = __filename;
   while (basename(dir) !== "database") {
     dir = dirname(dir);
@@ -11,24 +10,24 @@ const findRoot = (): string => {
   return dir;
 };
 
-export const getVariant = (): string | null => {
+export const getVariant = () => {
   if (process.env.HOME === "/vercel" || process.env.GITHUB_ACTIONS === "true")
-    return null;
+    return "implicit";
   const useDbArgPos = process.argv.indexOf("--use-db");
   const variant =
     (useDbArgPos > 0
       ? process.argv[useDbArgPos + 1]
-      : process.env["SUPABASE_USE_DB"]) || "local";
+      : process.env["SUPABASE_USE_DB"]) || "none";
 
-  if (["local", "branch", "production"].indexOf(variant) === -1) {
+  if (["local", "branch", "production", "none"].indexOf(variant) === -1) {
     throw new Error("Invalid variant: " + variant);
   }
   return variant;
 };
 
 export const envFilePath = () => {
-  const variant: string | null = getVariant();
-  if (variant === null) return null;
+  const variant = getVariant();
+  if (variant === "implicit" || variant === "none") return null;
   const name = join(findRoot(), `.env.${variant}`);
   return existsSync(name) ? name : null;
 };
diff --git a/packages/database/types/dbDotEnv.d.ts b/packages/database/types/dbDotEnv.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..44de383c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/database/types/dbDotEnv.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+export type Variant =
+  | "none"
+  | "local"
+  | "branch"
+  | "production"
+  | "all"
+  | "implicit";
+export declare const getVariant: () => Variant;
+export declare const envFilePath: () => string | null;
+export declare const envContents: () =>
+  | EnvMap
+  | {
+      SUPABASE_URL: string | undefined;
+      SUPABASE_ANON_KEY: string | undefined;
+      NEXT_API_ROOT: string | undefined;
+    };
+export declare const config: () => void;
diff --git a/turbo.json b/turbo.json
index fbaefe529..f5bae9e4c 100644
--- a/turbo.json
+++ b/turbo.json
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@
       "inputs": ["$TURBO_DEFAULT$", ".env*"],
       "outputs": [".next/**", "!.next/cache/**", "dist/**", "src/dbTypes.ts"]
     },
+    "build-schema": {
+      "dependsOn": ["^build-schema"],
+      "inputs": ["$TURBO_DEFAULT$", ".env*"],
+      "outputs": ["src/dbTypes.ts"]
+    },
     "lint": {
       "dependsOn": ["^lint"]
     },
@@ -58,8 +63,7 @@
     },
     "deploy": {
       "cache": false,
-      "inputs": ["$TURBO_DEFAULT$", ".env*"],
-      "dependsOn": ["@repo/database#build"]
+      "inputs": ["$TURBO_DEFAULT$", ".env*"]
     },
     "publish": {
       "cache": false,