VSCODE_ENV_REPLACE setting NODE_ENV=production unexpectedly

[alex-oleksenko]

Bug Summary

Cursor's internal VSCODE_ENV_REPLACE environment variable is inappropriately setting NODE_ENV=production, which can interfere with development workflows and cause unexpected behavior in development environments.

Issue Details

Problem Description

When working in development environments, Cursor's VSCODE_ENV_REPLACE environment variable forces NODE_ENV=production, overriding the expected development environment settings and potentially causing various development issues.

Root Cause

The VSCODE_ENV_REPLACE variable contains extension-specific environment variables (primarily for the Redis extension) but also includes NODE_ENV=production, which overrides the expected development environment settings.

Impact

• Environment Variable Override: NODE_ENV is forced to production regardless of project configuration
• Development Workflow Disruption: Applications may behave differently than expected in development
• Configuration Conflicts: Development-specific settings may not work as intended
• No User Control: No way to configure or disable this behavior
• Extension Environment Pollution: Extension environment variables leak into development workflow

Steps to Reproduce

1. Setup: Open a development project in Cursor
2. Check Environment: Verify that NODE_ENV should be development or not set
3. Start Development Process: Run any development command or process
4. Observe Issue: Notice that NODE_ENV is unexpectedly set to production

Expected vs Actual Behavior

Expected Behavior

• NODE_ENV should be controlled by the project configuration
• Development environments should use NODE_ENV=development or project-specific values
• Extension environment variables should not interfere with development workflow
• Users should have control over environment variable settings

Actual Behavior

• Cursor forces NODE_ENV=production via VSCODE_ENV_REPLACE
• Development processes may behave as if in production mode
• No way to disable or configure this behavior
• Extension environment variables pollute the development environment

Environment Information

• Cursor Version: 1.1.6
• Operating System: macOS 24.5.0 (darwin)
• Node.js Version: v22.15.1

Workarounds

Temporary Workarounds

Explicit NODE_ENV Setting: Set NODE_ENV=development explicitly in shell before running commands