diff --git a/examples/counter/cmd/main.go b/examples/counter/cmd/main.go
index 5d0aafa..4866b15 100644
--- a/examples/counter/cmd/main.go
+++ b/examples/counter/cmd/main.go
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 // Flags / environment:
 //
 //	PORT    listen port (default 8080)
+//	LVT_DEV_MODE=true   alias for --dev (set by e2etest.StartTestServer so the
+//	                    subprocess inherits dev-mode without needing to pass
+//	                    flags through the test harness)
 //	--dev   relax origin checks for localhost development (so the
 //	        WebSocket upgrader accepts requests from arbitrary
 //	        localhost ports); the production allowlist applies when
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	var opts []livetemplate.Option
-	if *dev {
+	if *dev || os.Getenv("LVT_DEV_MODE") == "true" {
 		opts = append(opts,
 			livetemplate.WithDevMode(true),
 			livetemplate.WithPermissiveOriginCheck(),
diff --git a/examples/login/cmd/main.go b/examples/login/cmd/main.go
index e694e00..40efa22 100644
--- a/examples/login/cmd/main.go
+++ b/examples/login/cmd/main.go
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 // Flags / environment:
 //
 //	PORT        listen port (default 8080)
+//	LVT_DEV_MODE=true   alias for --dev (set by e2etest.StartTestServer so the
+//	                    subprocess inherits dev-mode without needing to pass
+//	                    flags through the test harness)
 //	MOUNT_PATH  mount path (default "/")
 //	--dev       relax origin checks for localhost development and enable
 //	            livetemplate's DevMode. Production allowlist applies when
@@ -48,7 +51,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	var opts []livetemplate.Option
-	if *dev {
+	if *dev || os.Getenv("LVT_DEV_MODE") == "true" {
 		opts = append(opts,
 			livetemplate.WithDevMode(true),
 			livetemplate.WithPermissiveOriginCheck(),
diff --git a/examples/patterns/cmd/main.go b/examples/patterns/cmd/main.go
index 755a63a..2a44f59 100644
--- a/examples/patterns/cmd/main.go
+++ b/examples/patterns/cmd/main.go
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 // Flags / environment:
 //
 //	PORT    listen port (default 8080)
+//	LVT_DEV_MODE=true   alias for --dev (set by e2etest.StartTestServer so the
+//	                    subprocess inherits dev-mode without needing to pass
+//	                    flags through the test harness)
 //	--dev   relax origin checks for localhost development and enable
 //	        livetemplate's DevMode (verbose logging tests capture).
 //	        The production allowlist applies when absent.
@@ -43,7 +46,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	var opts []livetemplate.Option
-	if *dev {
+	if *dev || os.Getenv("LVT_DEV_MODE") == "true" {
 		opts = append(opts,
 			livetemplate.WithDevMode(true),
 			livetemplate.WithPermissiveOriginCheck(),
diff --git a/examples/progressive-enhancement/cmd/main.go b/examples/progressive-enhancement/cmd/main.go
index 8177c8b..2d7660d 100644
--- a/examples/progressive-enhancement/cmd/main.go
+++ b/examples/progressive-enhancement/cmd/main.go
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 // Flags / environment:
 //
 //	PORT    listen port (default 8080)
+//	LVT_DEV_MODE=true   alias for --dev (set by e2etest.StartTestServer so the
+//	                    subprocess inherits dev-mode without needing to pass
+//	                    flags through the test harness)
 //	--dev   relax origin checks for localhost development and enable
 //	        livetemplate's DevMode (verbose logging tests capture).
 //	        The production allowlist applies when absent.
@@ -47,7 +50,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	var baseOpts []livetemplate.Option
-	if *dev {
+	if *dev || os.Getenv("LVT_DEV_MODE") == "true" {
 		baseOpts = append(baseOpts,
 			livetemplate.WithDevMode(true),
 			livetemplate.WithPermissiveOriginCheck(),
diff --git a/examples/shared-notepad/cmd/main.go b/examples/shared-notepad/cmd/main.go
index a88de37..bfdf1ed 100644
--- a/examples/shared-notepad/cmd/main.go
+++ b/examples/shared-notepad/cmd/main.go
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 // Flags / environment:
 //
 //	PORT    listen port (default 8080)
+//	LVT_DEV_MODE=true   alias for --dev (set by e2etest.StartTestServer so the
+//	                    subprocess inherits dev-mode without needing to pass
+//	                    flags through the test harness)
 //	--dev   relax origin checks for localhost development and enable
 //	        livetemplate's DevMode. Production allowlist applies when
 //	        absent.
@@ -38,7 +41,7 @@ func main() {
 	opts := []livetemplate.Option{
 		livetemplate.WithAuthenticator(notepad.NewDemoBasicAuth()),
 	}
-	if *dev {
+	if *dev || os.Getenv("LVT_DEV_MODE") == "true" {
 		opts = append(opts,
 			livetemplate.WithDevMode(true),
 			livetemplate.WithPermissiveOriginCheck(),
diff --git a/examples/todos/cmd/main.go b/examples/todos/cmd/main.go
index 5ea5786..187b24f 100644
--- a/examples/todos/cmd/main.go
+++ b/examples/todos/cmd/main.go
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 // Flags / environment:
 //
 //	PORT    listen port (default 8080)
+//	LVT_DEV_MODE=true   alias for --dev (set by e2etest.StartTestServer so the
+//	                    subprocess inherits dev-mode without needing to pass
+//	                    flags through the test harness)
 //	--dev   relax origin checks for localhost development and enable
 //	        livetemplate's DevMode (verbose logging the e2e framework
 //	        captures). The production allowlist applies when absent.
@@ -38,7 +41,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	var opts []livetemplate.Option
-	if *dev {
+	if *dev || os.Getenv("LVT_DEV_MODE") == "true" {
 		opts = append(opts,
 			livetemplate.WithDevMode(true),
 			livetemplate.WithPermissiveOriginCheck(),