diff --git a/surfsense_backend/tests/e2e/run_backend.py b/surfsense_backend/tests/e2e/run_backend.py
index c6e22c8aa..87977626f 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/tests/e2e/run_backend.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/tests/e2e/run_backend.py
@@ -72,8 +72,6 @@ def _load_dotenv_and_set_env_defaults() -> None:
     """
     from dotenv import load_dotenv
 
-    load_dotenv()
-
     os.environ.setdefault(
         "DATABASE_URL",
         "postgresql+asyncpg://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/surfsense",
@@ -138,6 +136,11 @@ def _load_dotenv_and_set_env_defaults() -> None:
     os.environ["SLACK_CLIENT_ID"] = "fake-slack-mcp-client-id"
     os.environ["SLACK_CLIENT_SECRET"] = "fake-slack-mcp-client-secret"
 
+    # Load .env last so the E2E defaults above win over a developer's .env
+    # (e.g. AUTH_TYPE=GOOGLE), while an explicitly exported shell var still
+    # beats both: setdefault respects it and load_dotenv() never overrides.
+    load_dotenv()
+
 
 def _install_synthetic_global_llm_config() -> None:
     """Materialise a fake ``app/config/global_llm_config.yaml`` for E2E.
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/tests/e2e/run_celery.py b/surfsense_backend/tests/e2e/run_celery.py
index 32e35acb6..bde547083 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/tests/e2e/run_celery.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/tests/e2e/run_celery.py
@@ -57,8 +57,6 @@ def _load_dotenv_and_set_env_defaults() -> None:
     """
     from dotenv import load_dotenv
 
-    load_dotenv()
-
     os.environ.setdefault(
         "DATABASE_URL",
         "postgresql+asyncpg://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/surfsense",
@@ -122,6 +120,11 @@ def _load_dotenv_and_set_env_defaults() -> None:
     os.environ["SLACK_CLIENT_ID"] = "fake-slack-mcp-client-id"
     os.environ["SLACK_CLIENT_SECRET"] = "fake-slack-mcp-client-secret"
 
+    # Load .env last so the E2E defaults above win over a developer's .env
+    # (e.g. AUTH_TYPE=GOOGLE), while an explicitly exported shell var still
+    # beats both: setdefault respects it and load_dotenv() never overrides.
+    load_dotenv()
+
 
 def _install_synthetic_global_llm_config() -> None:
     """Materialise a fake ``app/config/global_llm_config.yaml`` for E2E.