diff --git a/src/cli/qmd.ts b/src/cli/qmd.ts
index bfcd392..f42d1be 100755
--- a/src/cli/qmd.ts
+++ b/src/cli/qmd.ts
@@ -101,9 +101,12 @@ import {
 } from "../collections.js";
 import { getEmbeddedQmdSkillContent, getEmbeddedQmdSkillFiles } from "../embedded-skills.js";
 
-// Enable production mode - allows using default database path
-// Tests must set INDEX_PATH or use createStore() with explicit path
-enableProductionMode();
+// NOTE: enableProductionMode() is intentionally NOT called at module scope here.
+// Importing this module for its exports (e.g. buildEditorUri, termLink from
+// test/cli.test.ts) must not flip the global production flag, as that leaks
+// into unrelated tests that rely on the default (development) database path
+// resolution. The flag is flipped inside the CLI's main-module guard below so
+// it only fires when qmd is actually invoked as a script.
 
 // =============================================================================
 // Store/DB lifecycle (no legacy singletons in store.ts)
@@ -2821,6 +2824,11 @@ const isMain = argv1 === __filename
   || argv1?.endsWith("/qmd.js")
   || (argv1 != null && realpathSync(argv1) === __filename);
 if (isMain) {
+  // Flip to production mode only when this module is executed as the CLI
+  // entrypoint, not when imported for its exports. Tests must set INDEX_PATH
+  // or use createStore() with an explicit path.
+  enableProductionMode();
+
   const cli = parseCLI();
 
   if (cli.values.version) {
diff --git a/src/mcp/server.ts b/src/mcp/server.ts
index 0cfb607..4fd0d77 100644
--- a/src/mcp/server.ts
+++ b/src/mcp/server.ts
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ import {
 import { getConfigPath } from "../collections.js";
 import { enableProductionMode } from "../store.js";
 
-enableProductionMode();
-
 // =============================================================================
 // Types for structured content
 // =============================================================================
@@ -541,6 +539,12 @@ Intent-aware lex (C++ performance, not sports):
 // =============================================================================
 
 export async function startMcpServer(): Promise<void> {
+  // Opt into production mode when the MCP server is actually started, not
+  // when this module is merely imported for its exports. Importing the module
+  // at the top level flipped the global production flag and broke test
+  // isolation for downstream suites that expect the default (development)
+  // database path behaviour.
+  enableProductionMode();
   const configPath = getConfigPath();
   const store = await createStore({
     dbPath: getDefaultDbPath(),
@@ -566,6 +570,10 @@ export type HttpServerHandle = {
  * Binds to localhost only. Returns a handle for shutdown and port discovery.
  */
 export async function startMcpHttpServer(port: number, options?: { quiet?: boolean }): Promise<HttpServerHandle> {
+  // See startMcpServer() for the rationale — flip production mode here so the
+  // HTTP transport resolves the real database path, without leaking state into
+  // callers that only import this module for its exports (e.g. tests).
+  enableProductionMode();
   const configPath = getConfigPath();
   const store = await createStore({
     dbPath: getDefaultDbPath(),