diff --git a/packages/gatsby/package.json b/packages/gatsby/package.json
index 271c1f2d8adf..32782ff1b1a6 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby/package.json
+++ b/packages/gatsby/package.json
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@
         "tsConfig": "./tsconfig.json",
         "diagnostics": false
       }
-    }
+    },
+    "setupFiles": [
+      "<rootDir>/test/setEnvVars.ts"
+    ]
   },
   "sideEffects": false
 }
diff --git a/packages/gatsby/test/gatsby-node.test.ts b/packages/gatsby/test/gatsby-node.test.ts
index bf0988b123c5..f09f8e5be781 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby/test/gatsby-node.test.ts
+++ b/packages/gatsby/test/gatsby-node.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-var-requires */
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
-
 const { onCreateWebpackConfig } = require('../gatsby-node');
 
 describe('onCreateWebpackConfig', () => {
@@ -18,7 +17,7 @@ describe('onCreateWebpackConfig', () => {
     expect(plugins.define).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(plugins.define).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith({
       __SENTRY_DSN__: expect.any(String),
-      __SENTRY_RELEASE__: undefined,
+      __SENTRY_RELEASE__: expect.any(String),
     });
 
     expect(actions.setWebpackConfig).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
diff --git a/packages/gatsby/test/setEnvVars.ts b/packages/gatsby/test/setEnvVars.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9e9c7898cbfd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gatsby/test/setEnvVars.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+/* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
+process.env.SENTRY_RELEASE = '14abbb1678a2eb59d1a171ea33d630dd6c6eee70';