diff --git a/src/cli/commands/daemon.js b/src/cli/commands/daemon.js
index 140ac2d224..da226e77c3 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/daemon.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/daemon.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ module.exports = {
       })
       .option('enable-preload', {
         type: 'boolean',
-        default: true
+        default: process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test' // preload by default, unless in test env
       })
   },
 
diff --git a/src/core/config.js b/src/core/config.js
index 1d40e862c5..20270e6c97 100644
--- a/src/core/config.js
+++ b/src/core/config.js
@@ -31,7 +31,10 @@ const configSchema = s({
     enabled: 'boolean?',
     addresses: optional(s(['multiaddr'])),
     interval: 'number?'
-  }, { enabled: true, interval: 30 * 1000 }),
+  }, { // defaults if missing:
+    enabled: process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test', // preload by default, unless in test env
+    interval: 30 * 1000
+  }),
   init: optional(union(['boolean', s({
     bits: 'number?',
     emptyRepo: 'boolean?',
diff --git a/src/core/index.js b/src/core/index.js
index 9ab064a607..4c6a8f2f06 100644
--- a/src/core/index.js
+++ b/src/core/index.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class IPFS extends EventEmitter {
       start: true,
       EXPERIMENTAL: {},
       preload: {
-        enabled: true,
+        enabled: process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test', // preload by default, unless in test env
         addresses: [
           '/dnsaddr/node0.preload.ipfs.io/https',
           '/dnsaddr/node1.preload.ipfs.io/https'