diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
index 576f0bb663..2a145e1ed9 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/row.spec.ts
@@ -50,9 +50,11 @@ import { JsTimeoutError } from "@budibase/string-templates"
 import { isDate } from "../../../utilities"
 import nock from "nock"
 import { mockChatGPTResponse } from "../../../tests/utilities/mocks/openai"
+import { setTestingBackendJS } from "@budibase/string-templates"
 
 const timestamp = new Date("2023-01-26T11:48:57.597Z").toISOString()
 tk.freeze(timestamp)
+setTestingBackendJS()
 interface WaitOptions {
   name: string
   matchFn?: (event: any) => boolean
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/src/environment.ts b/packages/string-templates/src/environment.ts
index ede52591b1..6bee6fd3a9 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/src/environment.ts
+++ b/packages/string-templates/src/environment.ts
@@ -9,3 +9,15 @@ function isJest() {
 export function isTest() {
   return isJest()
 }
+
+export const isJSAllowed = () => {
+  return process && !process.env.NO_JS
+}
+
+export const isTestingBackendJS = () => {
+  return process && process.env.BACKEND_JS
+}
+
+export const setTestingBackendJS = () => {
+  process.env.BACKEND_JS = "1"
+}
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/src/index.ts b/packages/string-templates/src/index.ts
index b2097b0d4c..8dda8b71ab 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/string-templates/src/index.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import { Log, ProcessOptions } from "./types"
 import { UserScriptError } from "./errors"
 
 export type { Log, LogType } from "./types"
+export { setTestingBackendJS } from "./environment"
 export { helpersToRemoveForJs, getJsHelperList } from "./helpers/list"
 export { FIND_ANY_HBS_REGEX } from "./utilities"
 export { setJSRunner, setOnErrorLog } from "./helpers/javascript"
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/src/utilities.ts b/packages/string-templates/src/utilities.ts
index dba1faab17..b05945f075 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/src/utilities.ts
+++ b/packages/string-templates/src/utilities.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,20 @@
+import { isTest, isTestingBackendJS } from "./environment"
+
 const ALPHA_NUMERIC_REGEX = /^[A-Za-z0-9]+$/g
 
 export const FIND_HBS_REGEX = /{{([^{].*?)}}/g
 export const FIND_ANY_HBS_REGEX = /{?{{([^{].*?)}}}?/g
 export const FIND_TRIPLE_HBS_REGEX = /{{{([^{].*?)}}}/g
 
-const isJest = () => typeof jest !== "undefined"
-
 export const isBackendService = () => {
+  // allow configuring backend JS mode when testing - we default to assuming
+  // frontend, but need a method to control this
+  if (isTest() && isTestingBackendJS()) {
+    return true
+  }
   // We consider the tests for string-templates to be frontend, so that they
   // test the frontend JS functionality.
-  if (isJest()) {
+  if (isTest()) {
     return false
   }
   return typeof window === "undefined"