diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/clientInjections.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/clientInjections.ts
index eb5c7183c2ac59..84811dfc10df2a 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/clientInjections.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/clientInjections.ts
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ export function clientInjectionsPlugin(config: ResolvedConfig): Plugin {
         // avoiding inconsistencies between dev and build
         return code.replace(
           /\bprocess\.env\.NODE_ENV\b/g,
-          JSON.stringify(config.mode)
+          config.define?.['process.env.NODE_ENV'] ||
+            JSON.stringify(process.env.NODE_ENV || config.mode)
         )
       }
     }
diff --git a/playground/define/__tests__/define.spec.ts b/playground/define/__tests__/define.spec.ts
index b2eb571734cc54..695d210a822ed6 100644
--- a/playground/define/__tests__/define.spec.ts
+++ b/playground/define/__tests__/define.spec.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ test('string', async () => {
   expect(await page.textContent('.object')).toBe(
     JSON.stringify(defines.__OBJ__, null, 2)
   )
+  expect(await page.textContent('.process-node-env')).toBe(
+    JSON.parse(defines['process.env.NODE_ENV'])
+  )
   expect(await page.textContent('.env-var')).toBe(
     JSON.parse(defines['process.env.SOMEVAR'])
   )
diff --git a/playground/define/index.html b/playground/define/index.html
index 97a7b9902a1dcb..1260b119149d28 100644
--- a/playground/define/index.html
+++ b/playground/define/index.html
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ <h1>Define</h1>
 <p>Boolean <code class="boolean"></code></p>
 <p>Object <span class="pre object"></span></p>
 <p>Env Var <code class="env-var"></code></p>
+<p>process node env: <code class="process-node-env"></code></p>
 <p>process as property: <code class="process-as-property"></code></p>
 <p>spread object: <code class="spread-object"></code></p>
 <p>spread array: <code class="spread-array"></code></p>
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ <h1>Define</h1>
   text('.number', __NUMBER__)
   text('.boolean', __BOOLEAN__)
   text('.object', JSON.stringify(__OBJ__, null, 2))
+  text('.process-node-env', process.env.NODE_ENV)
   text('.env-var', process.env.SOMEVAR)
   text('.process-as-property', __OBJ__.process.env.SOMEVAR)
   text(
diff --git a/playground/define/vite.config.js b/playground/define/vite.config.js
index fb49d658f49e90..ec4a76136e8f47 100644
--- a/playground/define/vite.config.js
+++ b/playground/define/vite.config.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ module.exports = {
         }
       }
     },
+    'process.env.NODE_ENV': '"dev"',
     'process.env.SOMEVAR': '"SOMEVAR"',
     $DOLLAR: 456,
     ÖUNICODE_LETTERɵ: 789,
diff --git a/playground/env/__tests__/env.spec.ts b/playground/env/__tests__/env.spec.ts
index f9955706101bb6..4583c9039116c8 100644
--- a/playground/env/__tests__/env.spec.ts
+++ b/playground/env/__tests__/env.spec.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ test('inline variables', async () => {
 })
 
 test('NODE_ENV', async () => {
-  expect(await page.textContent('.node-env')).toBe(mode)
+  expect(await page.textContent('.node-env')).toBe(process.env.NODE_ENV)
 })
 
 test('env object', async () => {
diff --git a/playground/worker/__tests__/es/es-worker.spec.ts b/playground/worker/__tests__/es/es-worker.spec.ts
index b901a7deaeedbc..9959cc29aef0bd 100644
--- a/playground/worker/__tests__/es/es-worker.spec.ts
+++ b/playground/worker/__tests__/es/es-worker.spec.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ test('normal', async () => {
   await untilUpdated(() => page.textContent('.pong'), 'pong')
   await untilUpdated(
     () => page.textContent('.mode'),
-    isBuild ? 'production' : 'development'
+    process.env.NODE_ENV // match workerImport.js
   )
   await untilUpdated(
     () => page.textContent('.bundle-with-plugin'),
diff --git a/playground/worker/__tests__/iife/worker.spec.ts b/playground/worker/__tests__/iife/worker.spec.ts
index 0aba9611368737..d7b437c8a3272d 100644
--- a/playground/worker/__tests__/iife/worker.spec.ts
+++ b/playground/worker/__tests__/iife/worker.spec.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ test('normal', async () => {
   await untilUpdated(() => page.textContent('.pong'), 'pong')
   await untilUpdated(
     () => page.textContent('.mode'),
-    isBuild ? 'production' : 'development'
+    process.env.NODE_ENV // match workerImport.js
   )
   await untilUpdated(
     () => page.textContent('.bundle-with-plugin'),
diff --git a/playground/worker/__tests__/relative-base/relative-base-worker.spec.ts b/playground/worker/__tests__/relative-base/relative-base-worker.spec.ts
index 90c1e55798b51f..2b146075f38146 100644
--- a/playground/worker/__tests__/relative-base/relative-base-worker.spec.ts
+++ b/playground/worker/__tests__/relative-base/relative-base-worker.spec.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ test('normal', async () => {
   await untilUpdated(() => page.textContent('.pong'), 'pong')
   await untilUpdated(
     () => page.textContent('.mode'),
-    isBuild ? 'production' : 'development'
+    process.env.NODE_ENV // match workerImport.js
   )
   await untilUpdated(
     () => page.textContent('.bundle-with-plugin'),