diff --git a/packages/env/lib/config/config.js b/packages/env/lib/config/config.js
index 401077c495f30d..32ee9f856c1742 100644
--- a/packages/env/lib/config/config.js
+++ b/packages/env/lib/config/config.js
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ module.exports = async function readConfig( configPath ) {
 		env: {
 			development: {}, // No overrides needed, but it should exist.
 			tests: {
-				config: { WP_DEBUG: false, SCRIPT_DEBUG: false },
+				// Debug should be turned on so that developer warnings are
+				// caught.
 				port: 8889,
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/packages/env/lib/config/test/__snapshots__/config.js.snap b/packages/env/lib/config/test/__snapshots__/config.js.snap
index 230796119d6e19..f981f34529f2f4 100644
--- a/packages/env/lib/config/test/__snapshots__/config.js.snap
+++ b/packages/env/lib/config/test/__snapshots__/config.js.snap
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ Object {
     },
     "tests": Object {
       "config": Object {
-        "SCRIPT_DEBUG": false,
+        "SCRIPT_DEBUG": true,
         "TEST": 200,
         "TEST_VAL1": 1,
         "TEST_VAL2": "hello",
         "TEST_VAL3": false,
-        "WP_DEBUG": false,
+        "WP_DEBUG": true,
         "WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE": "local",
         "WP_HOME": "http://localhost:1000/",
         "WP_PHP_BINARY": "php",
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ Object {
 
 exports[`readConfig wp config values should use default config values 1`] = `
 Object {
-  "SCRIPT_DEBUG": false,
-  "WP_DEBUG": false,
+  "SCRIPT_DEBUG": true,
+  "WP_DEBUG": true,
   "WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE": "local",
   "WP_HOME": "http://localhost:8889/",
   "WP_PHP_BINARY": "php",
diff --git a/packages/env/lib/config/test/config.js b/packages/env/lib/config/test/config.js
index 7d41b4b81582a8..d7b9c678849fbf 100644
--- a/packages/env/lib/config/test/config.js
+++ b/packages/env/lib/config/test/config.js
@@ -1076,7 +1076,7 @@ describe( 'readConfig', () => {
 				SCRIPT_DEBUG: '2',
 				TEST3: 'foo',
 				TEST: '2',
-				WP_DEBUG: false,
+				WP_DEBUG: true,
 				WP_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE: 'local',
 				WP_PHP_BINARY: 'php',
 				WP_TESTS_EMAIL: 'admin@example.org',