diff --git a/src/cli.mjs b/src/cli.mjs
index 65afd36b..b15faa7c 100644
--- a/src/cli.mjs
+++ b/src/cli.mjs
@@ -64,6 +64,32 @@ function buildYargs(argvInput) {
   // https://github.com/yargs/yargs/blob/main/docs/typescript.md?plain=1#L124
   const yargsInstance = yargs(argvInput);
 
+  // these debug commands are used by the tests in environments where they can't mock out the command handler
+  if (
+    process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production" ||
+    process.env.DEBUG_COMMANDS === "true"
+  ) {
+    yargsInstance
+      .command("throw", false, {
+        handler: () => {
+          throw new Error("this is a test error");
+        },
+        builder: {},
+      })
+      .command("reject", false, {
+        handler: async () => {
+          throw new Error("this is a rejected promise");
+        },
+        builder: {},
+      })
+      .command("warn", false, {
+        handler: async () => {
+          process.emitWarning("this is a warning emited on the node process");
+        },
+        builder: {},
+      });
+  }
+
   return yargsInstance
     .scriptName("fauna")
     .middleware([checkForUpdates, logArgv], true)
@@ -74,24 +100,6 @@ function buildYargs(argvInput) {
     .command(keyCommand)
     .command(schemaCommand)
     .command(databaseCommand)
-    .command("throw", false, {
-      handler: () => {
-        throw new Error("this is a test error");
-      },
-      builder: {},
-    })
-    .command("reject", false, {
-      handler: async () => {
-        throw new Error("this is a rejected promise");
-      },
-      builder: {},
-    })
-    .command("warn", false, {
-      handler: async () => {
-        process.emitWarning("this is a warning emited on the node process");
-      },
-      builder: {},
-    })
     .demandCommand()
     .strict(true)
     .options({
diff --git a/test/general-cli.mjs b/test/general-cli.mjs
index 9fa4a0a5..bc70ef08 100644
--- a/test/general-cli.mjs
+++ b/test/general-cli.mjs
@@ -127,14 +127,21 @@ describe("cli operations", function () {
     expect(notify).to.have.been.called;
   });
 
+  it("does not expose debug commands in production", async function () {
+    const cliPath = path.resolve(__dirname, "../dist/cli.cjs");
+    const { stderr } = spawnSync(cliPath, ["throw"], {
+      encoding: "utf8",
+      timeout: 5000,
+    });
+
+    expect(stderr).to.include("Unknown argument: throw");
+  });
+
   it("enables nodeJS warnings from the dev entrypoint", async function () {
     const cliPath = path.resolve(__dirname, "../src/user-entrypoint.mjs");
     let cli = spawnSync(cliPath, ["warn"], {
       encoding: "utf8",
-      // input: "",
       timeout: 5000,
-      // stdio: ["inherit", "pipe", "pipe"],
-      // shell: true,
     });
     if (cli.error) throw cli.error;
     let stderr = cli.stderr;
@@ -149,10 +156,11 @@ describe("cli operations", function () {
     const cliPath = path.resolve(__dirname, "../dist/cli.cjs");
     let cli = spawnSync(cliPath, ["warn"], {
       encoding: "utf8",
-      // input: "",
       timeout: 5000,
-      // stdio: ["inherit", "pipe", "pipe"],
-      // shell: true,
+      env: {
+        ...process.env,
+        DEBUG_COMMANDS: "true",
+      },
     });
     if (cli.error) throw cli.error;