diff --git a/addons/api/mirage/config.js b/addons/api/mirage/config.js
index 24818894c..d8b1cd2b9 100644
--- a/addons/api/mirage/config.js
+++ b/addons/api/mirage/config.js
@@ -18,11 +18,6 @@ export default function () {
   // delay for each request, automatically set to 0 during testing
   this.timing = 1;
 
-  // Allow any configured API host to passthrough, which is useful in
-  // development for testing against a locally running backend.
-  if (config.api.host) this.passthrough(`${config.api.host}/**`);
-  this.passthrough();
-
   // Scope resources
 
   this.get(
diff --git a/addons/api/mirage/scenarios/ipc.js b/addons/api/mirage/scenarios/ipc.js
index 929e4ec0f..7cbe8604a 100644
--- a/addons/api/mirage/scenarios/ipc.js
+++ b/addons/api/mirage/scenarios/ipc.js
@@ -147,9 +147,9 @@ export default function initializeMockIPC(server, config) {
    * main process, and routes messages to it in a way similar to our
    * preload.js script.
    *
-   * Initializes mock IPC only in a non-Electron non-testing context.
+   * Initializes mock IPC only in a non-testing context and when mirage is turned on.
    */
-  if (!config.isElectron && !isTesting) {
+  if (config['ember-cli-mirage'].enabled && !isTesting) {
     const mockIPC = new MockIPC();
     window.addEventListener('message', async function (event) {
       if (event.origin !== window.location.origin) return;
diff --git a/ui/admin/config/environment.js b/ui/admin/config/environment.js
index 9d0ee271e..e61a5a9e1 100644
--- a/ui/admin/config/environment.js
+++ b/ui/admin/config/environment.js
@@ -123,6 +123,10 @@ module.exports = function (environment) {
     // ENV.APP.LOG_TRANSITIONS_INTERNAL = true;
     // ENV.APP.LOG_VIEW_LOOKUPS = true;
 
+    ENV['ember-cli-mirage'].enabled = process.env.ENABLE_MIRAGE
+      ? JSON.parse(process.env.ENABLE_MIRAGE)
+      : true;
+
     ENV['ember-a11y-testing'] = {
       componentOptions: {
         axeOptions: {
diff --git a/ui/desktop/config/environment.js b/ui/desktop/config/environment.js
index 5c5efaa8a..c66514bd1 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/config/environment.js
+++ b/ui/desktop/config/environment.js
@@ -63,10 +63,6 @@ module.exports = function (environment) {
     },
   };
 
-  if (process.env.ENABLE_MIRAGE) {
-    ENV['ember-cli-mirage'].enabled = JSON.parse(process.env.ENABLE_MIRAGE);
-  }
-
   if (environment === 'development') {
     // ENV.APP.LOG_RESOLVER = true;
     // ENV.APP.LOG_ACTIVE_GENERATION = true;
@@ -79,6 +75,10 @@ module.exports = function (environment) {
     // usually the same as the application origin.
     ENV.autoOrigin = true;
 
+    ENV['ember-cli-mirage'].enabled = process.env.ENABLE_MIRAGE
+      ? JSON.parse(process.env.ENABLE_MIRAGE)
+      : true;
+
     // Enable features in development
   }