diff --git a/src/node/cli.ts b/src/node/cli.ts
index 2522a6268..6c33060cd 100644
--- a/src/node/cli.ts
+++ b/src/node/cli.ts
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ export async function setDefaults(cliArgs: UserProvidedArgs, configArgs?: Config
     args.password = process.env.PASSWORD
   }
 
-  if (process.env.CS_DISABLE_FILE_DOWNLOADS === "1") {
+  if (process.env.CS_DISABLE_FILE_DOWNLOADS?.match(/^(1|true)$/)) {
     args["disable-file-downloads"] = true
   }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/node/cli.test.ts b/test/unit/node/cli.test.ts
index dab47b4cf..76ebb610f 100644
--- a/test/unit/node/cli.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/node/cli.test.ts
@@ -362,6 +362,18 @@ describe("parser", () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it("should use env var CS_DISABLE_FILE_DOWNLOADS set to true", async () => {
+    process.env.CS_DISABLE_FILE_DOWNLOADS = "true"
+    const args = parse([])
+    expect(args).toEqual({})
+
+    const defaultArgs = await setDefaults(args)
+    expect(defaultArgs).toEqual({
+      ...defaults,
+      "disable-file-downloads": true,
+    })
+  })
+
   it("should error if password passed in", () => {
     expect(() => parse(["--password", "supersecret123"])).toThrowError(
       "--password can only be set in the config file or passed in via $PASSWORD",