diff --git a/packages/app/.env.test b/packages/app/.env.test
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ccbfd09e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/.env.test
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#####
+# VITEST CONFIGURATION
+# Copy and configure the variables below in your own `.env.test.local` file
+#####
+
+# URL of h5grove support server
+VITEST_H5GROVE_URL=http://localhost:8888
+
+# Name of test file
+VITEST_H5GROVE_TEST_FILE=sample.h5
+
+# Set to `true` to skip testing h5grove API
+VITEST_H5GROVE_SKIP=
diff --git a/packages/app/src/providers/h5grove/h5grove-api.test.ts b/packages/app/src/providers/h5grove/h5grove-api.test.ts
index 5b91a56bc..d2a734541 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/providers/h5grove/h5grove-api.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/providers/h5grove/h5grove-api.test.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,27 @@
 import {
   assertDataset,
+  assertEnvVar,
   assertGroup,
   assertGroupWithChildren,
   hasNonNullShape,
 } from '@h5web/shared/guards';
-import { expect, test } from 'vitest';
+import { beforeAll, expect, test } from 'vitest';
 
+import { assertListeningAt } from '../../test-utils';
 import { getValueOrError } from '../utils';
 import { H5GroveApi } from './h5grove-api';
 
-const H5GROVE_URL = 'http://localhost:8888'; // when running `pnpm support:h5grove`
-const TEST_FILE = 'sample.h5';
+const SKIP = import.meta.env.VITEST_H5GROVE_SKIP === 'true';
+const H5GROVE_URL = import.meta.env.VITEST_H5GROVE_URL;
+const TEST_FILE = import.meta.env.VITEST_H5GROVE_TEST_FILE;
+assertEnvVar(H5GROVE_URL, 'VITE_H5GROVE_URL');
+assertEnvVar(TEST_FILE, 'VITE_TEST_FILE');
 
-test('test file matches snapshot', async () => {
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  await assertListeningAt(H5GROVE_URL);
+});
+
+test.skipIf(SKIP)('test file matches snapshot', async () => {
   const api = new H5GroveApi(H5GROVE_URL, TEST_FILE, {
     params: { file: TEST_FILE },
   });
diff --git a/packages/app/src/test-utils.tsx b/packages/app/src/test-utils.tsx
index 349724da6..11bfd18ac 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/test-utils.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/test-utils.tsx
@@ -129,3 +129,14 @@ export function mockConsoleMethod(
     }
   });
 }
+
+export async function assertListeningAt(
+  url: string,
+  message = `Expected server listening at ${url}`,
+) {
+  try {
+    await fetch(url);
+  } catch {
+    throw new Error(message);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/app/vite.config.js b/packages/app/vite.config.js
index 794d8cbd2..488e2b90e 100644
--- a/packages/app/vite.config.js
+++ b/packages/app/vite.config.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react-swc';
 import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
+import { loadEnv } from 'vite';
 import { patchCssModules } from 'vite-css-modules';
 import { defineProject } from 'vitest/config';
 
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ export default defineProject({
   test: {
     setupFiles: ['src/setupTests.ts'],
     environment: 'jsdom',
+    env: loadEnv('test', import.meta.dirname, 'VITEST_'),
     restoreMocks: true,
     testTimeout: 15_000,
     server: {
diff --git a/packages/h5wasm/.env.test b/packages/h5wasm/.env.test
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e8b23f0ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/h5wasm/.env.test
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#####
+# VITEST CONFIGURATION
+# Copy and configure the variables below in your own `.env.test.local` file
+#####
+
+# Path to HDF5 test file, relative to the root of the monorepo
+VITEST_H5WASM_TEST_FILE=support/sample/dist/sample.h5
+
+# Set to `true` to skip testing h5wasm API
+VITEST_H5WASM_SKIP=
diff --git a/packages/h5wasm/src/h5wasm-api.test.ts b/packages/h5wasm/src/h5wasm-api.test.ts
index a033abdce..4eca198e6 100644
--- a/packages/h5wasm/src/h5wasm-api.test.ts
+++ b/packages/h5wasm/src/h5wasm-api.test.ts
@@ -5,21 +5,28 @@ import path from 'node:path';
 import { getValueOrError } from '@h5web/app';
 import {
   assertDataset,
+  assertEnvVar,
   assertGroup,
   assertGroupWithChildren,
   hasNonNullShape,
 } from '@h5web/shared/guards';
-import { expect, test } from 'vitest';
+import { beforeAll, expect, test } from 'vitest';
 
 import { H5WasmApi } from './h5wasm-api';
 
-const TEST_FILE = path.resolve(process.cwd(), 'support/sample/dist/sample.h5');
+const SKIP = import.meta.env.VITEST_H5WASM_SKIP === 'true';
+const H5WASM_TEST_FILE = import.meta.env.VITEST_H5WASM_TEST_FILE;
+assertEnvVar(H5WASM_TEST_FILE, 'VITEST_H5WASM_TEST_FILE');
 
-test('test file matches snapshot', async () => {
+const TEST_FILE = path.resolve(process.cwd(), H5WASM_TEST_FILE);
+
+beforeAll(() => {
   if (!existsSync(TEST_FILE)) {
     throw new Error("Sample file doesn't exist");
   }
+});
 
+test.skipIf(SKIP)('test file matches snapshot', async () => {
   const buffer = await readFile(TEST_FILE);
   const api = new H5WasmApi('sample.h5', buffer);
 
diff --git a/packages/h5wasm/vite.config.js b/packages/h5wasm/vite.config.js
index 023e3a3b1..1387dc13f 100644
--- a/packages/h5wasm/vite.config.js
+++ b/packages/h5wasm/vite.config.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react-swc';
 import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
+import { loadEnv } from 'vite';
 import { defineProject } from 'vitest/config';
 
 const [pkg, appPkg, sharedPkg] = ['.', '../app', '../shared']
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ export default defineProject({
     sourcemap: true,
   },
   test: {
+    env: loadEnv('test', import.meta.dirname, 'VITEST_'),
     server: {
       deps: { inline: ['react-suspense-fetch'] },
     },