diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 706b7ac41a..f68f5b7fd7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -63,16 +63,12 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
-          if [[ ${{ matrix.db }} == "postgres" ]]; then
-            DB="-E postgres"
-          else
-            DB="-E postgres-psycopg-binary"
-          fi
-          poetry install --with dev --without docs --no-interaction -E gunicorn $DB
+          poetry install --with dev --without docs --no-interaction -E gunicorn -E postgres-psycopg-binary
 
       - name: Test with pytest
         env:
           COVERAGE_FILE: coverage-data-v1-${{ matrix.python-version }}-${{ matrix.db }}
+          DB_ENGINE: ${{ matrix.db }}
         run: poetry run coverage run --concurrency=thread,greenlet,multiprocessing -m pytest --ignore tests/no_version --ignore tests/v2
 
       - name: Upload coverage data
@@ -143,16 +139,12 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
-          if [[ ${{ matrix.db }} == "postgres" ]]; then
-            DB="-E postgres"
-          elif [[ ${{ matrix.db }} == "postgres-psycopg" ]]; then
-            DB="-E postgres-psycopg-binary"
-          fi
-          poetry install --with dev --without docs --no-interaction -E gunicorn $DB
+          poetry install --with dev --without docs --no-interaction -E gunicorn -E postgres-psycopg-binary
 
       - name: Test with pytest
         env:
           COVERAGE_FILE: coverage-data-v2-${{ matrix.python-version }}-${{ matrix.db }}
+          DB_ENGINE: ${{ matrix.db }}
         run: poetry run coverage run --concurrency=thread,greenlet,multiprocessing -m pytest tests/v2 tests/no_version --ignore tests/v1
 
       - name: Upload coverage data
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7346029747..afdc8e9c69 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@
 * Testing:
     * Benchmark `GET /api/v2/task-group/` (\#1922).
     * Use new `ubuntu22-slurm-multipy` image, with Python3.12 and with Python-version specific venvs (\#1946, #1969).
+    * Get `DB_ENGINE` variable from `os.environ` rather than from installed packages (\#1968).
 
 # 2.6.4
 
diff --git a/tests/fixtures_server.py b/tests/fixtures_server.py
index fbe279737d..d30db8d08e 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures_server.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures_server.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import logging
+import os
 import random
 import sys
 from dataclasses import dataclass
@@ -27,12 +28,7 @@
 from fractal_server.config import Settings
 from fractal_server.syringe import Inject
 
-try:
-    import psycopg  # noqa: F401
-
-    DB_ENGINE = "postgres-psycopg"
-except ModuleNotFoundError:
-    DB_ENGINE = "sqlite"
+DB_ENGINE = os.environ.get("DB_ENGINE", "postgres-psycopg")
 
 
 def get_patched_settings(temp_path: Path):
diff --git a/tests/no_version/test_db.py b/tests/no_version/test_db.py
index 3c0f74acc2..0382b832de 100644
--- a/tests/no_version/test_db.py
+++ b/tests/no_version/test_db.py
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ async def test_sync_db(db_sync, db):
     DB_ENGINE == "sqlite", reason="Skip if DB is SQLite, pass if it's Postgres"
 )
 def test_DB_ENGINE_is_postgres():
+    debug(DB_ENGINE)
     pass
 
 
diff --git a/tests/no_version/test_unit_config.py b/tests/no_version/test_unit_config.py
index 53a777dfe3..8e1db0572f 100644
--- a/tests/no_version/test_unit_config.py
+++ b/tests/no_version/test_unit_config.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 from fractal_server.config import OAuthClientConfig
 from fractal_server.config import Settings
 from fractal_server.syringe import Inject
-from tests.fixtures_server import DB_ENGINE
 
 
 def test_settings_injection(override_settings):
@@ -28,6 +27,7 @@ def test_settings_injection(override_settings):
         # valid
         (
             dict(
+                DB_ENGINE="sqlite",
                 JWT_SECRET_KEY="secret",
                 FRACTAL_TASKS_DIR="/tmp",
                 FRACTAL_RUNNER_WORKING_BASE_DIR="/tmp",
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ def test_settings_injection(override_settings):
         ),
         (
             dict(
+                DB_ENGINE="postgres-psycopg",
                 JWT_SECRET_KEY="secret",
                 FRACTAL_TASKS_DIR="/tmp",
-                DB_ENGINE="postgres-psycopg",
                 POSTGRES_DB="test",
                 FRACTAL_RUNNER_WORKING_BASE_DIR="/tmp",
                 FRACTAL_RUNNER_BACKEND="local",
@@ -208,11 +208,6 @@ def test_settings_check(
     # Create a Settings instance
     settings = Settings(**settings_dict)
 
-    if settings.DB_ENGINE == "postgres-psycopg" and (
-        DB_ENGINE != settings.DB_ENGINE
-    ):
-        raises = True
-
     # Run Settings.check method
     if raises:
         with pytest.raises(FractalConfigurationError):