diff --git a/examples/runner-examples/01-all-transport-bot.py b/examples/runner-examples/01-all-transport-bot.py
index 6d884dc76..78557bffb 100644
--- a/examples/runner-examples/01-all-transport-bot.py
+++ b/examples/runner-examples/01-all-transport-bot.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ from pipecat.runner.types import (
     DailyRunnerArguments,
     SmallWebRTCRunnerArguments,
     WebSocketRunnerArguments,
+    is_local_development,
 )
 from pipecat.services.cartesia.tts import CartesiaTTSService
 from pipecat.services.deepgram.stt import DeepgramSTTService
@@ -37,9 +38,6 @@ from pipecat.services.openai.llm import OpenAILLMService
 
 load_dotenv(override=True)
 
-# Check if we're running locally
-IS_LOCAL_RUN = os.environ.get("LOCAL_RUN", "0") == "1"
-
 
 async def run_bot(transport):
     """Main bot logic that works with any transport."""
@@ -111,18 +109,22 @@ async def bot(
     if isinstance(session_args, DailyRunnerArguments):
         from pipecat.transports.services.daily import DailyParams, DailyTransport
 
-        if not IS_LOCAL_RUN:
+        is_local = is_local_development()
+
+        if not is_local:
             from pipecat.audio.filters.krisp_filter import KrispFilter
 
+            krisp_filter = KrispFilter()
+        else:
+            krisp_filter = None
+
         transport = DailyTransport(
             session_args.room_url,
             session_args.token,
             "Pipecat Bot",
             params=DailyParams(
                 audio_in_enabled=True,
-                audio_in_filter=None
-                if IS_LOCAL_RUN
-                else KrispFilter(),  # Only use Krisp in production
+                audio_in_filter=krisp_filter,
                 audio_out_enabled=True,
                 vad_analyzer=SileroVADAnalyzer(),
             ),
diff --git a/examples/runner-examples/02-two-transport-bot.py b/examples/runner-examples/02-two-transport-bot.py
index 7d3e4d4ef..a74a5e51d 100644
--- a/examples/runner-examples/02-two-transport-bot.py
+++ b/examples/runner-examples/02-two-transport-bot.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from pipecat.runner.types import (
     DailyRunnerArguments,
     SmallWebRTCRunnerArguments,
 )
+from pipecat.runner.utils import is_local_development
 from pipecat.services.cartesia.tts import CartesiaTTSService
 from pipecat.services.deepgram.stt import DeepgramSTTService
 from pipecat.services.openai.llm import OpenAILLMService
@@ -30,10 +31,6 @@ from pipecat.services.openai.llm import OpenAILLMService
 load_dotenv(override=True)
 
 
-# Check if we're running locally
-IS_LOCAL_RUN = os.environ.get("LOCAL_RUN", "0") == "1"
-
-
 async def run_bot(transport):
     """Main bot logic that works with any transport."""
     logger.info(f"Starting bot")
@@ -102,18 +99,22 @@ async def bot(session_args: DailyRunnerArguments | SmallWebRTCRunnerArguments):
     if isinstance(session_args, DailyRunnerArguments):
         from pipecat.transports.services.daily import DailyParams, DailyTransport
 
-        if not IS_LOCAL_RUN:
+        is_local = is_local_development()
+
+        if not is_local:
             from pipecat.audio.filters.krisp_filter import KrispFilter
 
+            krisp_filter = KrispFilter()
+        else:
+            krisp_filter = None
+
         transport = DailyTransport(
             session_args.room_url,
             session_args.token,
             "Pipecat Bot",
             params=DailyParams(
                 audio_in_enabled=True,
-                audio_in_filter=None
-                if IS_LOCAL_RUN
-                else KrispFilter(),  # Only use Krisp in production
+                audio_in_filter=krisp_filter,
                 audio_out_enabled=True,
                 vad_analyzer=SileroVADAnalyzer(),
             ),
diff --git a/src/pipecat/runner/run.py b/src/pipecat/runner/run.py
index 64e7808bc..8c137eecf 100644
--- a/src/pipecat/runner/run.py
+++ b/src/pipecat/runner/run.py
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ except ImportError as e:
 
 
 load_dotenv(override=True)
-os.environ["LOCAL_RUN"] = "1"
 
 
 def _get_bot_module():
diff --git a/src/pipecat/runner/utils.py b/src/pipecat/runner/utils.py
index cd0781f78..b2f5267d9 100644
--- a/src/pipecat/runner/utils.py
+++ b/src/pipecat/runner/utils.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ Example::
 import json
 import os
 import re
+import sys
 from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Optional
 
 from fastapi import WebSocket
@@ -479,3 +480,13 @@ async def create_transport(
 
     else:
         raise ValueError(f"Unsupported session arguments type: {type(session_args)}")
+
+
+def is_local_development() -> bool:
+    """Detect if running in local development environment.
+
+    Returns True if the pipecat development runner is being used.
+    This works by detecting if pipecat.runner.run has been imported,
+    which only happens when running locally via the development runner.
+    """
+    return "pipecat.runner.run" in sys.modules