diff --git a/swh/web/settings/tests.py b/swh/web/settings/tests.py
index 6ecdb77e..f5a8f6f0 100644
--- a/swh/web/settings/tests.py
+++ b/swh/web/settings/tests.py
@@ -1,113 +1,116 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2017-2019  The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU Affero General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
 """
 Django tests settings for swh-web.
 """
 
 import os
 import sys
 
 from swh.web.config import SWH_WEB_INTERNAL_SERVER_NAME, get_config
 
 scope1_limiter_rate = 3
 scope1_limiter_rate_post = 1
 scope2_limiter_rate = 5
 scope2_limiter_rate_post = 2
 scope3_limiter_rate = 1
 scope3_limiter_rate_post = 1
 save_origin_rate_post = 10
 
 swh_web_config = get_config()
 
+_pytest = "pytest" in sys.argv[0] or "PYTEST_XDIST_WORKER" in os.environ
+
 swh_web_config.update(
     {
-        # disable django debug mode when running cypress tests
-        "debug": "pytest" in sys.argv[0] or "PYTEST_XDIST_WORKER" in os.environ,
+        # enable django debug mode only when running pytest
+        "debug": _pytest,
         "secret_key": "test",
         "history_counters_url": "",
         "throttling": {
             "cache_uri": None,
             "scopes": {
                 "swh_api": {
                     "limiter_rate": {"default": "60/min"},
                     "exempted_networks": ["127.0.0.0/8"],
                 },
                 "swh_api_origin_search": {
                     "limiter_rate": {"default": "100/min"},
                     "exempted_networks": ["127.0.0.0/8"],
                 },
                 "swh_api_origin_visit_latest": {
                     "limiter_rate": {"default": "6000/min"},
                     "exempted_networks": ["127.0.0.0/8"],
                 },
                 "swh_vault_cooking": {
                     "limiter_rate": {"default": "120/h", "GET": "60/m"},
                     "exempted_networks": ["127.0.0.0/8"],
                 },
                 "swh_save_origin": {
                     "limiter_rate": {
                         "default": "120/h",
                         "POST": "%s/h" % save_origin_rate_post,
                     }
                 },
                 "scope1": {
                     "limiter_rate": {
                         "default": "%s/min" % scope1_limiter_rate,
                         "POST": "%s/min" % scope1_limiter_rate_post,
                     }
                 },
                 "scope2": {
                     "limiter_rate": {
                         "default": "%s/min" % scope2_limiter_rate,
                         "POST": "%s/min" % scope2_limiter_rate_post,
                     }
                 },
                 "scope3": {
                     "limiter_rate": {
                         "default": "%s/min" % scope3_limiter_rate,
                         "POST": "%s/min" % scope3_limiter_rate_post,
                     },
                     "exempted_networks": ["127.0.0.0/8"],
                 },
             },
         },
         "keycloak": {
-            "server_url": "http://localhost:8080/auth/",
+            # disable keycloak use when not running pytest
+            "server_url": "http://localhost:8080/auth/" if _pytest else "",
             "realm_name": "SoftwareHeritage",
         },
     }
 )
 
 
 from .common import *  # noqa
 
 from .common import ALLOWED_HOSTS, LOGGING  # noqa, isort: skip
 
 DATABASES = {
     "default": {
         "ENGINE": "django.db.backends.sqlite3",
         "NAME": swh_web_config["test_db"],
     }
 }
 
 # when not running unit tests, make the webapp fetch data from memory storages
 if "pytest" not in sys.argv[0] and "PYTEST_XDIST_WORKER" not in os.environ:
     swh_web_config.update({"debug": True, "e2e_tests_mode": True})
     from swh.web.tests.data import get_tests_data, override_storages
 
     test_data = get_tests_data()
     override_storages(
         test_data["storage"],
         test_data["idx_storage"],
         test_data["search"],
         test_data["counters"],
     )
 else:
     ALLOWED_HOSTS += ["testserver", SWH_WEB_INTERNAL_SERVER_NAME]
     ALLOWED_HOSTS += get_config()["staging_server_names"]
 
     # Silent DEBUG output when running unit tests
     LOGGING["handlers"]["console"]["level"] = "INFO"  # type: ignore