diff --git a/swh/web/settings/tests.py b/swh/web/settings/tests.py
index 10bb42c7..214492b0 100644
--- a/swh/web/settings/tests.py
+++ b/swh/web/settings/tests.py
@@ -1,110 +1,111 @@
 # 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 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()
 
 swh_web_config.update({
     'debug': False,
     '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']
             }
         }
     }
 })
 
 
 from .common import * # noqa
 from .common import ALLOWED_HOSTS, LOGGING # noqa
 
 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]:
+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 # noqa
     test_data = get_tests_data()
     override_storages(test_data['storage'], test_data['idx_storage'],
                       test_data['search'])
 else:
     ALLOWED_HOSTS += ['testserver']
 
     # Silent DEBUG output when running unit tests
     LOGGING['handlers']['console']['level'] = 'INFO'  # type: ignore