diff --git a/frigate/__main__.py b/frigate/__main__.py
index df27b42a27..09712cde37 100644
--- a/frigate/__main__.py
+++ b/frigate/__main__.py
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ from frigate.util.config import find_config_file
 
 
 def main() -> None:
-    manager = mp.Manager()
+    # Fork this manager so the forkserver does not start until the first
+    # worker process, after the config has applied environment_vars.
+    manager = mp.get_context("fork").Manager()
     faulthandler.enable()
 
     # Setup the logging thread
diff --git a/frigate/test/test_process.py b/frigate/test/test_process.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7b79929374
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frigate/test/test_process.py
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import multiprocessing as mp
+import os
+import sys
+import unittest
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+import frigate.__main__ as frigate_main
+import frigate.log
+from frigate.config import FrigateConfig
+from frigate.util.process import FrigateProcess
+
+ENV_KEY = "FRIGATE_TEST_PROCESS_ENV"
+
+
+class EnvReportingProcess(FrigateProcess):
+    def __init__(self, stop_event, result_queue):
+        super().__init__(stop_event, 0, name="env_reporter", daemon=True)
+        self.result_queue = result_queue
+
+    def run(self) -> None:
+        self.pre_run_setup()
+        self.result_queue.put(os.environ.get(ENV_KEY))
+
+
+def _run_main_and_report(result_queue) -> None:
+    """Run frigate's main() with the config load and app faked out.
+
+    Runs in a fresh interpreter so no earlier test has started the forkserver.
+    """
+    mp.set_start_method("forkserver", force=True)
+
+    def load(**kwargs):
+        os.environ[ENV_KEY] = "applied"
+        return SimpleNamespace()
+
+    def setup_logging(manager):
+        frigate.log.log_listener = SimpleNamespace(queue=manager.Queue())
+
+    class FakeApp:
+        def __init__(self, config, manager, stop_event):
+            self.stop_event = stop_event
+
+        def start(self):
+            child_queue = mp.Queue()
+            process = EnvReportingProcess(self.stop_event, child_queue)
+            process.start()
+            result_queue.put(child_queue.get(timeout=30))
+            process.join(timeout=10)
+
+    try:
+        with (
+            patch.object(sys, "argv", ["frigate"]),
+            patch.object(FrigateConfig, "load", load),
+            patch("frigate.__main__.setup_logging", setup_logging),
+            patch("frigate.__main__.FrigateApp", FakeApp),
+        ):
+            frigate_main.main()
+    except Exception as err:
+        result_queue.put(f"error: {err!r}")
+
+
+class TestWorkerEnvironment(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_env_applied_by_config_load_reaches_worker_processes(self):
+        ctx = mp.get_context("spawn")
+        result_queue = ctx.Queue()
+        runner = ctx.Process(target=_run_main_and_report, args=(result_queue,))
+        runner.start()
+
+        try:
+            self.assertEqual(result_queue.get(timeout=60), "applied")
+        finally:
+            runner.join(timeout=10)
+
+            if runner.is_alive():
+                runner.terminate()
+                runner.join()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()