diff --git a/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/javascript.js b/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/javascript.js
index 4a7f602690..7827736812 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/javascript.js
+++ b/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/javascript.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const { atob } = require("../utilities")
+const { atob, isBackendService, isJSAllowed } = require("../utilities")
 const cloneDeep = require("lodash.clonedeep")
 const { LITERAL_MARKER } = require("../helpers/constants")
 const { getJsHelperList } = require("./list")
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ const { getJsHelperList } = require("./list")
 // This setter is used in the entrypoint (either index.js or index.mjs).
 let runJS
 module.exports.setJSRunner = runner => (runJS = runner)
+module.exports.removeJSRunner = () => {
+  runJS = undefined
+}
 
 let onErrorLog
 module.exports.setOnErrorLog = delegate => (onErrorLog = delegate)
@@ -39,7 +42,7 @@ const getContextValue = (path, context) => {
 
 // Evaluates JS code against a certain context
 module.exports.processJS = (handlebars, context) => {
-  if (process && process.env.NO_JS) {
+  if (!isJSAllowed() || (isBackendService() && !runJS)) {
     throw new Error("JS disabled in environment.")
   }
   try {
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/src/index.js b/packages/string-templates/src/index.js
index bcd63d2e6f..2dc360bd96 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/string-templates/src/index.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ const vm = require("vm")
 const handlebars = require("handlebars")
 const { registerAll, registerMinimum } = require("./helpers/index")
 const processors = require("./processors")
-const { atob, btoa } = require("./utilities")
+const { atob, btoa, isBackendService, isJSAllowed } = require("./utilities")
 const manifest = require("../manifest.json")
 const {
   FIND_HBS_REGEX,
@@ -404,18 +404,25 @@ module.exports.JsErrorTimeout = errors.JsErrorTimeout
 
 module.exports.helpersToRemoveForJs = helpersToRemoveForJs
 
-if (process && !process.env.NO_JS) {
-  /**
-   * Use polyfilled vm to run JS scripts in a browser Env
-   */
-  javascript.setJSRunner((js, context) => {
-    context = {
-      ...context,
-      alert: undefined,
-      setInterval: undefined,
-      setTimeout: undefined,
-    }
-    vm.createContext(context)
-    return vm.runInNewContext(js, context, { timeout: 1000 })
-  })
+function defaultJSSetup() {
+  if (!isBackendService()) {
+    /**
+     * Use polyfilled vm to run JS scripts in a browser Env
+     */
+    javascript.setJSRunner((js, context) => {
+      context = {
+        ...context,
+        alert: undefined,
+        setInterval: undefined,
+        setTimeout: undefined,
+      }
+      vm.createContext(context)
+      return vm.runInNewContext(js, context, { timeout: 1000 })
+    })
+  } else {
+    javascript.removeJSRunner()
+  }
 }
+defaultJSSetup()
+
+module.exports.defaultJSSetup = defaultJSSetup
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/src/utilities.js b/packages/string-templates/src/utilities.js
index 775c150e1b..00b2d7d855 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/src/utilities.js
+++ b/packages/string-templates/src/utilities.js
@@ -4,6 +4,14 @@ module.exports.FIND_HBS_REGEX = /{{([^{].*?)}}/g
 module.exports.FIND_ANY_HBS_REGEX = /{?{{([^{].*?)}}}?/g
 module.exports.FIND_TRIPLE_HBS_REGEX = /{{{([^{].*?)}}}/g
 
+module.exports.isBackendService = () => {
+  return typeof window === "undefined"
+}
+
+module.exports.isJSAllowed = () => {
+  return process && !process.env.NO_JS
+}
+
 // originally this could be done with a single regex using look behinds
 // but safari does not support this feature
 // original regex: /(?<!{){{[^{}]+}}(?!})/g
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/test/vm.spec.js b/packages/string-templates/test/vm.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7bf1612386
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/string-templates/test/vm.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+jest.mock("../src/utilities", () => {
+  const utilities = jest.requireActual("../src/utilities")
+  return {
+    ...utilities,
+    isBackendService: jest.fn().mockReturnValue(true),
+  }
+})
+const { defaultJSSetup, processStringSync, encodeJSBinding } = require("../src")
+const { isBackendService } = require("../src/utilities")
+const mockedBackendService = jest.mocked(isBackendService)
+
+const binding = encodeJSBinding("return 1")
+describe("confirm VM is available when expected and when not", () => {
+  it("shouldn't have JS available in a backend service by default", () => {
+    defaultJSSetup()
+    const result = processStringSync(binding, {})
+    // shouldn't process at all
+    expect(result).toBe(binding)
+  })
+
+  it("should have JS available in frontend environments", () => {
+    mockedBackendService.mockReturnValue(false)
+    defaultJSSetup()
+    const result = processStringSync(binding, {})
+    expect(result).toBe(1)
+  })
+})