diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/node/cli-api.ts b/packages/vitest/src/node/cli-api.ts
index 1fc2e7dad30b..948c154b9364 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/node/cli-api.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/node/cli-api.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { execa } from 'execa'
 import type { UserConfig as ViteUserConfig } from 'vite'
 import type { UserConfig } from '../types'
 import { ensurePackageInstalled } from '../utils'
@@ -30,28 +29,11 @@ export async function startVitest(cliFilters: string[], options: CliOptions, vit
 
   const ctx = await createVitest(options, viteOverrides)
 
-  process.env.VITEST_MODE = ctx.config.watch ? 'WATCH' : 'RUN'
-
-  if (ctx.config.env)
-    Object.assign(process.env, ctx.config.env)
-
   if (ctx.config.coverage.enabled) {
     if (!await ensurePackageInstalled('c8')) {
       process.exitCode = 1
       return false
     }
-
-    if (!process.env.NODE_V8_COVERAGE) {
-      process.env.NODE_V8_COVERAGE = ctx.config.coverage.tempDirectory
-      // thread enable test will exec in thread
-      // so don't need to restarting Vitest
-      if (!ctx.config.threads) {
-        await ctx.server.close()
-        const { exitCode } = await execa(process.argv0, process.argv.slice(1), { stdio: 'inherit', reject: false })
-        process.exitCode = exitCode
-        return false
-      }
-    }
   }
 
   if (ctx.config.environment && ctx.config.environment !== 'node') {
@@ -64,8 +46,6 @@ export async function startVitest(cliFilters: string[], options: CliOptions, vit
   if (process.stdin.isTTY && ctx.config.watch)
     registerConsoleShortcuts(ctx)
 
-  process.chdir(ctx.config.root)
-
   ctx.onServerRestarted(() => {
     // TODO: re-consider how to re-run the tests the server smartly
     ctx.start(cliFilters)
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/node/pool.ts b/packages/vitest/src/node/pool.ts
index 68b609f82c4b..05b153e69e19 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/node/pool.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/node/pool.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export function createPool(ctx: Vitest): WorkerPool {
 
   const options: TinypoolOptions = {
     filename: workerPath,
-    // TODO: investigate futher
+    // TODO: investigate further
     // It seems atomics introduced V8 Fatal Error https://github.com/vitest-dev/vitest/issues/1191
     useAtomics: false,
 
@@ -46,50 +46,49 @@ export function createPool(ctx: Vitest): WorkerPool {
     options.minThreads = 1
   }
 
+  if (ctx.config.coverage)
+    process.env.NODE_V8_COVERAGE ||= ctx.config.coverage.tempDirectory
+
+  options.env = {
+    TEST: 'true',
+    VITEST: 'true',
+    NODE_ENV: ctx.config.mode || 'test',
+    VITEST_MODE: ctx.config.watch ? 'WATCH' : 'RUN',
+    ...process.env,
+    ...ctx.config.env,
+  }
+
   const pool = new Tinypool(options)
 
   const runWithFiles = (name: string): RunWithFiles => {
-    return async (files, invalidates) => {
-      let id = 0
-      const config = ctx.getSerializableConfig()
+    let id = 0
+    const config = ctx.getSerializableConfig()
+
+    async function runFiles(files: string[], invalidates: string[] = []) {
+      const { workerPort, port } = createChannel(ctx)
+      const data: WorkerContext = {
+        port: workerPort,
+        config,
+        files,
+        invalidates,
+        id: ++id,
+      }
+      try {
+        await pool.run(data, { transferList: [workerPort], name })
+      }
+      finally {
+        port.close()
+        workerPort.close()
+      }
+    }
 
+    return async (files, invalidates) => {
       if (!ctx.config.threads) {
-        const { workerPort, port } = createChannel(ctx)
-        const data: WorkerContext = {
-          port: workerPort,
-          config,
-          files,
-          invalidates,
-          id: ++id,
-        }
-        try {
-          await pool.run(data, { transferList: [workerPort], name })
-        }
-        finally {
-          port.close()
-          workerPort.close()
-        }
+        await runFiles(files)
       }
       else {
-        const results = await Promise.allSettled(files.map(async (file) => {
-          const { workerPort, port } = createChannel(ctx)
-
-          const data: WorkerContext = {
-            port: workerPort,
-            config,
-            files: [file],
-            invalidates,
-            id: ++id,
-          }
-
-          try {
-            await pool.run(data, { transferList: [workerPort], name })
-          }
-          finally {
-            port.close()
-            workerPort.close()
-          }
-        }))
+        const results = await Promise.allSettled(files
+          .map(file => runFiles([file], invalidates)))
 
         const errors = results.filter((r): r is PromiseRejectedResult => r.status === 'rejected').map(r => r.reason)
         if (errors.length > 0)