diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
index 8dfc03a58..b75c821b2 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ pub const ACCOUNTS_INDEX_CONFIG_FOR_TESTING: AccountsIndexConfig = AccountsIndex
     index_limit_mb: None,
     ages_to_stay_in_cache: None,
     scan_results_limit_bytes: None,
+    started_from_validator: false,
 };
 pub const ACCOUNTS_INDEX_CONFIG_FOR_BENCHMARKS: AccountsIndexConfig = AccountsIndexConfig {
     bins: Some(BINS_FOR_BENCHMARKS),
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ pub const ACCOUNTS_INDEX_CONFIG_FOR_BENCHMARKS: AccountsIndexConfig = AccountsIn
     index_limit_mb: None,
     ages_to_stay_in_cache: None,
     scan_results_limit_bytes: None,
+    started_from_validator: false,
 };
 pub type ScanResult<T> = Result<T, ScanError>;
 pub type SlotList<T> = Vec<(Slot, T)>;
@@ -162,6 +164,8 @@ pub struct AccountsIndexConfig {
     pub index_limit_mb: Option<usize>,
     pub ages_to_stay_in_cache: Option<Age>,
     pub scan_results_limit_bytes: Option<usize>,
+    /// true if the accounts index is being created as a result of being started as a validator (as opposed to test, etc.)
+    pub started_from_validator: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone)]
@@ -858,13 +862,7 @@ pub struct AccountsIndex<T: IndexValue> {
 
 impl<T: IndexValue> AccountsIndex<T> {
     pub fn default_for_tests() -> Self {
-        let mut config = ACCOUNTS_INDEX_CONFIG_FOR_TESTING;
-        if let Ok(limit) = std::env::var("SOLANA_TEST_ACCOUNTS_INDEX_MEMORY_LIMIT_MB") {
-            // allocate with disk buckets
-            config.index_limit_mb = Some(limit.parse::<usize>().unwrap());
-        }
-
-        Self::new(Some(config))
+        Self::new(Some(ACCOUNTS_INDEX_CONFIG_FOR_TESTING))
     }
 
     pub fn new(config: Option<AccountsIndexConfig>) -> Self {
diff --git a/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder.rs b/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder.rs
index b206b6288..87b2ee26f 100644
--- a/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder.rs
@@ -153,7 +153,20 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> BucketMapHolder<T> {
 
         let mut bucket_config = BucketMapConfig::new(bins);
         bucket_config.drives = config.as_ref().and_then(|config| config.drives.clone());
-        let mem_budget_mb = config.as_ref().and_then(|config| config.index_limit_mb);
+        let mut mem_budget_mb = config.as_ref().and_then(|config| config.index_limit_mb);
+        let bucket_map_tests_allowed = mem_budget_mb.is_none()
+            && !config
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(|config| config.started_from_validator)
+                .unwrap_or_default();
+        if bucket_map_tests_allowed {
+            if let Ok(limit) = std::env::var("SOLANA_TEST_ACCOUNTS_INDEX_MEMORY_LIMIT_MB") {
+                // allocate with disk buckets if mem budget was not set, we were NOT started from validator, and env var was set
+                // we do not want the env var to have an effect when running the validator (only tests, benches, etc.)
+                mem_budget_mb = Some(limit.parse::<usize>().unwrap());
+            }
+        }
+
         // only allocate if mem_budget_mb is Some
         let disk = mem_budget_mb.map(|_| BucketMap::new(bucket_config));
         Self {
diff --git a/validator/src/main.rs b/validator/src/main.rs
index 9e0bf1ffa..46c818308 100644
--- a/validator/src/main.rs
+++ b/validator/src/main.rs
@@ -2117,7 +2117,10 @@ pub fn main() {
             _ => unreachable!(),
         };
 
-    let mut accounts_index_config = AccountsIndexConfig::default();
+    let mut accounts_index_config = AccountsIndexConfig {
+        started_from_validator: true, // this is the only place this is set
+        ..AccountsIndexConfig::default()
+    };
     if let Some(bins) = value_t!(matches, "accounts_index_bins", usize).ok() {
         accounts_index_config.bins = Some(bins);
     }