diff --git a/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/env.rs b/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/env.rs
index 4e9d3cccec..ad2d51b030 100644
--- a/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/env.rs
+++ b/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/env.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ const DEFAULT_ENV_PREFIX: &str = "SPIN_VARIABLE";
 
 type EnvFetcherFn = Box<dyn Fn(&str) -> Result<String, VarError> + Send + Sync>;
 
-/// A config Provider that uses environment variables.
+/// A [`Provider`] that uses environment variables.
 pub struct EnvVariablesProvider {
     prefix: Option<String>,
     env_fetcher: EnvFetcherFn,
@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@ pub struct EnvVariablesProvider {
     dotenv_cache: OnceLock<HashMap<String, String>>,
 }
 
+impl Default for EnvVariablesProvider {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            prefix: None,
+            env_fetcher: Box::new(|s| std::env::var(s)),
+            dotenv_path: Some(".env".into()),
+            dotenv_cache: Default::default(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl EnvVariablesProvider {
     /// Creates a new EnvProvider.
     ///
diff --git a/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/mod.rs b/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/mod.rs
index bf21a944dc..2b6a48c481 100644
--- a/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/mod.rs
@@ -3,25 +3,30 @@
 mod env;
 mod statik;
 
+pub use env::*;
+pub use statik::*;
+
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use spin_expressions::Provider;
 use spin_factors::anyhow;
-use statik::StaticVariablesProvider;
 
 use crate::runtime_config::RuntimeConfig;
 
 /// Resolves a runtime configuration for the variables factor from a TOML table.
-pub fn runtime_config_from_toml(table: &toml::Table) -> anyhow::Result<Option<RuntimeConfig>> {
+pub fn runtime_config_from_toml(table: &toml::Table) -> anyhow::Result<RuntimeConfig> {
+    // Always include the environment variable provider.
+    let mut providers = vec![Box::new(EnvVariablesProvider::default()) as _];
     let Some(array) = table.get("variable_provider") else {
-        return Ok(None);
+        return Ok(RuntimeConfig { providers });
     };
 
     let provider_configs: Vec<VariableProviderConfiguration> = array.clone().try_into()?;
-    let providers = provider_configs
-        .into_iter()
-        .map(VariableProviderConfiguration::into_provider)
-        .collect();
-    Ok(Some(RuntimeConfig { providers }))
+    providers.extend(
+        provider_configs
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(VariableProviderConfiguration::into_provider),
+    );
+    Ok(RuntimeConfig { providers })
 }
 
 /// A runtime configuration used in the Spin CLI for one type of variable provider.
@@ -31,7 +36,7 @@ pub enum VariableProviderConfiguration {
     /// A static provider of variables.
     Static(StaticVariablesProvider),
     /// An environment variable provider.
-    Env(env::EnvVariablesConfig),
+    Env(EnvVariablesConfig),
 }
 
 impl VariableProviderConfiguration {
diff --git a/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/statik.rs b/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/statik.rs
index 3c024eabf5..d596c3e56c 100644
--- a/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/statik.rs
+++ b/crates/factor-variables/src/spin_cli/statik.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use serde::Deserialize;
 use spin_expressions::{async_trait::async_trait, Key, Provider};
 use spin_factors::anyhow;
 
-/// A variables provider that reads variables from an static map.
+/// A [`Provider`] that reads variables from an static map.
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Clone)]
 pub struct StaticVariablesProvider {
     values: Arc<HashMap<String, String>>,
diff --git a/crates/factor-variables/tests/factor_test.rs b/crates/factor-variables/tests/factor_test.rs
index 2e17fc96cf..1ce4030002 100644
--- a/crates/factor-variables/tests/factor_test.rs
+++ b/crates/factor-variables/tests/factor_test.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ struct TestFactors {
     variables: VariablesFactor,
 }
 
-#[tokio::test]
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
 async fn static_provider_works() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let factors = TestFactors {
         variables: VariablesFactor::default(),
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ impl FactorRuntimeConfigSource<VariablesFactor> for TomlConfig {
     fn get_runtime_config(
         &mut self,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Option<<VariablesFactor as Factor>::RuntimeConfig>> {
-        spin_cli::runtime_config_from_toml(&self.table)
+        spin_cli::runtime_config_from_toml(&self.table).map(Some)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/factors/tests/smoke.rs b/crates/factors/tests/smoke.rs
index ec46d8489c..6beb96f50b 100644
--- a/crates/factors/tests/smoke.rs
+++ b/crates/factors/tests/smoke.rs
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ impl FactorRuntimeConfigSource<VariablesFactor> for TestSource {
             [variable_provider.values]
             foo = "bar"
         })
+        .map(Some)
     }
 }