diff --git a/src/config/env.validation.ts b/src/config/env.validation.ts
index 467b534..c5bad05 100644
--- a/src/config/env.validation.ts
+++ b/src/config/env.validation.ts
@@ -59,11 +59,10 @@ export const envValidationSchema = Joi.object({
   AUTO_SYNC_LOOKBACK_DAYS: Joi.number().integer().min(1).max(365).default(7),
   AUTO_SYNC_MAX_USERS_PER_RUN: Joi.number().integer().min(1).max(500).default(25),
 
-  SENTRY_DSN: Joi.when("NODE_ENV", {
-    is: "production",
-    then: Joi.string().uri().required(),
-    otherwise: Joi.string().uri().optional().allow(""),
-  }),
+  // Strongly recommended in production for error visibility, but not
+  // required to boot: a missing Sentry DSN should mean "no error tracking
+  // yet", not "the whole API refuses to start."
+  SENTRY_DSN: Joi.string().uri().optional().allow(""),
   SENTRY_TRACES_SAMPLE_RATE: Joi.number().min(0).max(1).default(0),
 
   GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID: Joi.string().optional().allow(""),