diff --git a/scrapegraphai/telemetry/telemetry.py b/scrapegraphai/telemetry/telemetry.py
index 07fa6e080..fba586b33 100644
--- a/scrapegraphai/telemetry/telemetry.py
+++ b/scrapegraphai/telemetry/telemetry.py
@@ -36,6 +36,19 @@ def _load_config(config_location: str) -> configparser.ConfigParser:
     return config
 
 
+def _parse_bool(value: str) -> bool:
+    """Parse a boolean from a string using configparser's accepted spellings.
+
+    Accepts the same values as the config file does, so
+    ``SCRAPEGRAPHAI_TELEMETRY_ENABLED=false`` and ``telemetry_enabled = false``
+    behave identically. Raises ValueError on anything unrecognised.
+    """
+    try:
+        return configparser.ConfigParser.BOOLEAN_STATES[value.strip().lower()]
+    except KeyError:
+        raise ValueError(f"invalid boolean value: {value!r}")
+
+
 def _check_config_and_environ_for_telemetry_flag(default_value: bool, config_obj):
     telemetry_enabled = default_value
     if "telemetry_enabled" in config_obj["DEFAULT"]:
@@ -44,13 +57,18 @@ def _check_config_and_environ_for_telemetry_flag(default_value: bool, config_obj
         except Exception:
             pass
 
-    if os.environ.get("SCRAPEGRAPHAI_TELEMETRY_ENABLED") is not None:
+    env_value = os.environ.get("SCRAPEGRAPHAI_TELEMETRY_ENABLED")
+    if env_value is not None:
         try:
-            telemetry_enabled = config_obj.getboolean(
-                "DEFAULT", "telemetry_enabled"
+            telemetry_enabled = _parse_bool(env_value)
+        except ValueError:
+            logger.warning(
+                "SCRAPEGRAPHAI_TELEMETRY_ENABLED is set to %r, which is not a "
+                "recognised boolean. Telemetry is left at %s. Use one of: "
+                "true/false, yes/no, on/off, 1/0.",
+                env_value,
+                telemetry_enabled,
             )
-        except Exception:
-            pass
 
     return telemetry_enabled
 
diff --git a/tests/test_telemetry_flag.py b/tests/test_telemetry_flag.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c3743c1f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_telemetry_flag.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+"""Tests for the telemetry opt-out flag.
+
+These cover the environment variable path, which previously read its value from
+the config file instead of from the variable, so `SCRAPEGRAPHAI_TELEMETRY_ENABLED=false`
+left telemetry enabled.
+"""
+
+import configparser
+
+import pytest
+
+from scrapegraphai.telemetry.telemetry import (
+    _check_config_and_environ_for_telemetry_flag,
+    _parse_bool,
+)
+
+
+def _config(**defaults):
+    cfg = configparser.ConfigParser()
+    cfg["DEFAULT"] = {k: str(v) for k, v in defaults.items()}
+    return cfg
+
+
+class TestParseBool:
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("value", ["false", "False", "FALSE", "no", "off", "0", "  false  "])
+    def test_falsey_spellings(self, value):
+        assert _parse_bool(value) is False
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("value", ["true", "True", "yes", "on", "1"])
+    def test_truthy_spellings(self, value):
+        assert _parse_bool(value) is True
+
+    def test_rejects_nonsense(self):
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            _parse_bool("maybe")
+
+
+class TestTelemetryFlag:
+    def test_defaults_to_the_given_default(self):
+        assert _check_config_and_environ_for_telemetry_flag(True, _config()) is True
+
+    def test_config_file_can_disable(self):
+        cfg = _config(telemetry_enabled="False")
+        assert _check_config_and_environ_for_telemetry_flag(True, cfg) is False
+
+    def test_env_var_disables_with_no_config_key(self, monkeypatch):
+        """The regression. Previously returned True, because the value was read
+        out of the config file rather than out of the environment variable."""
+        monkeypatch.setenv("SCRAPEGRAPHAI_TELEMETRY_ENABLED", "false")
+        assert _check_config_and_environ_for_telemetry_flag(True, _config()) is False
+
+    def test_env_var_overrides_the_config_file(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("SCRAPEGRAPHAI_TELEMETRY_ENABLED", "false")
+        cfg = _config(telemetry_enabled="True")
+        assert _check_config_and_environ_for_telemetry_flag(True, cfg) is False
+
+    def test_env_var_can_also_enable(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("SCRAPEGRAPHAI_TELEMETRY_ENABLED", "true")
+        cfg = _config(telemetry_enabled="False")
+        assert _check_config_and_environ_for_telemetry_flag(True, cfg) is True
+
+    def test_unparseable_env_var_leaves_the_flag_alone(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("SCRAPEGRAPHAI_TELEMETRY_ENABLED", "banana")
+        cfg = _config(telemetry_enabled="False")
+        assert _check_config_and_environ_for_telemetry_flag(True, cfg) is False
+
+    def test_unset_env_var_leaves_the_config_in_charge(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.delenv("SCRAPEGRAPHAI_TELEMETRY_ENABLED", raising=False)
+        cfg = _config(telemetry_enabled="False")
+        assert _check_config_and_environ_for_telemetry_flag(True, cfg) is False