diff --git a/src/Operations.jl b/src/Operations.jl
index 64b19de9cc..47fd80febf 100644
--- a/src/Operations.jl
+++ b/src/Operations.jl
@@ -596,8 +596,10 @@ function collect_artifacts(pkg_root::String; platform::AbstractPlatform=HostPlat
 
             # If there is a dynamic artifact selector, run that in an appropriate sandbox to select artifacts
             if isfile(selector_path)
-                select_cmd = Cmd(`$(gen_build_code(selector_path)) $(triplet(platform))`)
-                addenv(select_cmd, "JULIA_LOAD_PATH" => "@stdlib")
+                # Despite the fact that we inherit the project, since the in-memory manifest
+                # has not been updated yet, if we try to load any dependencies, it may fail.
+                # Therefore, this project inheritance is really only for Preferences, not dependencies.
+                select_cmd = Cmd(`$(gen_build_code(selector_path; inherit_project=true)) $(triplet(platform))`)
                 meta_toml = String(read(select_cmd))
                 push!(artifacts_tomls, (artifacts_toml, TOML.parse(meta_toml)))
             else
@@ -878,7 +880,7 @@ function dependency_order_uuids(env::EnvCache, uuids::Vector{UUID})::Dict{UUID,I
     return order
 end
 
-function gen_build_code(build_file::String)
+function gen_build_code(build_file::String; inherit_project::Bool = false)
     code = """
         $(Base.load_path_setup_code(false))
         cd($(repr(dirname(build_file))))
@@ -888,6 +890,7 @@ function gen_build_code(build_file::String)
         $(Base.julia_cmd()) -O0 --color=no --history-file=no
         --startup-file=$(Base.JLOptions().startupfile == 1 ? "yes" : "no")
         --compiled-modules=$(Bool(Base.JLOptions().use_compiled_modules) ? "yes" : "no")
+        $(inherit_project ? "--project=$(Base.active_project())" : "")
         --eval $code
         ```
 end
diff --git a/test/artifacts.jl b/test/artifacts.jl
index 0ac6b48680..92f2a3c0da 100644
--- a/test/artifacts.jl
+++ b/test/artifacts.jl
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ end
     end
 end
 
+using Preferences
 @testset "Artifact Usage" begin
     # Don't use `temp_pkg_dir()` here because we need `Pkg.test()` to run in the
     # same package context as the one we're running in right now.  Yes, this pollutes
@@ -426,11 +427,16 @@ end
                 wrong_hash = engaged_hash
             end
 
-            withenv("FLOOBLECRANK" => flooblecrank_status) do
-                add_this_pkg()
-                @test isdir(artifact_path(right_hash))
-                @test !isdir(artifact_path(wrong_hash))
-            end
+            # Set the flooblecrank via its preference
+            set_preferences!(
+                joinpath(ap_path, "LocalPreferences.toml"),
+                "AugmentedPlatform",
+                "flooblecrank" => flooblecrank_status,
+            )
+
+            add_this_pkg()
+            @test isdir(artifact_path(right_hash))
+            @test !isdir(artifact_path(wrong_hash))
 
             # Manual test that artifact is installed by instantiate()
             artifacts_toml = joinpath(ap_path, "Artifacts.toml")
@@ -465,16 +471,19 @@ end
         Pkg.activate(ap_path)
         @test !isdir(artifact_path(engaged_hash))
         @test !isdir(artifact_path(disengaged_hash))
+
+        # Set the flooblecrank via its preference
+        set_preferences!(
+            joinpath(ap_path, "LocalPreferences.toml"),
+            "AugmentedPlatform",
+            "flooblecrank" => "disengaged",
+        )
     
-        # Instantiate with the environment variable set, but with an explicit
-        # tag set in the platform object, which overrides.
-        withenv("FLOOBLECRANK" => "disengaged") do
-            p = HostPlatform()
-            p["flooblecrank"] = "engaged"
-            add_this_pkg(; platform=p)
-            @test isdir(artifact_path(engaged_hash))
-            @test !isdir(artifact_path(disengaged_hash))
-        end
+        p = HostPlatform()
+        p["flooblecrank"] = "engaged"
+        add_this_pkg(; platform=p)
+        @test isdir(artifact_path(engaged_hash))
+        @test !isdir(artifact_path(disengaged_hash))
     end
 
     # Also run a test of "cross-installation" use `Pkg.API.instantiate(;platform)`
@@ -487,18 +496,21 @@ end
         @test !isdir(artifact_path(engaged_hash))
         @test !isdir(artifact_path(disengaged_hash))
 
-        # Instantiate with the environment variable set, but with an explicit
-        # tag set in the platform object, which overrides.
-        withenv("FLOOBLECRANK" => "disengaged") do
-            add_this_pkg()
+        # Set the flooblecrank via its preference
+        set_preferences!(
+            joinpath(ap_path, "LocalPreferences.toml"),
+            "AugmentedPlatform",
+            "flooblecrank" => "disengaged",
+        )
 
-            p = HostPlatform()
-            p["flooblecrank"] = "engaged"
-            Pkg.API.instantiate(; platform=p)
+        add_this_pkg()
 
-            @test isdir(artifact_path(engaged_hash))
-            @test isdir(artifact_path(disengaged_hash))
-        end
+        p = HostPlatform()
+        p["flooblecrank"] = "engaged"
+        Pkg.API.instantiate(; platform=p)
+
+        @test isdir(artifact_path(engaged_hash))
+        @test isdir(artifact_path(disengaged_hash))
     end
 end
 
diff --git a/test/test_packages/AugmentedPlatform/.pkg/platform_augmentation.jl b/test/test_packages/AugmentedPlatform/.pkg/platform_augmentation.jl
index 0f11221d49..043eda4a5b 100644
--- a/test/test_packages/AugmentedPlatform/.pkg/platform_augmentation.jl
+++ b/test/test_packages/AugmentedPlatform/.pkg/platform_augmentation.jl
@@ -7,8 +7,9 @@ function augment_platform!(p::Platform)
         return p
     end
 
-    # If the tag is not set, autodetect through magic (in this case, checking environment variables)
-    flooblecrank_status = get(ENV, "FLOOBLECRANK", "disengaged")
+    # If the tag is not set, autodetect through magic (in this case, checking preferences)
+    ap_uuid = Base.UUID("4d5b37cf-bcfd-af76-759b-4d98ee7f9293")
+    flooblecrank_status = get(Base.get_preferences(ap_uuid), "flooblecrank", "disengaged")
     if flooblecrank_status == "engaged"
         p["flooblecrank"] = "engaged"
     else