diff --git a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Telemetry/VmMetadataApiHandler.cs b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Telemetry/VmMetadataApiHandler.cs
index 7a6c5e224e..c88bc1c510 100644
--- a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Telemetry/VmMetadataApiHandler.cs
+++ b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/src/Telemetry/VmMetadataApiHandler.cs
@@ -39,15 +39,13 @@ internal static class VmMetadataApiHandler
         /// Check for environment variable COSMOS_DISABLE_VM_METADATA_ACCESS to decide if VM metadata call should be made or not.
         /// If environment variable is set to true, then VM metadata call will not be made.
         /// If environment variable is set to false, then VM metadata call will be made.
-        /// If environment variable is not set, then set the value according to the debugger which means 
-        ///     In Debug mode, it is will be true and VM metadata call will be disabled.
-        ///     In Release mode, it is will be false and VM metadata call will be enabled.
+        /// If environment variable is not set, then VM metadata call will be made.
         /// </summary>.
         /// <param name="httpClient"></param>
         internal static void TryInitialize(CosmosHttpClient httpClient)
         {
             bool isVMMetadataAccessDisabled = 
-                ConfigurationManager.GetEnvironmentVariable<bool>("COSMOS_DISABLE_VM_METADATA_ACCESS", System.Diagnostics.Debugger.IsAttached);
+                ConfigurationManager.GetEnvironmentVariable<bool>("COSMOS_DISABLE_VM_METADATA_ACCESS", false);
             if (isVMMetadataAccessDisabled)
             {
                 return;
diff --git a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/VmMetadataApiHandlerTest.cs b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/VmMetadataApiHandlerTest.cs
index 9ff7dc2472..2145815887 100644
--- a/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/VmMetadataApiHandlerTest.cs
+++ b/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos/tests/Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos.Tests/VmMetadataApiHandlerTest.cs
@@ -40,9 +40,13 @@ public void Initialize()
         [TestMethod]
         [DataRow("true", DisplayName = "When COSMOS_DISABLE_VM_METADATA_ACCESS is set as true, VM ID should not be fetched")]
         [DataRow("false", DisplayName = "When COSMOS_DISABLE_VM_METADATA_ACCESS is set as false, VM ID should be fetched")]
+        [DataRow(null, DisplayName = "When COSMOS_DISABLE_VM_METADATA_ACCESS is NOT set, VM ID should be fetched")]
         public async Task GetVmIdAsMachineIdTest(string isVmMetadataAccessDisabled)
         {
-            Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("COSMOS_DISABLE_VM_METADATA_ACCESS", isVmMetadataAccessDisabled);
+            if (isVmMetadataAccessDisabled != null)
+            {
+                Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable("COSMOS_DISABLE_VM_METADATA_ACCESS", isVmMetadataAccessDisabled);
+            } 
 
             try
             {