diff --git a/sparkmeter/metering/lifespan.py b/sparkmeter/metering/lifespan.py
index f6d6c19..45e6cdd 100644
--- a/sparkmeter/metering/lifespan.py
+++ b/sparkmeter/metering/lifespan.py
@@ -24,20 +24,12 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-def _is_ground() -> bool:
-    """Whether this deployment should drive a meter network."""
-    try:
-        from sparkmeter.config.configdict import config
-
-        return config.is_ground()
-    except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
-        return os.environ.get("SPARKMETER_MODE", "ground") == "ground"
-
-
 @asynccontextmanager
 async def metering_lifespan(app: FastAPI) -> AsyncIterator[None]:
     """Owns the metering-provider connection on ground; no-op on cloud."""
-    if not _is_ground():
+    from sparkmeter.config.configdict import config
+
+    if config.is_cloud():
         app.state.metering = None
         yield
         return
diff --git a/sparkmeter/metering/tests/test_lifespan.py b/sparkmeter/metering/tests/test_lifespan.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4b9955
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sparkmeter/metering/tests/test_lifespan.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+"""Tests for the metering FastAPI lifespan."""
+
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+import pytest
+
+from sparkmeter.metering import lifespan
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_metering_lifespan_is_noop_on_cloud(monkeypatch):
+    """On cloud, the lifespan sets app.state.metering to None and starts nothing."""
+    monkeypatch.setattr("sparkmeter.config.configdict.config.is_cloud", lambda: True)
+
+    app = SimpleNamespace(state=SimpleNamespace())
+
+    async with lifespan.metering_lifespan(app):
+        assert app.state.metering is None
+
+    # No metering runtime was started: only the no-op no-metering state exists.
+    assert app.state.metering is None
+    assert not hasattr(app.state, "metering_command_queue")