diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-fmudataio.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-fmudataio.yml
index b5fff5b3a..5745edb23 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-fmudataio.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-fmudataio.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ name: Test
 
 on:
   pull_request:
-    branches: [main]
+    branches: [main, staging]
   schedule:
     - cron: "0 0 * * *"
 
@@ -42,7 +42,12 @@ jobs:
             "fmu-sumo-uploader @ git+https://github.com/equinor/fmu-sumo-uploader.git"
 
       - name: Full test
-        run: pytest -v --cov --cov-report term-missing
+        run: |
+          if [[ "${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref }}" == "staging" ]]; then
+            pytest -n auto -v --cov --cov-report term-missing --prod
+          else
+            pytest -n auto -v --cov --cov-report term-missing
+          fi
 
   docker_build:
     name: Build Docker image
diff --git a/.github/workflows/schemas-up-to-date.yml b/.github/workflows/schemas-up-to-date.yml
index b3c702eef..68b68529d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/schemas-up-to-date.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/schemas-up-to-date.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,11 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Check schema
         run: |
-          ./tools/update-schema --diff
+          if [[ "${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref }}" == "staging" ]]; then
+            ./tools/update-schema --diff --prod
+          else
+            ./tools/update-schema --diff
+          fi
 
       - name: Ensure schema validates with AJV
         run: |
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 19d11af34..1ec894638 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -57,10 +57,11 @@ dev = [
     "pyarrow-stubs",
     "pydocstyle",
     "PyQt5-sip<12.16.0; python_version == '3.8'",
+    "pytest",
     "pytest-cov",
     "pytest-mock",
     "pytest-runner",
-    "pytest",
+    "pytest-xdist",
     "rstcheck",
     "ruff",
     "types-PyYAML",
diff --git a/src/fmu/dataio/_models/_schema_base.py b/src/fmu/dataio/_models/_schema_base.py
index 790cdd20e..47d10337b 100644
--- a/src/fmu/dataio/_models/_schema_base.py
+++ b/src/fmu/dataio/_models/_schema_base.py
@@ -138,9 +138,9 @@ def url(cls) -> str:
         DEV_URL = f"{FmuSchemas.DEV_URL}/{cls.PATH}"
         PROD_URL = f"{FmuSchemas.PROD_URL}/{cls.PATH}"
 
-        if os.environ.get("SCHEMA_RELEASE", False):
-            return PROD_URL
-        return DEV_URL
+        if os.environ.get("DEV_SCHEMA", False):
+            return DEV_URL
+        return PROD_URL
 
     @classmethod
     def default_generator(cls) -> type[GenerateJsonSchema]:
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 42fb47288..23cdf5804 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import logging
 import os
 import shutil
+import sys
 from copy import deepcopy
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -14,6 +15,12 @@
 import xtgeo
 import yaml
 
+# This must be set before anything in dataio is imported if not using pytest-xdist.
+if "--prod" in sys.argv:
+    os.environ["DEV_SCHEMA"] = ""
+else:
+    os.environ["DEV_SCHEMA"] = "1"
+
 import fmu.dataio as dio
 from fmu.config import utilities as ut
 from fmu.dataio._models.fmu_results import FmuResults, fields, global_configuration
@@ -45,6 +52,21 @@
 ERT_RUNPATH = f"_ERT_{FmuEnv.RUNPATH.name}"
 
 
+def pytest_addoption(parser):
+    parser.addoption(
+        "--prod", action="store_true", help="Use schemas/metadata with production URLs."
+    )
+
+
+def pytest_configure(config) -> None:
+    """If '--prod' is given to pytest, use schemas/metadata with prod urls (i.e. not dev
+    urls)."""
+    if config.getoption("--prod"):
+        os.environ["DEV_SCHEMA"] = ""
+    else:
+        os.environ["DEV_SCHEMA"] = "1"
+
+
 def _current_function_name():
     """Helper to retrieve current function name, e.g. for logging"""
     return inspect.currentframe().f_back.f_code.co_name
diff --git a/tests/test_schema/test_schemas_up_to_date.py b/tests/test_schema/test_schemas_up_to_date.py
index 1094ddebc..e88877e18 100644
--- a/tests/test_schema/test_schemas_up_to_date.py
+++ b/tests/test_schema/test_schemas_up_to_date.py
@@ -35,7 +35,12 @@ def test_schemas_uptodate(schema: SchemaBase) -> None:
     the local schema with the output of `dump()`.
 
     To get more feedback or generate new schemas run:
-    `./tools/update_schema`
+
+        ./tools/update_schema --diff
+
+    If you are generating a production release try running:
+
+        ./tools/update_schema --diff --prod
     """
     with open(schema.PATH) as f:
         assert json.load(f) == schema.dump()
@@ -45,11 +50,17 @@ def test_schemas_uptodate(schema: SchemaBase) -> None:
 def test_schema_url_changes_with_env_var(
     schema: SchemaBase, monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch
 ) -> None:
-    assert schema.url().startswith(FmuSchemas.DEV_URL)
-    assert schema.dump()["$id"].startswith(FmuSchemas.DEV_URL)
-    monkeypatch.setenv("SCHEMA_RELEASE", "1")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DEV_SCHEMA", "")
+    json = schema.dump()
     assert schema.url().startswith(FmuSchemas.PROD_URL)
-    assert schema.dump()["$id"].startswith(FmuSchemas.PROD_URL)
+    assert json["$id"].startswith(FmuSchemas.PROD_URL)
+    assert json["$schema"] == "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DEV_SCHEMA", "1")
+    json = schema.dump()
+    assert schema.url().startswith(FmuSchemas.DEV_URL)
+    assert json["$id"].startswith(FmuSchemas.DEV_URL)
+    assert json["$schema"] == "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("schema", schemas)
diff --git a/tools/update-schema b/tools/update-schema
index 7c5857f54..41a6b5653 100755
--- a/tools/update-schema
+++ b/tools/update-schema
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ import subprocess
 import sys
 from copy import deepcopy
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, Dict, List, TypeVar
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Dict, List, TypeVar
 
-from fmu.dataio._models import schemas
-from fmu.dataio._models._schema_base import SchemaBase
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from fmu.dataio._models._schema_base import SchemaBase
 
 GREEN = "\033[32m"
 RED = "\033[31m"
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ def _get_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
         action="store_true",
         help="Show a diff between the current schema and the new one in output.",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-p",
+        "--prod",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Produce schemas with production URLs",
+    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "-t",
         "--test",
@@ -183,13 +189,21 @@ def write_schema(
                 _show_py_diff(existing_schema, new_schema)
             return False
 
-        if is_release:
+        if (
+            is_release
+            and not force_overwrite
+            and existing_schema["$id"] != new_schema["$id"]
+        ):
             print(
-                INFO,
-                f"{BOLD}{schema.FILENAME}{NC} version {BOLD}{schema.VERSION}{NC}: "
-                f"modifying '$id' url to 'prod':\n      {schema.url()}",
+                FAIL,
+                f"🚨 {BOLD}{schema.FILENAME}{NC} version "
+                f"{BOLD}{schema.VERSION}{NC}: mismatch in '$id'. you probably need "
+                "to run `./tools/update-schema --prod --force`",
             )
-        elif new_schema == existing_schema:
+            if show_diff:
+                _show_py_diff(existing_schema, new_schema)
+            return False
+        if new_schema == existing_schema:
             print(
                 PASS,
                 f"{BOLD}{schema.FILENAME}{NC} version "
@@ -219,11 +233,13 @@ def main() -> None:
     if args.force:
         print(INFO, "forcing overwrite of all schemas")
 
-    is_release = bool(os.environ.get("SCHEMA_RELEASE", False))
+    os.environ["DEV_SCHEMA"] = "" if args.prod else "1"
+    # Ensures URLs will differ based on above
+    import fmu.dataio._models as models
 
     failed_a_write = False
-    for schema in schemas:
-        did_write = write_schema(schema, args.force, is_release, args.test, args.diff)
+    for schema in models.schemas:
+        did_write = write_schema(schema, args.force, args.prod, args.test, args.diff)
         if not did_write:
             failed_a_write = True