diff --git a/.cspell.json b/.cspell.json
index 4d79829a48..41e08ddc95 100644
--- a/.cspell.json
+++ b/.cspell.json
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
     "libp",
     "lightpush",
     "livechat",
+    "localstorage",
     "Merkle",
     "mkdir",
     "mplex",
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 5b0b33e003..2ba4ab3877 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -24321,7 +24321,6 @@
       "version": "3.0.5",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/node-localstorage/-/node-localstorage-3.0.5.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-GCwtK33iwVXboZWYcqQHu3aRvXEBwmPkAMRBLeaX86ufhqslyUkLGsi4aW3INEfdQYpUB5M9qtYf3eHvAk2VBg==",
-      "dev": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "write-file-atomic": "^5.0.1"
       },
@@ -24333,7 +24332,6 @@
       "version": "5.0.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/write-file-atomic/-/write-file-atomic-5.0.1.tgz",
       "integrity": "sha512-+QU2zd6OTD8XWIJCbffaiQeH9U73qIqafo1x6V1snCWYGJf6cVE0cDR4D8xRzcEnfI21IFrUPzPGtcPf8AC+Rw==",
-      "dev": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "imurmurhash": "^0.1.4",
         "signal-exit": "^4.0.1"
@@ -36563,6 +36561,7 @@
         "debug": "^4.3.4",
         "dns-query": "^0.11.2",
         "hi-base32": "^0.5.1",
+        "node-localstorage": "^3.0.5",
         "uint8arrays": "^5.0.1"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
@@ -36579,7 +36578,6 @@
         "chai-as-promised": "^7.1.1",
         "cspell": "^8.6.1",
         "mocha": "^10.3.0",
-        "node-localstorage": "^3.0.5",
         "npm-run-all": "^4.1.5",
         "rollup": "^4.12.0",
         "sinon": "^17.0.1"
diff --git a/packages/discovery/package.json b/packages/discovery/package.json
index d70a540713..b583a6bec5 100644
--- a/packages/discovery/package.json
+++ b/packages/discovery/package.json
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@
     "debug": "^4.3.4",
     "dns-query": "^0.11.2",
     "hi-base32": "^0.5.1",
-    "uint8arrays": "^5.0.1"
+    "uint8arrays": "^5.0.1",
+    "node-localstorage": "^3.0.5"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@libp2p/peer-id": "^4.0.4",
@@ -75,7 +76,6 @@
     "chai-as-promised": "^7.1.1",
     "cspell": "^8.6.1",
     "mocha": "^10.3.0",
-    "node-localstorage": "^3.0.5",
     "npm-run-all": "^4.1.5",
     "rollup": "^4.12.0",
     "sinon": "^17.0.1"
diff --git a/packages/discovery/src/local-peer-cache/index.spec.ts b/packages/discovery/src/local-peer-cache/index.spec.ts
index 28cb0677d5..6a3f07624c 100644
--- a/packages/discovery/src/local-peer-cache/index.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/discovery/src/local-peer-cache/index.spec.ts
@@ -17,16 +17,6 @@ import { LocalPeerCacheDiscovery } from "./index.js";
 
 chai.use(chaiAsPromised);
 
-// dynamically importing the local storage polyfill for node
-if (typeof window === "undefined") {
-  try {
-    const { LocalStorage } = await import("node-localstorage");
-    global.localStorage = new LocalStorage("./scratch");
-  } catch (error) {
-    console.error("Failed to load localStorage polyfill:", error);
-  }
-}
-
 const mockPeers = [
   {
     id: "16Uiu2HAm4v86W3bmT1BiH6oSPzcsSr24iDQpSN5Qa992BCjjwgrD",
diff --git a/packages/discovery/src/local-peer-cache/index.ts b/packages/discovery/src/local-peer-cache/index.ts
index 14a79013e7..7b5e8faa1b 100644
--- a/packages/discovery/src/local-peer-cache/index.ts
+++ b/packages/discovery/src/local-peer-cache/index.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@ export const DEFAULT_LOCAL_TAG_NAME = Tags.LOCAL;
 const DEFAULT_LOCAL_TAG_VALUE = 50;
 const DEFAULT_LOCAL_TAG_TTL = 100_000_000;
 
+// dynamically importing the local storage polyfill for node environments
+if (typeof window === "undefined") {
+  try {
+    const { LocalStorage } = await import("node-localstorage");
+    global.localStorage = new LocalStorage("./mock-localstorage");
+  } catch (error) {
+    log.error("Failed to load localStorage polyfill:", error);
+  }
+}
+
 export class LocalPeerCacheDiscovery
   extends TypedEventEmitter<PeerDiscoveryEvents>
   implements PeerDiscovery, Startable