diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 53bc0fbe6842..718a8928e483 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           ANSYSLMD_LICENSE_FILE: ${{ format('1055@{0}', secrets.LICENSE_SERVER) }}
           PYFLUENT_FLUENT_PORT: 63084
+          PYFLUENT_START_INSTANCE: 0
 
       - name: Upload HTML Documentation
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
diff --git a/ansys/fluent/core/launcher/launcher.py b/ansys/fluent/core/launcher/launcher.py
index 1db2064de869..8eb85c587c58 100644
--- a/ansys/fluent/core/launcher/launcher.py
+++ b/ansys/fluent/core/launcher/launcher.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def launch_fluent(
     start_timeout: int = 100,
     additional_arguments: str = "",
     env: Dict[str, Any] = None,
-    start_instance: bool = True,
+    start_instance: bool = None,
     ip: str = None,
     port: int = None,
     cleanup_on_exit: bool = True,
@@ -118,7 +118,9 @@ def launch_fluent(
     start_instance : bool, optional
         When False, connect to an existing Fluent instance at ``ip``
         and ``port``, which default to ``'127.0.0.1'`` at 63084.
-        Otherwise, launch a local instance of Fluent. Default is True.
+        Otherwise, launch a local instance of Fluent. Default is True
+        which can be overwritten by the environment variable
+        ``PYFLUENT_START_INSTANCE=<0 or 1>``.
 
     ip : str, optional
         IP address to connect to existing Fluent instance. Used only
@@ -142,6 +144,8 @@ def launch_fluent(
         Fluent session.
     """
     argvals = locals()
+    if start_instance is None:
+        start_instance = bool(int(os.getenv("PYFLUENT_START_INSTANCE", "1")))
     if start_instance:
         exe_path = _get_fluent_exe_path()
         launch_string = exe_path
diff --git a/examples/00-fluent/mixing_elbow_settings_api.py b/examples/00-fluent/mixing_elbow_settings_api.py
index dc6b9a6a230a..121f134a7a55 100644
--- a/examples/00-fluent/mixing_elbow_settings_api.py
+++ b/examples/00-fluent/mixing_elbow_settings_api.py
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@
 
 ###############################################################################
 
-# First, connect with a Fluent server
+# First, download the geometry file and start Fluent as a service with
+# Meshing Mode, Double Precision, Number of Processors 4
 
 import ansys.fluent.core as pyfluent
 from ansys.fluent.core import examples
@@ -48,7 +49,10 @@
 import_filename = examples.download_file(
     "mixing_elbow.pmdb", "pyfluent/mixing_elbow"
 )
-s = pyfluent.launch_fluent(start_instance=False)
+
+s = pyfluent.launch_fluent(
+    meshing_mode=True, precision="double", processor_count="4"
+)
 
 ###############################################################################
 
diff --git a/examples/00-fluent/mixing_elbow_tui_api.py b/examples/00-fluent/mixing_elbow_tui_api.py
index 352699dbe739..6a615b55ce91 100644
--- a/examples/00-fluent/mixing_elbow_tui_api.py
+++ b/examples/00-fluent/mixing_elbow_tui_api.py
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@
 
 ###############################################################################
 
-# First, connect with a Fluent server
+# First, download the geometry file and start Fluent as a service with
+# Meshing Mode, Double Precision, Number of Processors 4
 
 import ansys.fluent.core as pyfluent
 from ansys.fluent.core import examples
@@ -47,7 +48,10 @@
 import_filename = examples.download_file(
     "mixing_elbow.pmdb", "pyfluent/mixing_elbow"
 )
-s = pyfluent.launch_fluent(start_instance=False)
+
+s = pyfluent.launch_fluent(
+    meshing_mode=True, precision="double", processor_count="4"
+)
 
 ###############################################################################