what about keeping test-ignorability out of the test itself like this?

gistfile1.diff

diff --git a/automation-tests/config/tests-to-ignore.js b/automation-tests/config/tests-to-ignore.js
index e2e4acd..b2ae522 100644
--- a/automation-tests/config/tests-to-ignore.js
+++ b/automation-tests/config/tests-to-ignore.js
@@ -3,8 +3,19 @@
  * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
 
 // These are tests to ignore
+// XXX extract duplication if this file gets significantly longer
 
-exports.tests_to_ignore = [
+exports.dev = [
+  "public-terminals.js",
+  "remove-email.js"
+];
+exports.stage = [
+  "frontend-qunit-test.js",
+  "public-terminals.js",
+  "remove-email.js"
+];
+exports.prod = [
+  "frontend-qunit-test.js",
   "public-terminals.js",
   "remove-email.js"
 ];
diff --git a/automation-tests/lib/test-finder.js b/automation-tests/lib/test-finder.js
index 8683e43..d49617f 100644
--- a/automation-tests/lib/test-finder.js
+++ b/automation-tests/lib/test-finder.js
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 const path              = require('path'),
       fs                = require('fs'),
       test_root_path    = path.join(__dirname, "..", "tests"),
-      tests_to_ignore   = require('../config/tests-to-ignore').tests_to_ignore,
+      env               = process.env['PERSONA_ENV'] || 'dev',
+      tests_to_ignore   = require('../config/tests-to-ignore').env,
       glob              = require('minimatch');
 
 exports.find = function(pattern, root, tests) {

r+