diff --git a/documentdb_tests/compatibility/tests/system/administration/commands/shutdown/test_smoke_shutdown.py b/documentdb_tests/compatibility/tests/system/administration/commands/shutdown/test_smoke_shutdown.py
index 5385d8ec2..c29b6b8f3 100644
--- a/documentdb_tests/compatibility/tests/system/administration/commands/shutdown/test_smoke_shutdown.py
+++ b/documentdb_tests/compatibility/tests/system/administration/commands/shutdown/test_smoke_shutdown.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from documentdb_tests.framework.assertions import assertFailure
 from documentdb_tests.framework.executor import execute_admin_command
 
-pytestmark = pytest.mark.smoke
+pytestmark = [pytest.mark.smoke, pytest.mark.skip_localhost]
 
 
 def test_smoke_shutdown(collection):
diff --git a/documentdb_tests/conftest.py b/documentdb_tests/conftest.py
index 90bf88938..1afe6dd5c 100644
--- a/documentdb_tests/conftest.py
+++ b/documentdb_tests/conftest.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 from pathlib import Path  # noqa: E402
 
+from pymongo.uri_parser import parse_uri  # noqa: E402
+
 from documentdb_tests.framework import fixtures  # noqa: E402
 from documentdb_tests.framework.engine_registry import (  # noqa: E402
     Target,
@@ -341,6 +343,10 @@ def pytest_collection_modifyitems(session, config, items):
     a target they do not apply to (rather than appearing as skips). A target's
     capabilities are determined by its engine and topology, resolved per target
     at runtime (see ``framework.preconditions``).
+
+    Tests marked 'skip_localhost' are skipped when their target connects to a
+    localhost server -- a safety guard for destructive commands (e.g. shutdown)
+    that behave differently from a local client.
     """
     # Deselect a capability-gated test when its target's capabilities do not
     # match its requires(...) marker. Each item is parametrized over a target;
@@ -369,6 +375,31 @@ def pytest_collection_modifyitems(session, config, items):
         config.hook.pytest_deselected(items=requires_deselected)
         items[:] = kept
 
+    # Skip skip_localhost tests whose target connects to a localhost server.
+    # Resolved per target (mirroring the requires(...) gate above) so a run
+    # against multiple targets skips only the localhost-bound parametrizations
+    # while still exercising a remote --connection-string override.
+    localhost_hosts = {"localhost", "127.0.0.1", "::1"}
+    localhost_by_target: dict[str, bool] = {}
+    for item in items:
+        if not item.get_closest_marker("skip_localhost"):
+            continue
+        target = _item_target(item)
+        if target is None:
+            continue
+        is_localhost = localhost_by_target.get(target.connection_string)
+        if is_localhost is None:
+            try:
+                nodes = parse_uri(target.connection_string)["nodelist"]
+            except Exception:
+                nodes = []
+            is_localhost = any(host in localhost_hosts for host, _ in nodes)
+            localhost_by_target[target.connection_string] = is_localhost
+        if is_localhost:
+            item.add_marker(
+                pytest.mark.skip(reason="skipped on localhost (server connection is local)")
+            )
+
     # Deselect no_parallel tests when running under xdist
     is_xdist = bool(getattr(config.option, "numprocesses", None)) or hasattr(config, "workerinput")
     if is_xdist:
diff --git a/documentdb_tests/pytest.ini b/documentdb_tests/pytest.ini
index b2cd6c4a1..bcf9c3387 100644
--- a/documentdb_tests/pytest.ini
+++ b/documentdb_tests/pytest.ini
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ markers =
     engine_xfail(engine, reason, raises): expected failure for a specific engine
     engine_xcrash(engine, reason): test crashes the server on a specific engine
     no_parallel: Tests that must run sequentially (not in parallel)
+    skip_localhost: Tests skipped when connected to a localhost server
 
     # The requires(...) marker is registered programmatically from
     # documentdb_tests/framework/preconditions.py — its single source of truth.