diff --git a/test/features/connection.feature b/test/features/connection.feature
index 04d041d3..4ce59514 100644
--- a/test/features/connection.feature
+++ b/test/features/connection.feature
@@ -4,20 +4,22 @@ Feature: connect to a database:
   Scenario: run mycli on localhost without port
     When we run mycli with arguments "host=localhost" without arguments "port"
       When we query "status"
-      Then status contains "via UNIX socket"
+      Then status is socket or tcpip
 
+  @requires_local_db
   Scenario: run mycli on TCP host without port
     When we run mycli without arguments "port"
       When we query "status"
-      Then status contains "via TCP/IP"
+      Then status is socket or tcpip
 
+  @requires_local_db
   Scenario: run mycli with port but without host
     When we run mycli without arguments "host"
       When we query "status"
-      Then status contains "via TCP/IP"
+      Then status is socket or tcpip
 
   @requires_local_db
   Scenario: run mycli without host and port
     When we run mycli without arguments "host port"
       When we query "status"
-      Then status contains "via UNIX socket"
+      Then status is socket or tcpip
diff --git a/test/features/steps/connection.py b/test/features/steps/connection.py
index 74df2883..ea6daeb6 100644
--- a/test/features/steps/connection.py
+++ b/test/features/steps/connection.py
@@ -15,13 +15,15 @@ def step_run_cli_without_args(context, excluded_args, exact_args=""):
     wrappers.run_cli(context, run_args=parse_cli_args_to_dict(exact_args), exclude_args=parse_cli_args_to_dict(excluded_args).keys())
 
 
-@then('status contains "{expression}"')
-def status_contains(context, expression):
-    wrappers.expect_exact(context, f"{expression}", timeout=5)
-
-    # Normally, the shutdown after scenario waits for the prompt.
-    # But we may have changed the prompt, depending on parameters,
-    # so let's wait for its last character
+@then('status is socket or tcpip')
+def status_is_socket_or_tcp_ip(context):
+    # The mycli connection can fall back to TCP/IP when a socket is
+    # unavailable, independently of the fixture's setup connection.
+    wrappers.expect_exact(context, ('via UNIX socket', 'via TCP/IP'), timeout=5)
+
+    # Normally, the shutdown after scenario waits for the prompt. But we may
+    # have changed the prompt, depending on parameters, so wait for its last
+    # character.
     context.cli.expect_exact(">")
     context.atprompt = True