diff --git a/packages/data-service/src/connect-mongo-client.spec.ts b/packages/data-service/src/connect-mongo-client.spec.ts
index 70850676866..93e7b9a7041 100644
--- a/packages/data-service/src/connect-mongo-client.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/data-service/src/connect-mongo-client.spec.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,27 @@ describe('connectMongoClient', function () {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should not override a user-specified directConnection option', async function () {
+      const [client, tunnel, { url, options }] = await connectMongoClient(
+        {
+          connectionString: 'mongodb://localhost:27018/?directConnection=false',
+        },
+        setupListeners,
+        tunnelLocalPort
+      );
+
+      toBeClosed.push(client, tunnel);
+
+      assert.strictEqual(
+        url,
+        'mongodb://localhost:27018/?directConnection=false'
+      );
+
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(options, {
+        monitorCommands: true,
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should at least try to run a ping command to verify connectivity', async function () {
       try {
         await connectMongoClient(
diff --git a/packages/data-service/src/connect-mongo-client.ts b/packages/data-service/src/connect-mongo-client.ts
index d4de27f9940..051875ea8a9 100644
--- a/packages/data-service/src/connect-mongo-client.ts
+++ b/packages/data-service/src/connect-mongo-client.ts
@@ -116,8 +116,9 @@ function connectionOptionsToMongoClientParams(
   const isLoadBalanced = url.searchParams.get('loadBalanced') === 'true';
   const isReplicaSet =
     url.isSRV || url.hosts.length > 1 || url.searchParams.has('replicaSet');
+  const hasDirectConnection = url.searchParams.has('directConnection');
 
-  if (!isReplicaSet && !isLoadBalanced) {
+  if (!isReplicaSet && !isLoadBalanced && !hasDirectConnection) {
     url.searchParams.set('directConnection', 'true');
   }