diff --git a/packages/data-service/src/connection-storage.spec.ts b/packages/data-service/src/connection-storage.spec.ts
index a1e17f2a26b..798a9a8738e 100644
--- a/packages/data-service/src/connection-storage.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/data-service/src/connection-storage.spec.ts
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ describe('ConnectionStorage', function () {
           id,
           connectionOptions: {
             connectionString:
-              'mongodb://localhost:27017/?readPreference=primary&ssl=false',
+              'mongodb://localhost:27017/?readPreference=primary&ssl=false&directConnection=true',
           },
         },
       ]);
diff --git a/packages/data-service/src/legacy/legacy-connection-model.spec.ts b/packages/data-service/src/legacy/legacy-connection-model.spec.ts
index ee7a99f40f5..74be352af72 100644
--- a/packages/data-service/src/legacy/legacy-connection-model.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/data-service/src/legacy/legacy-connection-model.spec.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,97 @@ describe('LegacyConnectionModel', function () {
       expect(id).to.deep.equal('1234-1234-1234-1234');
     });
 
+    it('add directConnection=true if is a single one host', async function () {
+      const { connectionOptions } = await createAndConvertModel(
+        'mongodb://localhost:27017/admin',
+        { _id: '1234-1234-1234-1234' }
+      );
+
+      expect(
+        new ConnectionString(
+          connectionOptions.connectionString
+        ).searchParams.get('directConnection')
+      ).to.equal('true');
+    });
+
+    it('does not alter directConnection=true', async function () {
+      const { connectionOptions } = await createAndConvertModel(
+        'mongodb://localhost:27017/admin?directConnection=true',
+        { _id: '1234-1234-1234-1234' }
+      );
+
+      expect(
+        new ConnectionString(
+          connectionOptions.connectionString
+        ).searchParams.get('directConnection')
+      ).to.equal('true');
+    });
+
+    it('does not alter directConnection=false', async function () {
+      const { connectionOptions } = await createAndConvertModel(
+        'mongodb://localhost:27017/admin?directConnection=false',
+        { _id: '1234-1234-1234-1234' }
+      );
+
+      expect(
+        new ConnectionString(
+          connectionOptions.connectionString
+        ).searchParams.get('directConnection')
+      ).to.equal('false');
+    });
+
+    it('does not add directConnection=true if replicaSet', async function () {
+      const { connectionOptions } = await createAndConvertModel(
+        'mongodb://localhost:27017/admin?replicaSet=rs1',
+        { _id: '1234-1234-1234-1234' }
+      );
+
+      expect(
+        new ConnectionString(
+          connectionOptions.connectionString
+        ).searchParams.has('directConnection')
+      ).to.be.false;
+    });
+
+    it('does not add directConnection=true if srv', async function () {
+      const { connectionOptions } = await createAndConvertModel(
+        'mongodb+srv://compass-data-sets.e06dc.mongodb.net',
+        { _id: '1234-1234-1234-1234' }
+      );
+
+      expect(
+        new ConnectionString(
+          connectionOptions.connectionString
+        ).searchParams.has('directConnection')
+      ).to.be.false;
+    });
+
+    it('does not add directConnection=true if loadBalanced', async function () {
+      const { connectionOptions } = await createAndConvertModel(
+        'mongodb://localhost:27017/admin?loadBalanced=true',
+        { _id: '1234-1234-1234-1234' }
+      );
+
+      expect(
+        new ConnectionString(
+          connectionOptions.connectionString
+        ).searchParams.has('directConnection')
+      ).to.be.false;
+    });
+
+    it('does not add directConnection=true if multiple hosts', async function () {
+      const { connectionOptions } = await createAndConvertModel(
+        'mongodb://localhost:27017,localhost2:27017/admin',
+        { _id: '1234-1234-1234-1234' }
+      );
+
+      expect(
+        new ConnectionString(
+          connectionOptions.connectionString
+        ).searchParams.has('directConnection')
+      ).to.be.false;
+    });
+
     it('removes appName if matches MongoDB Compass', async function () {
       const { connectionOptions } = await createAndConvertModel(
         'mongodb://localhost:27017/admin?appName=MongoDB+Compass',
diff --git a/packages/data-service/src/legacy/legacy-connection-model.ts b/packages/data-service/src/legacy/legacy-connection-model.ts
index 9d272d619e5..0d87bc940c8 100644
--- a/packages/data-service/src/legacy/legacy-connection-model.ts
+++ b/packages/data-service/src/legacy/legacy-connection-model.ts
@@ -253,7 +253,41 @@ export function convertConnectionModelToInfo(
     info.lastUsed = legacyModel.lastUsed;
   }
 
-  return deleteCompassAppNameParam(info);
+  return deleteCompassAppNameParam(setDirectConnectionForSingleHosts(info));
+}
+
+function setDirectConnectionForSingleHosts(connectionInfo: ConnectionInfo) {
+  let connectionStringUrl;
+
+  try {
+    connectionStringUrl = new ConnectionString(
+      connectionInfo.connectionOptions.connectionString,
+      { looseValidation: true }
+    );
+  } catch {
+    return connectionInfo;
+  }
+
+  const isLoadBalanced =
+    connectionStringUrl.searchParams.get('loadBalanced') === 'true';
+  const isReplicaSet =
+    connectionStringUrl.isSRV ||
+    connectionStringUrl.hosts.length > 1 ||
+    connectionStringUrl.searchParams.has('replicaSet');
+  const hasDirectConnection =
+    connectionStringUrl.searchParams.has('directConnection');
+
+  if (!isReplicaSet && !isLoadBalanced && !hasDirectConnection) {
+    connectionStringUrl.searchParams.set('directConnection', 'true');
+  }
+
+  return {
+    ...connectionInfo,
+    connectionOptions: {
+      ...connectionInfo.connectionOptions,
+      connectionString: connectionStringUrl.href,
+    },
+  };
 }
 
 function setConnectionStringParam<K extends keyof MongoClientOptions>(