diff --git a/apps/cli-e2e/src/tests/database-core.e2e.test.ts b/apps/cli-e2e/src/tests/database-core.e2e.test.ts
index 4ba33c1f79..a0e5c21509 100644
--- a/apps/cli-e2e/src/tests/database-core.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/apps/cli-e2e/src/tests/database-core.e2e.test.ts
@@ -252,7 +252,17 @@ describe("db push", () => {
       expect(result.stderr).toContain("connect");
     });
 
-    testParity(["db", "push", "--local"]);
+    // Known parity divergence: Go never emits the Docker-start hint for --local (CLI-1995).
+    testParity(["db", "push", "--local"], {
+      normalize: {
+        stderr: {
+          stripPatterns: [
+            /\nMake sure your local IP is allowed in Network Restrictions and Network Bans\.\n[^\n]*/g, // Expected from Go
+            /\nMake sure Docker is running, then run: supabase start/g, // Expected from TS
+          ],
+        },
+      },
+    });
   });
 
   describe("db push:linked", () => {
diff --git a/apps/cli-e2e/src/tests/migrations.e2e.test.ts b/apps/cli-e2e/src/tests/migrations.e2e.test.ts
index 45b02ef3bc..12069b0231 100644
--- a/apps/cli-e2e/src/tests/migrations.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/apps/cli-e2e/src/tests/migrations.e2e.test.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ const CONNECT_REFUSED_STDERR_STRIP: readonly RegExp[] = [
   /(?<=failed to connect to postgres:).*/g,
   // Go's SetConnectSuggestion: Network-Restrictions hint + dashboard URL line.
   /\nMake sure your local IP is allowed in Network Restrictions and Network Bans\.\n[^\n]*/g,
+  // TS's local-only Docker hint (CLI-1995); Go never emits this for --local.
+  /\nMake sure Docker is running, then run: supabase start/g,
   // TS's generic --debug suggestion.
   /\nTry rerunning the command with --debug to troubleshoot the error\./g,
 ];
diff --git a/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-connect-errors.ts b/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-connect-errors.ts
index 442c1bee73..d888f8993c 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-connect-errors.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-connect-errors.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,26 @@ export function legacyIsIPv6ConnectivityError(message: string): boolean {
 export const LEGACY_SUGGEST_ENV_VAR =
   "Connect to your database by setting the env var correctly: SUPABASE_DB_PASSWORD";
 
+/**
+ * TS-only addition — Go's `SetConnectSuggestion` has no local/remote distinction,
+ * so a refused `--local` connection (Docker/Postgres not running) got the same
+ * remote-only "Network Restrictions" dashboard hint as an actual network-restricted
+ * connection, which is a dead end locally. Shown instead of that hint when
+ * `ctx.isLocal` is true — see `legacyConnectSuggestion`.
+ */
+export const LEGACY_SUGGEST_LOCAL_STACK = "Make sure Docker is running, then run: supabase start";
+
+/**
+ * Go's `SetConnectSuggestion` remote-only "Network Restrictions" hint
+ * (`internal/utils/connect.go:319-321`), shown for a connection refused/blocked
+ * by IP allow-listing. Shared by both the always-remote `Address not in tenant
+ * allow_list` branch and the non-local `ECONNREFUSED`/`connection refused`
+ * branch in `legacyConnectSuggestion`.
+ */
+function legacySuggestNetworkRestrictions(dashboardUrl: string): string {
+  return `Make sure your local IP is allowed in Network Restrictions and Network Bans.\n${dashboardUrl}/project/_/database/settings`;
+}
+
 /** Context the connect-suggestion needs but cannot derive from the error alone. */
 export interface LegacyConnectSuggestionContext {
   /** Active profile's dashboard URL (Go's `CurrentProfile.DashboardURL`). */
@@ -353,16 +373,20 @@ function legacyHasIPv6DialCause(error: unknown, depth = 0): boolean {
  */
 export function legacyConnectSuggestion(
   error: unknown,
-  ctx: LegacyConnectSuggestionContext,
+  ctx: LegacyConnectSuggestionContext & { readonly isLocal: boolean },
 ): string | undefined {
   const text = legacyCollectConnectErrorText(error);
-  // connect: connection refused / Address not in tenant allow_list → network restrictions.
-  if (
-    text.includes("ECONNREFUSED") ||
-    text.includes("connection refused") ||
-    text.includes("Address not in tenant allow_list")
-  ) {
-    return `Make sure your local IP is allowed in Network Restrictions and Network Bans.\n${ctx.dashboardUrl}/project/_/database/settings`;
+  // connect: connection refused - "Address not in tenant allow_list" only ever comes from the remote pooler
+  // rejecting the caller's IP, so it always means network restrictions.
+  if (text.includes("Address not in tenant allow_list")) {
+    return legacySuggestNetworkRestrictions(ctx.dashboardUrl);
+  }
+  // connect: connection refused — don't send the user to the
+  // dashboard's Network Restrictions page for a --local connection.
+  if (text.includes("ECONNREFUSED") || text.includes("connection refused")) {
+    return ctx.isLocal
+      ? LEGACY_SUGGEST_LOCAL_STACK
+      : legacySuggestNetworkRestrictions(ctx.dashboardUrl);
   }
   // Wrong password (Go: "SCRAM exchange: Wrong password" / "failed SASL auth";
   // node-postgres surfaces the server's `28P01` "password authentication failed").
diff --git a/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-connect-errors.unit.test.ts b/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-connect-errors.unit.test.ts
index dec18f832b..627c52575c 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-connect-errors.unit.test.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-connect-errors.unit.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 
 import {
   LEGACY_SUGGEST_ENV_VAR,
+  LEGACY_SUGGEST_LOCAL_STACK,
   legacyConnectFailureMessage,
   legacyConnectSuggestion,
   legacyIpv6Suggestion,
@@ -276,6 +277,7 @@ describe("legacyConnectSuggestion", () => {
   const ctx = {
     dashboardUrl: "https://supabase.com/dashboard",
     profileName: "supabase",
+    isLocal: false,
   } as const;
 
   // The @effect/sql SqlError wraps the node driver error on `.cause`; a multi-address
@@ -292,6 +294,13 @@ describe("legacyConnectSuggestion", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("maps a refused local connection to the local stack hint", () => {
+    const err = sqlError(systemError("connect ECONNREFUSED 127.0.0.1:54322", "ECONNREFUSED"));
+    expect(legacyConnectSuggestion(err, { ...ctx, isLocal: true })).toBe(
+      LEGACY_SUGGEST_LOCAL_STACK,
+    );
+  });
+
   it("maps an AggregateError of refused dials to the network-restrictions hint", () => {
     const err = sqlError(
       Object.assign(new AggregateError([], "all attempts failed"), {
diff --git a/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-db-connection.sql-pg.integration.test.ts b/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-db-connection.sql-pg.integration.test.ts
index c6c29bbc96..0af60b46c9 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-db-connection.sql-pg.integration.test.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-db-connection.sql-pg.integration.test.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import * as net from "node:net";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "@effect/vitest";
 import { Effect } from "effect";
 
-import { LEGACY_SUGGEST_ENV_VAR } from "./legacy-connect-errors.ts";
+import { LEGACY_SUGGEST_ENV_VAR, LEGACY_SUGGEST_LOCAL_STACK } from "./legacy-connect-errors.ts";
 import type { LegacyDbConnectError, LegacyDbExecError } from "./legacy-db-connection.errors.ts";
 import { type LegacyPgConnInput, LegacyDbConnection } from "./legacy-db-connection.service.ts";
 import { legacyDbConnectionSqlPgLayer } from "./legacy-db-connection.sql-pg.layer.ts";
@@ -26,9 +26,13 @@ const SUGGESTION_CONTEXT = {
 // host/user/database — never the password).
 const SENTINEL_PASSWORD = "s3cr3t-pw-do-not-leak";
 
-/** Connect through the real layer and flip the expected failure into the value. */
+/**
+ * Connect through the real layer and flip the expected failure into the value.
+ * `isLocal` defaults to `true`, pass `false` to drive the remote/`--linked` suggestion branch instead.
+ */
 const connectFailure = (
   cfg: Partial<LegacyPgConnInput> & { readonly port: number },
+  isLocal = true,
 ): Effect.Effect<LegacyDbConnectError> =>
   Effect.gen(function* () {
     const conn = yield* LegacyDbConnection;
@@ -42,7 +46,7 @@ const connectFailure = (
           suggestionContext: SUGGESTION_CONTEXT,
           ...cfg,
         },
-        { isLocal: true, dnsResolver: "native" },
+        { isLocal, dnsResolver: "native" },
       )
       .pipe(
         Effect.scoped,
@@ -176,11 +180,11 @@ const fakeQueryServer = (
 
 describe("legacyDbConnectionSqlPgLayer connect failures", () => {
   it.live(
-    "surfaces host, user, database, and the driver cause when the connection is refused",
+    "surfaces host, user, database, and the driver cause when a remote (--linked) connection is refused",
     () =>
       Effect.gen(function* () {
         const port = yield* Effect.promise(acquireClosedPort);
-        const error = yield* connectFailure({ port });
+        const error = yield* connectFailure({ port }, false);
         expect(error._tag).toBe("LegacyDbConnectError");
         expect(error.message).toBe(
           "failed to connect to postgres: failed to connect to `host=127.0.0.1 user=postgres database=postgres`: " +
@@ -194,6 +198,14 @@ describe("legacyDbConnectionSqlPgLayer connect failures", () => {
       }),
   );
 
+  it.live("surfaces the local-stack hint when a local connection is refused", () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const port = yield* Effect.promise(acquireClosedPort);
+      const error = yield* connectFailure({ port });
+      expect(error.suggestion).toBe(LEGACY_SUGGEST_LOCAL_STACK);
+    }),
+  );
+
   it.live(
     "reproduces pgconn's server-error rendering for an auth failure and suggests SUPABASE_DB_PASSWORD",
     () =>
diff --git a/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-db-connection.sql-pg.layer.ts b/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-db-connection.sql-pg.layer.ts
index e779973395..a05da9fd73 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-db-connection.sql-pg.layer.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/src/legacy/shared/legacy-db-connection.sql-pg.layer.ts
@@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ const connect = (
       const suggestion =
         cfg.suggestionContext === undefined
           ? undefined
-          : legacyConnectSuggestion(error, cfg.suggestionContext);
+          : legacyConnectSuggestion(error, { ...cfg.suggestionContext, isLocal });
       return new LegacyDbConnectError({
         message: `failed to connect to postgres: ${legacyConnectFailureMessage(cfg, error)}`,
         ...(suggestion === undefined ? {} : { suggestion }),