diff --git a/packages/api/src/env.ts b/packages/api/src/env.ts
index a7c67f813..77d6c73f4 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/env.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/env.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export const env = createEnv({
     UNKEY_API_ID: z.string(),
     SLACK_FEEDBACK_WEBHOOK_URL: z.string().optional(),
     EXTERNAL_REPORT_SALT: z.string().optional(),
+    SELF_HOST: z.stringbool().prefault("false"),
   },
 
   runtimeEnv: {
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ export const env = createEnv({
     UNKEY_API_ID: process.env.UNKEY_API_ID,
     SLACK_FEEDBACK_WEBHOOK_URL: process.env.SLACK_FEEDBACK_WEBHOOK_URL,
     EXTERNAL_REPORT_SALT: process.env.EXTERNAL_REPORT_SALT,
+    SELF_HOST: process.env.SELF_HOST,
   },
   skipValidation: process.env.NODE_ENV === "test",
 });
diff --git a/packages/api/src/router/monitor.ts b/packages/api/src/router/monitor.ts
index d91fc5321..08f0fadfe 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/router/monitor.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/router/monitor.ts
@@ -32,10 +32,15 @@ import {
 } from "@openstatus/services/monitor";
 import { z } from "zod";
 
+import { env } from "../env";
 import { toServiceCtx, toTRPCError } from "../service-adapter";
 import { createTRPCRouter, protectedProcedure } from "../trpc";
 import { testDns, testHttp, testTcp } from "./checker";
 
+// self-host has no access to the openstatus checker fleet, so the pre-save
+// endpoint test can never succeed — skip it entirely.
+const isSelfHost = env.SELF_HOST;
+
 // tRPC-side input schemas. These preserve the existing wire contract exactly.
 
 const headerPair = z.object({ key: z.string(), value: z.string() });
@@ -315,7 +320,7 @@ export const monitorRouter = createTRPCRouter({
         // Pre-save endpoint check — kept at the tRPC layer because the
         // `testHttp` / `testTcp` / `testDns` helpers hit external URLs and
         // are tRPC-specific UX; services unconditionally save.
-        if (!input.skipCheck && input.active) {
+        if (!isSelfHost && !input.skipCheck && input.active) {
           if (input.jobType === "http") {
             await testHttp({
               url: input.url,
@@ -379,7 +384,7 @@ export const monitorRouter = createTRPCRouter({
     .input(newMonitorTRPCInput)
     .mutation(async ({ ctx, input }) => {
       try {
-        if (!input.skipCheck) {
+        if (!isSelfHost && !input.skipCheck) {
           if (input.jobType === "http") {
             await testHttp({
               url: input.url,