diff --git a/scripts/ops/check_chat_health.sh b/scripts/ops/check_chat_health.sh
index 9c97b7f..87991f5 100755
--- a/scripts/ops/check_chat_health.sh
+++ b/scripts/ops/check_chat_health.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ BASE_URL="${1:-http://localhost:8081}"
 CHAT_HEALTH_URL="${BASE_URL%/}/chat-health"
 BACKEND_HEALTH_URL="${BASE_URL%/}/health"
 EMAIL_HEALTH_URL="${BASE_URL%/}/email-health"
+CHECK_CHAT_HEALTH_SKIP_DOCKER_CHECKS="${CHECK_CHAT_HEALTH_SKIP_DOCKER_CHECKS:-0}"
 
 check_http_200() {
   url="$1"
@@ -27,9 +28,11 @@ if ! check_http_200 "$EMAIL_HEALTH_URL"; then
   exit 5
 fi
 
-if docker compose ps --format json 2>/dev/null | grep -q '"Health":"unhealthy"'; then
-  echo "[ALERT] at least one container has unhealthy state" >&2
-  exit 4
+if [ "$CHECK_CHAT_HEALTH_SKIP_DOCKER_CHECKS" != "1" ]; then
+  if docker compose ps --format json 2>/dev/null | grep -q '"Health":"unhealthy"'; then
+    echo "[ALERT] at least one container has unhealthy state" >&2
+    exit 4
+  fi
 fi
 
 echo "[OK] chat-service, backend and email-service are healthy"
diff --git a/scripts/ops/prod_security_audit.sh b/scripts/ops/prod_security_audit.sh
index 7b50d70..39fa467 100755
--- a/scripts/ops/prod_security_audit.sh
+++ b/scripts/ops/prod_security_audit.sh
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ run_local_smoke() {
       candidate="$(echo "$candidate" | xargs)"
       [[ -z "$candidate" ]] && continue
 
-      if ./scripts/ops/check_chat_health.sh "$candidate" >/dev/null 2>&1 && \
+      if CHECK_CHAT_HEALTH_SKIP_DOCKER_CHECKS="$LOCAL_SMOKE_SKIP_DOCKER_CHECKS" ./scripts/ops/check_chat_health.sh "$candidate" >/dev/null 2>&1 && \
          SECURITY_SMOKE_SKIP_DOCKER_CHECKS="$LOCAL_SMOKE_SKIP_DOCKER_CHECKS" ./scripts/ops/security_smoke.sh "$candidate" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
         log "Local smoke checks passed via ${candidate} (attempt ${attempt}/${max_attempts})"
         ok=1