diff --git a/.github/workflows/dotnet-build-and-test.yml b/.github/workflows/dotnet-build-and-test.yml
index a04160af76..692f3e7c45 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dotnet-build-and-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dotnet-build-and-test.yml
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ jobs:
       contents: read
       pull-requests: read
     outputs:
-      dotnetChanges: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.dotnet}}
+      dotnetChanges: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.dotnet }}
+      cosmosDbChanges: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.cosmosdb }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
       - uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
@@ -44,10 +45,15 @@ jobs:
           filters: |
             dotnet:
               - 'dotnet/**'
+            cosmosdb:
+              - 'dotnet/src/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql/**'
       # run only if 'dotnet' files were changed
       - name: dotnet tests
         if: steps.filter.outputs.dotnet == 'true'
         run: echo "Dotnet file"
+      - name: dotnet CosmosDB tests
+        if: steps.filter.outputs.cosmosdb == 'true'
+        run: echo "Dotnet CosmosDB changes"
       # run only if not 'dotnet' files were changed
       - name: not dotnet tests
         if: steps.filter.outputs.dotnet != 'true'
@@ -77,6 +83,16 @@ jobs:
               dotnet
               python
               workflow-samples
+              
+      # Start Cosmos DB Emulator for all integration tests and only for unit tests when CosmosDB changes happened)
+      - name: Start Azure Cosmos DB Emulator
+        if: ${{ runner.os == 'Windows' && (needs.paths-filter.outputs.cosmosDbChanges == 'true' || (github.event_name != 'pull_request' && matrix.integration-tests)) }}
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          Write-Host "Launching Azure Cosmos DB Emulator"
+          Import-Module "$env:ProgramFiles\Azure Cosmos DB Emulator\PSModules\Microsoft.Azure.CosmosDB.Emulator"
+          Start-CosmosDbEmulator -NoUI -Key "C2y6yDjf5/R+ob0N8A7Cgv30VRDJIWEHLM+4QDU5DE2nQ9nDuVTqobD4b8mGGyPMbIZnqyMsEcaGQy67XIw/Jw=="
+          echo "COSMOS_EMULATOR_AVAILABLE=true" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Setup dotnet
         uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v5.0.1
@@ -123,17 +139,7 @@ jobs:
           popd
           popd
           rm -rf "$TEMP_DIR"
-
-      # Start Cosmos DB Emulator for Cosmos-based unit tests (only on Windows)
-      - name: Start Azure Cosmos DB Emulator
-        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
-        shell: pwsh
-        run: |
-          Write-Host "Launching Azure Cosmos DB Emulator"
-          Import-Module "$env:ProgramFiles\Azure Cosmos DB Emulator\PSModules\Microsoft.Azure.CosmosDB.Emulator"
-          Start-CosmosDbEmulator -NoUI -Key "C2y6yDjf5/R+ob0N8A7Cgv30VRDJIWEHLM+4QDU5DE2nQ9nDuVTqobD4b8mGGyPMbIZnqyMsEcaGQy67XIw/Jw=="
-          echo "COSMOS_EMULATOR_AVAILABLE=true" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
-
+          
       - name: Run Unit Tests
         shell: bash
         run: |
diff --git a/dotnet/src/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql/CosmosCheckpointStore.cs b/dotnet/src/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql/CosmosCheckpointStore.cs
index 62987b1dfc..e0073feaf9 100644
--- a/dotnet/src/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql/CosmosCheckpointStore.cs
+++ b/dotnet/src/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql/CosmosCheckpointStore.cs
@@ -217,9 +217,7 @@ protected virtual void Dispose(bool disposing)
         }
     }
 
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Represents a checkpoint document stored in Cosmos DB.
-    /// </summary>
+    /// <summary>Represents a checkpoint document stored in Cosmos DB.</summary>
     internal sealed class CosmosCheckpointDocument
     {
         [JsonProperty("id")]
diff --git a/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql.UnitTests/CosmosChatMessageStoreTests.cs b/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql.UnitTests/CosmosChatMessageStoreTests.cs
index 7ce0611c99..3dbd3ec367 100644
--- a/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql.UnitTests/CosmosChatMessageStoreTests.cs
+++ b/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql.UnitTests/CosmosChatMessageStoreTests.cs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 using Azure.Identity;
 using Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.AI;
-using Xunit;
 
 namespace Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql.UnitTests;
 
@@ -59,6 +58,9 @@ public sealed class CosmosChatMessageStoreTests : IAsyncLifetime, IDisposable
 
     public async Task InitializeAsync()
     {
+        // Fail fast if emulator is not available
+        this.SkipIfEmulatorNotAvailable();
+
         // Check environment variable to determine if we should preserve containers
         // Set COSMOS_PRESERVE_CONTAINERS=true to keep containers and data for inspection
         this._preserveContainer = string.Equals(Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("COSMOS_PRESERVE_CONTAINERS"), "true", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
diff --git a/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql.UnitTests/CosmosCheckpointStoreTests.cs b/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql.UnitTests/CosmosCheckpointStoreTests.cs
index 8f5749b187..dc75b34758 100644
--- a/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql.UnitTests/CosmosCheckpointStoreTests.cs
+++ b/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql.UnitTests/CosmosCheckpointStoreTests.cs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 using Microsoft.Agents.AI.Workflows;
 using Microsoft.Agents.AI.Workflows.Checkpointing;
 using Microsoft.Azure.Cosmos;
-using Xunit;
 
 namespace Microsoft.Agents.AI.CosmosNoSql.UnitTests;
 
@@ -58,6 +57,9 @@ private static JsonSerializerOptions CreateJsonOptions()
 
     public async Task InitializeAsync()
     {
+        // Fail fast if emulator is not available
+        this.SkipIfEmulatorNotAvailable();
+
         // Check environment variable to determine if we should preserve containers
         // Set COSMOS_PRESERVE_CONTAINERS=true to keep containers and data for inspection
         this._preserveContainer = string.Equals(Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("COSMOS_PRESERVE_CONTAINERS"), "true", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);