diff --git a/scripts/make/test-infrastructure.mk b/scripts/make/test-infrastructure.mk
index 4f4af37994b..4956d39c818 100644
--- a/scripts/make/test-infrastructure.mk
+++ b/scripts/make/test-infrastructure.mk
@@ -30,6 +30,21 @@ DOCKER_COMPOSE = $(error "Could not find docker-compose.")
 endif
 endif
 
+ifneq ($(shell command -v sqlcmd),)
+MSSQL_SQLCMD = sqlcmd
+MSSQL_SQLCMD_PORT = $(MSSQL_PORT)
+else
+ifneq ($(shell [[ -e /opt/mssql-tools/bin/sqlcmd ]] && echo true),)
+MSSQL_SQLCMD = /opt/mssql-tools/bin/sqlcmd
+MSSQL_SQLCMD_PORT = $(MSSQL_PORT)
+else
+MSSQL_SQLCMD = docker exec $(shell basename $(PWD))-sqlserver-1 sqlcmd
+MSSQL_SQLCMD_PORT = 1433
+endif
+endif
+
+export MSSQL_SQLCMD
+
 define stop_after
 @ echo $1 >&2
 @ $1 || EXIT_STATUS=$$?; \
@@ -43,34 +58,72 @@ endef
 
 .PHONY: start-postgres
 ## start-postgres: start local PostgreSQL DB in Docker and wait for it to be ready
-start-postgres:
+start-postgres: spawn-postgres wait-for-postgres
+
+.PHONY: spawn-postgres
+spawn-postgres:
 	$(DOCKER_COMPOSE) up -d postgres
+
+.PHONY: wait-for-postgres
+wait-for-postgres:
 	$(DB_UTILS) wait_for_postgres $(PG_PORT)
 	$(DB_UTILS) wait_for_postgres_db $(PG_PORT) "$(PG_DBNAME)" "$(PG_DBUSER)" "$(PG_DBPASSWORD)"
 
 .PHONY: start-citus
 ## start-citus: start local Citus DB in Docker and wait for it to be ready
-start-citus:
+start-citus: spawn-citus wait-for-citus
+
+.PHONY: spawn-citus
+spawn-citus:
 	$(DOCKER_COMPOSE) up -d citus
+
+.PHONY: wait-for-citus
+wait-for-citus:
 	$(DB_UTILS) wait_for_postgres $(CITUS_PORT)
 	$(DB_UTILS) wait_for_postgres_db $(CITUS_PORT) "$(PG_DBNAME)" "$(PG_DBUSER)" "$(PG_DBPASSWORD)"
 
 .PHONY: start-sqlserver
 ## start-sqlserver: start local MS SQL Server DB in Docker and wait for it to be ready
-start-sqlserver:
+start-sqlserver: spawn-sqlserver wait-for-sqlserver
+
+.PHONY: spawn-sqlserver
+spawn-sqlserver:
 	$(DOCKER_COMPOSE) up -d sqlserver
+
+.PHONY: wait-for-sqlserver
+wait-for-sqlserver:
 	$(DB_UTILS) wait_for_mssql $(MSSQL_PORT)
-	$(DB_UTILS) wait_for_mssql_db $(MSSQL_PORT) "$(MSSQL_DBNAME)" "$(MSSQL_DBUSER)" "$(MSSQL_DBPASSWORD)"
+	$(DB_UTILS) wait_for_mssql_db $(MSSQL_SQLCMD_PORT) "$(MSSQL_DBNAME)" "$(MSSQL_DBUSER)" "$(MSSQL_DBPASSWORD)"
 
 .PHONY: start-mysql
 ## start-mysql: start local MariaDB in Docker and wait for it to be ready
-start-mysql:
+start-mysql: spawn-mysql wait-for-mysql
+
+.PHONY: spawn-mysql
+spawn-mysql:
 	$(DOCKER_COMPOSE) up -d mariadb
+
+.PHONY: wait-for-mysql
+wait-for-mysql:
 	$(DB_UTILS) wait_for_mysql $(MYSQL_PORT) "$(MYSQL_DBNAME)" "$(MYSQL_DBUSER)" "$(MYSQL_DBPASSWORD)"
 
+.PHONY: start-dc-reference-agent
+## start-mysql: start the Data Connectors reference agent in Docker and wait for it to be ready
+start-dc-reference-agent: spawn-dc-reference-agent wait-for-dc-reference-agent
+
+.PHONY: spawn-dc-reference-agent
+spawn-dc-reference-agent:
+	$(DOCKER_COMPOSE) up -d dc-reference-agent
+
+# This target is probably unncessary, but there to follow the pattern.
+.PHONY: wait-for-dc-reference-agent
+wait-for-dc-reference-agent:
+
 .PHONY: start-backends
 ## start-backends: start local PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and MS SQL Server in Docker and wait for them to be ready
-start-backends: start-postgres start-sqlserver start-mysql start-citus
+start-backends: \
+	spawn-postgres spawn-sqlserver spawn-mysql spawn-citus spawn-dc-reference-agent \
+	wait-for-postgres wait-for-sqlserver wait-for-mysql wait-for-citus wait-for-dc-reference-agent
 
 .PHONY: stop-everything
 ## stop-everything: tear down test databases
diff --git a/scripts/make/tests.mk b/scripts/make/tests.mk
index 77b287c93e9..196c394f7ef 100644
--- a/scripts/make/tests.mk
+++ b/scripts/make/tests.mk
@@ -7,13 +7,13 @@ test-bigquery: start-postgres remove-tix-file
 
 .PHONY: test-sqlserver
 ## test-sqlserver: run tests for SQL Server backend
-test-sqlserver: start-postgres start-sqlserver remove-tix-file
+test-sqlserver: spawn-postgres spawn-sqlserver wait-for-postgres wait-for-sqlserver remove-tix-file
 	$(call stop_after, \
 		cabal run tests-hspec -- -m 'SQLServer')
 
 .PHONY: test-mysql
 ## test-mysql: run tests for MySQL backend
-test-mysql: start-postgres start-mysql remove-tix-file
+test-mysql: spawn-postgres spawn-mysql wait-for-postgres wait-for-mysql remove-tix-file
 	$(call stop_after, \
 		cabal run tests-hspec -- -m 'MySQL')