diff --git a/ais/test/scripted_cli_test.go b/ais/test/scripted_cli_test.go
index 7737db8b70..0b56d660b7 100644
--- a/ais/test/scripted_cli_test.go
+++ b/ais/test/scripted_cli_test.go
@@ -120,12 +120,14 @@ func TestPrefetchLatestRemaisUsingScript(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestCopySyncWithOutOfBandUsingRemaisScript(t *testing.T) {
+	bck := cliBck
 	tools.CheckSkip(t, &tools.SkipTestArgs{
+		Bck:                   bck,
 		Long:                  true,
 		RequiresRemoteCluster: true,
+		CloudBck:              true,
 	})
 
-	bck := cliBck
 	var (
 		bucketName = bck.Cname("")
 		cmd        = exec.Command("./scripts/cp-sync-remais-out-of-band.sh", "--bucket", bucketName)
diff --git a/tools/common.go b/tools/common.go
index 1d7693831c..47edd1e0d2 100644
--- a/tools/common.go
+++ b/tools/common.go
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func BucketExists(tb testing.TB, proxyURL string, bck cmn.Bck) (bool, error) {
 	return false, err
 }
 
-func isRemoteBucket(tb testing.TB, proxyURL string, bck cmn.Bck) bool {
+func isRemoteAndPresentBucket(tb testing.TB, proxyURL string, bck cmn.Bck) bool {
 	if !bck.IsRemote() {
 		return false
 	}
@@ -120,15 +120,6 @@ func isRemoteBucket(tb testing.TB, proxyURL string, bck cmn.Bck) bool {
 	return exists
 }
 
-func isCloudBucket(tb testing.TB, proxyURL string, bck cmn.Bck) bool {
-	if !bck.IsCloud() {
-		return false
-	}
-	exists, err := BucketExists(tb, proxyURL, bck)
-	tassert.CheckFatal(tb, err)
-	return exists
-}
-
 func PutObjRR(bp api.BaseParams, bck cmn.Bck, objName string, objSize int64, cksumType string) error {
 	reader, err := readers.NewRand(objSize, cksumType)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/tools/skip.go b/tools/skip.go
index 274c5e52ae..0c16428765 100644
--- a/tools/skip.go
+++ b/tools/skip.go
@@ -59,17 +59,26 @@ func CheckSkip(tb testing.TB, args *SkipTestArgs) {
 		tb.Skipf(fmtSkippingShort, tb.Name())
 	}
 	if args.RemoteBck {
+		tassert.Fatalf(tb, !args.Bck.IsEmpty(), "bucket is missing in the args")
 		proxyURL := GetPrimaryURL()
-		if !isRemoteBucket(tb, proxyURL, args.Bck) {
-			tb.Skipf("%s requires a remote bucket (have %q)", tb.Name(), args.Bck)
+		if !isRemoteAndPresentBucket(tb, proxyURL, args.Bck) {
+			tb.Skipf("%s requires a remote in-cluster bucket (have %s)", tb.Name(), args.Bck)
 		}
 	}
 	if args.CloudBck || args.RequiredCloudProvider != "" {
-		proxyURL := GetPrimaryURL()
-		if !isCloudBucket(tb, proxyURL, args.Bck) {
-			tb.Skipf("%s requires a cloud bucket", tb.Name())
+		tassert.Fatalf(tb, !args.Bck.IsEmpty(), "bucket is missing in the args")
+		cname := args.Bck.Cname("")
+		if !args.Bck.IsCloud() {
+			tb.Skipf("%s requires cloud bucket (have %s)", tb.Name(), cname)
 		} else if args.RequiredCloudProvider != "" && args.RequiredCloudProvider != args.Bck.Provider {
-			tb.Skipf("%s requires a cloud bucket with %s provider", tb.Name(), args.RequiredCloudProvider)
+			tb.Skipf("%s requires cloud bucket with %s provider (have %s)", tb.Name(), args.RequiredCloudProvider, cname)
+		} else {
+			proxyURL := GetPrimaryURL()
+			exists, err := BucketExists(tb, proxyURL, args.Bck)
+			tassert.CheckFatal(tb, err)
+			if !exists {
+				tb.Skipf("%s requires cloud bucket %s to be in-cluster", tb.Name(), cname)
+			}
 		}
 	}