diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index 7a3b6f6b10..d7dc5d07de 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -109,6 +109,34 @@
       },
       "killBehavior": "polite",
     },
+    {
+      "type": "node",
+      "request": "launch",
+      "name": "Launch: mocknet offline-mode",
+      "skipFiles": [
+        "<node_internals>/**"
+      ],
+      "runtimeArgs": [
+        "-r",
+        "ts-node/register/transpile-only",
+        "-r",
+        "tsconfig-paths/register"
+      ],
+      "args": [
+        "${workspaceFolder}/src/index.ts"
+      ],
+      "outputCapture": "std",
+      "internalConsoleOptions": "openOnSessionStart",
+      "preLaunchTask": "stacks-node:start-mocknet",
+      "postDebugTask": "stacks-node:stop-mocknet",
+      "env": {
+        "STACKS_CHAIN_ID": "0x80000000",
+        "NODE_ENV": "development",
+        "STACKS_API_MODE": "offline",
+        "TS_NODE_SKIP_IGNORE": "true"
+      },
+      "killBehavior": "polite",
+    },
     {
       "type": "node",
       "request": "launch",
diff --git a/.vscode/tasks.json b/.vscode/tasks.json
index b044e7fc48..60d1120a81 100644
--- a/.vscode/tasks.json
+++ b/.vscode/tasks.json
@@ -22,6 +22,28 @@
       },
       "presentation": { "echo": true, "reveal": "always", "focus": false, "panel": "dedicated", "clear": false }
     },
+    {
+      "label": "stacks-node:start-mocknet",
+      "type": "shell",
+      "command": "docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.dev.stacks-blockchain.yml up --force-recreate -V",
+      "isBackground": true,
+      "problemMatcher": {
+        "pattern": { "regexp": ".", "file": 1, "location": 2, "message": 3, },
+        "background": { "activeOnStart": true, "beginsPattern": ".", "endsPattern": "." }
+      },
+      "presentation": { "echo": true, "reveal": "always", "focus": false, "panel": "dedicated", "clear": false }
+    },
+    {
+      "label": "stacks-node:stop-mocknet",
+      "type": "shell",
+      "command": "docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.dev.stacks-blockchain.yml down -v -t 0",
+      "isBackground": true,
+      "problemMatcher": {
+        "pattern": { "regexp": ".", "file": 1, "location": 2, "message": 3, },
+        "background": { "activeOnStart": true, "beginsPattern": ".", "endsPattern": "." }
+      },
+      "presentation": { "echo": true, "reveal": "always", "focus": false, "panel": "dedicated", "clear": false }
+    },
     {
       "label": "deploy:krypton",
       "type": "shell",
diff --git a/src/datastore/offline-dummy-store.ts b/src/datastore/offline-dummy-store.ts
index c39a156d6c..a1d8d54ead 100644
--- a/src/datastore/offline-dummy-store.ts
+++ b/src/datastore/offline-dummy-store.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,20 @@
 import { EventEmitter } from 'events';
 import { PgStoreEventEmitter } from './pg-store-event-emitter';
-import { PgStore } from './pg-store';
+import { PgWriteStore } from './pg-write-store';
 
-export const OfflineDummyStore: PgStore = new Proxy(new EventEmitter() as PgStoreEventEmitter, {
-  get(target: any, propKey) {
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-return
-    if (propKey === 'eventEmitter') return target;
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-return
-    if (propKey in target) return target[propKey];
-    return function () {
-      throw new Error(
-        `Cannot call function on the Dummy datastore. Check if the application is running in offline mode.`
-      );
-    };
-  },
-});
+export const OfflineDummyStore: PgWriteStore = new Proxy(
+  new EventEmitter() as PgStoreEventEmitter,
+  {
+    get(target: any, propKey) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-return
+      if (propKey === 'eventEmitter') return target;
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-return
+      if (propKey in target) return target[propKey];
+      return function () {
+        throw new Error(
+          `Cannot call function on the Dummy datastore. Check if the application is running in offline mode.`
+        );
+      };
+    },
+  }
+);
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index f153a24edc..9727cc6cdf 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -111,18 +111,21 @@ async function init(): Promise<void> {
     );
   }
   const apiMode = getApiMode();
-  const dbStore =
-    apiMode === StacksApiMode.offline
-      ? OfflineDummyStore
-      : await PgStore.connect({
-          usageName: `datastore-${apiMode}`,
-        });
-  const dbWriteStore = await PgWriteStore.connect({
-    usageName: `write-datastore-${apiMode}`,
-    skipMigrations: apiMode === StacksApiMode.readOnly,
-  });
-
-  registerMempoolPromStats(dbWriteStore.eventEmitter);
+  let dbStore: PgStore;
+  let dbWriteStore: PgWriteStore;
+  if (apiMode === StacksApiMode.offline) {
+    dbStore = OfflineDummyStore;
+    dbWriteStore = OfflineDummyStore;
+  } else {
+    dbStore = await PgStore.connect({
+      usageName: `datastore-${apiMode}`,
+    });
+    dbWriteStore = await PgWriteStore.connect({
+      usageName: `write-datastore-${apiMode}`,
+      skipMigrations: apiMode === StacksApiMode.readOnly,
+    });
+    registerMempoolPromStats(dbWriteStore.eventEmitter);
+  }
 
   if (apiMode === StacksApiMode.default || apiMode === StacksApiMode.writeOnly) {
     const configuredChainID = getApiConfiguredChainID();
@@ -168,7 +171,11 @@ async function init(): Promise<void> {
     }
   }
 
-  if (apiMode === StacksApiMode.default || apiMode === StacksApiMode.readOnly) {
+  if (
+    apiMode === StacksApiMode.default ||
+    apiMode === StacksApiMode.readOnly ||
+    apiMode === StacksApiMode.offline
+  ) {
     const apiServer = await startApiServer({
       datastore: dbStore,
       writeDatastore: dbWriteStore,
@@ -193,14 +200,16 @@ async function init(): Promise<void> {
     });
   }
 
-  registerShutdownConfig({
-    name: 'DB',
-    handler: async () => {
-      await dbStore.close();
-      await dbWriteStore.close();
-    },
-    forceKillable: false,
-  });
+  if (apiMode !== StacksApiMode.offline) {
+    registerShutdownConfig({
+      name: 'DB',
+      handler: async () => {
+        await dbStore.close();
+        await dbWriteStore.close();
+      },
+      forceKillable: false,
+    });
+  }
 
   if (isProdEnv) {
     const prometheusServer = await createPrometheusServer({ port: 9153 });