diff --git a/cmd/aws.go b/cmd/aws.go
index 686ee86c..f0e59174 100644
--- a/cmd/aws.go
+++ b/cmd/aws.go
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ Examples:
 				return output.NewSilentError(err)
 			}
 
+			// --help/-h never contacts LocalStack, so it runs directly without
+			// requiring Docker or a running emulator (DEVX-1002).
+			if awscli.IsHelp(passthrough) {
+				return awscli.Exec(cmd.Context(), "", false, os.Stdout, os.Stderr, passthrough)
+			}
+
 			rt, err := runtime.NewDockerRuntime(cfg.DockerHost)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
diff --git a/internal/awscli/exec.go b/internal/awscli/exec.go
index ea91d1ac..6288a941 100644
--- a/internal/awscli/exec.go
+++ b/internal/awscli/exec.go
@@ -27,6 +27,22 @@ func CheckInstalled() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// helpFlags are the flags/tokens the aws CLI recognizes as a help request.
+// "help" is a bare pseudo-subcommand the aws CLI accepts at any command level
+// (`aws help`, `aws s3 help`), equivalent to -h/--help.
+var helpFlags = map[string]bool{"-h": true, "--help": true, "help": true}
+
+// IsHelp reports whether args requests the aws CLI's help output. The aws CLI
+// answers this without needing a running emulator or resolved endpoint.
+func IsHelp(args []string) bool {
+	for _, a := range args {
+		if helpFlags[a] {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func Exec(ctx context.Context, endpointURL string, useProfile bool, stdout, stderr io.Writer, args []string) error {
 	ctx, span := otel.Tracer("github.com/localstack/lstk/internal/awscli").Start(ctx, "aws cli")
 	defer span.End()
@@ -43,7 +59,9 @@ func Exec(ctx context.Context, endpointURL string, useProfile bool, stdout, stde
 		capacity += 2
 	}
 	cmdArgs := make([]string, 0, capacity)
-	cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "--endpoint-url", endpointURL)
+	if endpointURL != "" {
+		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "--endpoint-url", endpointURL)
+	}
 	if useProfile {
 		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "--profile", awsconfig.ProfileName)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/awscli/exec_test.go b/internal/awscli/exec_test.go
index 8a28bb97..e6133f39 100644
--- a/internal/awscli/exec_test.go
+++ b/internal/awscli/exec_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,18 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
+func TestIsHelp(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, args := range [][]string{
+		{"--help"}, {"-h"}, {"s3", "--help"}, {"s3", "ls", "-h"},
+		{"help"}, {"s3", "help"},
+	} {
+		assert.Truef(t, IsHelp(args), "%v", args)
+	}
+	for _, args := range [][]string{{"s3", "ls"}, {}} {
+		assert.Falsef(t, IsHelp(args), "%v", args)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestBuildEnvSetsDefaultsWhenAbsent(t *testing.T) {
 	base := []string{"PATH=/usr/bin", "HOME=/home/user"}
 	env := BuildEnv(base)
diff --git a/internal/iac/cdk/cli/defaults.go b/internal/iac/cdk/cli/defaults.go
index 92169c84..cbc04b04 100644
--- a/internal/iac/cdk/cli/defaults.go
+++ b/internal/iac/cdk/cli/defaults.go
@@ -58,9 +58,25 @@ var valueFlags = map[string]bool{
 }
 
 // IsOffline reports whether the CDK invocation described by args is one of the
-// offline subcommands that need no running emulator.
+// offline subcommands that need no running emulator, or a help request.
 func IsOffline(args []string) bool {
-	return offlineCommands[subcommand(args)]
+	return IsHelp(args) || offlineCommands[subcommand(args)]
+}
+
+// helpFlags are the flags/tokens cdk recognizes as a help request. "help" is a
+// bare pseudo-subcommand cdk accepts at any command level (`cdk help`,
+// `cdk deploy help`), equivalent to -h/--help.
+var helpFlags = map[string]bool{"-h": true, "--help": true, "help": true}
+
+// IsHelp reports whether args requests cdk's help output. cdk answers this
+// without needing a running emulator, same as the other offline commands.
+func IsHelp(args []string) bool {
+	for _, a := range args {
+		if helpFlags[a] {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 // subcommand returns the first non-flag token in args that is not consumed as a
diff --git a/internal/iac/cdk/cli/exec_test.go b/internal/iac/cdk/cli/exec_test.go
index f83b20cb..8b492131 100644
--- a/internal/iac/cdk/cli/exec_test.go
+++ b/internal/iac/cdk/cli/exec_test.go
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ func TestIsOffline(t *testing.T) {
 		{"doctor"},
 		{"acknowledge", "12345"},
 		{"context"},
+		{"--help"},
+		{"-h"},
+		{"deploy", "--help"},
+		{"help"},
+		{"deploy", "help"},
 	}
 	for _, args := range offline {
 		assert.Truef(t, IsOffline(args), "expected %v offline", args)
diff --git a/internal/iac/sam/cli/defaults.go b/internal/iac/sam/cli/defaults.go
index fdf1a5c5..2efffd8e 100644
--- a/internal/iac/sam/cli/defaults.go
+++ b/internal/iac/sam/cli/defaults.go
@@ -35,9 +35,23 @@ var offlineCommands = map[string]bool{
 var valueFlags = map[string]bool{}
 
 // IsOffline reports whether the SAM invocation described by args is one of the
-// offline subcommands that need no running emulator.
+// offline subcommands that need no running emulator, or a help request.
 func IsOffline(args []string) bool {
-	return offlineCommands[subcommand(args)]
+	return IsHelp(args) || offlineCommands[subcommand(args)]
+}
+
+// helpFlags are the flags sam recognizes as a help request.
+var helpFlags = map[string]bool{"-h": true, "--help": true}
+
+// IsHelp reports whether args requests sam's help output. sam answers this
+// without needing a running emulator, same as the other offline commands.
+func IsHelp(args []string) bool {
+	for _, a := range args {
+		if helpFlags[a] {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 // subcommand returns the first non-flag token in args that is not consumed as a
diff --git a/internal/iac/sam/cli/defaults_test.go b/internal/iac/sam/cli/defaults_test.go
index f5a61215..6a74bde4 100644
--- a/internal/iac/sam/cli/defaults_test.go
+++ b/internal/iac/sam/cli/defaults_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ func TestIsOffline(t *testing.T) {
 		{"local", "generate-event", "s3", "put"},
 		{"local", "invoke"},
 		{"pipeline", "init"},
+		{"--help"},
+		{"-h"},
+		{"deploy", "--help"},
 	}
 	for _, args := range offline {
 		assert.Truef(t, IsOffline(args), "expected %v offline", args)
diff --git a/internal/iac/terraform/cli/defaults.go b/internal/iac/terraform/cli/defaults.go
index 280ca8f6..dbe51728 100644
--- a/internal/iac/terraform/cli/defaults.go
+++ b/internal/iac/terraform/cli/defaults.go
@@ -39,11 +39,30 @@ var unproxiedCommands = map[string]bool{
 }
 
 // IsUnproxied reports whether the terraform invocation described by args is one
-// of the unconditionally unproxied subcommands (fmt/validate/version). The
-// subcommand is the first argument that is not a flag (terraform's global
-// options, e.g. -chdir, precede the subcommand).
+// of the unconditionally unproxied subcommands (fmt/validate/version), or a
+// help request. The subcommand is the first argument that is not a flag
+// (terraform's global options, e.g. -chdir, precede the subcommand).
 func IsUnproxied(args []string) bool {
-	return unproxiedCommands[subcommand(args)]
+	return IsHelp(args) || unproxiedCommands[subcommand(args)]
+}
+
+// helpFlags are the flags terraform recognizes as a help request, in any
+// position (e.g. `terraform --help`, `terraform plan -h`).
+var helpFlags = map[string]bool{
+	"-h":     true,
+	"-help":  true,
+	"--help": true,
+}
+
+// IsHelp reports whether args requests terraform's help output via a help flag
+// anywhere in args (e.g. `terraform --help`, `terraform plan -h`).
+func IsHelp(args []string) bool {
+	for _, a := range args {
+		if helpFlags[a] {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 // RequiresEmulator reports whether the invocation needs a running LocalStack
diff --git a/internal/iac/terraform/cli/routing_test.go b/internal/iac/terraform/cli/routing_test.go
index 6284741b..a337e824 100644
--- a/internal/iac/terraform/cli/routing_test.go
+++ b/internal/iac/terraform/cli/routing_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,26 @@ func TestIsUnproxiedSet(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// DEVX-1002 — help flags (in any position) are unproxied and never require
+// the emulator, even in an uninitialized project. Unlike aws/cdk, terraform
+// has no bare `help` pseudo-subcommand (`terraform help` is an error), so it
+// is not recognized.
+func TestIsHelp(t *testing.T) {
+	trueCases := [][]string{
+		{"--help"}, {"-h"}, {"-help"},
+		{"plan", "--help"}, {"plan", "-h"},
+	}
+	for _, args := range trueCases {
+		assert.Truef(t, IsHelp(args), "%v", args)
+		assert.Truef(t, IsUnproxied(args), "%v", args)
+	}
+
+	falseCases := [][]string{{"plan"}, {"apply", "-auto-approve"}, {"init"}, {"help"}, {"help", "plan"}}
+	for _, args := range falseCases {
+		assert.Falsef(t, IsHelp(args), "%v", args)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRequiresEmulatorRouting(t *testing.T) {
 	noBackend := t.TempDir()
 	writeTF(t, noBackend, "main.tf", `provider "aws" {}`)
@@ -41,6 +61,10 @@ func TestRequiresEmulatorRouting(t *testing.T) {
 	// plan/apply always require the emulator.
 	assert.True(t, RequiresEmulator([]string{"plan"}, noBackend, log.Nop()))
 	assert.True(t, RequiresEmulator([]string{"apply", "-auto-approve"}, noBackend, log.Nop()))
+
+	// help requests never require the emulator, even with an S3 backend present.
+	assert.False(t, RequiresEmulator([]string{"--help"}, withBackend, log.Nop()))
+	assert.False(t, RequiresEmulator([]string{"plan", "-h"}, withBackend, log.Nop()))
 }
 
 // 9.2 — adding a backend/remote-state section still refuses to clobber a
diff --git a/test/integration/aws_cmd_test.go b/test/integration/aws_cmd_test.go
index 981b2974..8865613e 100644
--- a/test/integration/aws_cmd_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/aws_cmd_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/moby/moby/client"
@@ -251,6 +252,38 @@ func TestAWSCommandPropagatesExitCode(t *testing.T) {
 	requireExitCode(t, 42, err)
 }
 
+// DEVX-1002 — --help/-h, and the bare "help" pseudo-subcommand, never contact
+// LocalStack, so they run without Docker/an emulator: DOCKER_HOST points at an
+// unreachable address (mirroring TestAWSCommandFailsWhenDockerNotRunning) yet
+// the command still succeeds and forwards the help request untouched, with no
+// --endpoint-url injected.
+func TestAWSCommandHelpSkipsDockerAndEmulator(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip("Windows Docker error tested separately via windowsDockerErrorEnv")
+	}
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	script := "#!/bin/sh\necho \"ARGS:$*\"\n"
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "aws"), []byte(script), 0755))
+
+	for _, args := range [][]string{{"--help"}, {"-h"}, {"s3", "--help"}, {"help"}, {"s3", "help"}} {
+		args := args
+		t.Run(strings.Join(args, "_"), func(t *testing.T) {
+			e := env.With(env.DisableEvents, "1").
+				With("PATH", dir).
+				With(env.Home, t.TempDir()).
+				With(env.Key("DOCKER_HOST"), "tcp://localhost:1")
+
+			cmdArgs := append([]string{"aws"}, args...)
+			stdout, stderr, err := runLstk(t, testContext(t), t.TempDir(), e, cmdArgs...)
+			require.NoError(t, err, "stderr: %s", stderr)
+
+			assert.Contains(t, stdout, "ARGS:"+strings.Join(args, " "))
+			assert.NotContains(t, stdout, "--endpoint-url")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestAWSCommandFailsWhenDockerNotRunning(t *testing.T) {
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		t.Skip("Windows Docker error tested separately via windowsDockerErrorEnv")
diff --git a/test/integration/cdk_cmd_test.go b/test/integration/cdk_cmd_test.go
index b5a625fe..3c5050fa 100644
--- a/test/integration/cdk_cmd_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/cdk_cmd_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/localstack/lstk/test/integration/env"
@@ -131,6 +132,26 @@ func TestCDKOfflineCommandsNoEmulator(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// DEVX-1002 — --help/-h, and the bare "help" pseudo-subcommand, never require
+// the emulator, even for an AWS-contacting subcommand, and are forwarded to
+// cdk untouched.
+func TestCDKHelpNoEmulator(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	for _, args := range [][]string{{"--help"}, {"-h"}, {"deploy", "--help"}, {"help"}, {"deploy", "help"}} {
+		args := args
+		t.Run(strings.Join(args, "_"), func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			fakeDir := writeFakeCDK(t, "2.177.0")
+			e := env.With(env.DisableEvents, "1").With("PATH", fakeDir).With(env.Home, t.TempDir())
+
+			cmdArgs := append([]string{"cdk"}, args...)
+			stdout, stderr, err := runLstk(t, testContext(t), t.TempDir(), e, cmdArgs...)
+			require.NoError(t, err, "stderr: %s", stderr)
+			assert.Contains(t, stdout, "ARGS:"+strings.Join(args, " "))
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // 7.5 — a too-old cdk fails before the command runs.
 func TestCDKVersionTooOld(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
diff --git a/test/integration/sam_cmd_test.go b/test/integration/sam_cmd_test.go
index 7b0474bf..cd1e6d5b 100644
--- a/test/integration/sam_cmd_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/sam_cmd_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/localstack/lstk/test/integration/env"
@@ -133,6 +134,25 @@ func TestSAMOfflineCommandsNoEmulator(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// DEVX-1002 — --help (and -h) never require the emulator, even for an
+// AWS-contacting subcommand, and are forwarded to sam untouched.
+func TestSAMHelpNoEmulator(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	for _, args := range [][]string{{"--help"}, {"-h"}, {"deploy", "--help"}} {
+		args := args
+		t.Run(strings.Join(args, "_"), func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			fakeDir := writeFakeSAM(t, "1.95.0")
+			e := env.With(env.DisableEvents, "1").With("PATH", fakeDir).With(env.Home, t.TempDir())
+
+			cmdArgs := append([]string{"sam"}, args...)
+			stdout, stderr, err := runLstk(t, testContext(t), t.TempDir(), e, cmdArgs...)
+			require.NoError(t, err, "stderr: %s", stderr)
+			assert.Contains(t, stdout, "ARGS:"+strings.Join(args, " "))
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // a too-old sam fails before the command runs.
 func TestSAMVersionTooOld(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
diff --git a/test/integration/terraform_cmd_test.go b/test/integration/terraform_cmd_test.go
index 916e44ab..9f1ea076 100644
--- a/test/integration/terraform_cmd_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/terraform_cmd_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/localstack/lstk/test/integration/env"
@@ -167,6 +168,29 @@ func TestTerraformUnproxiedSkipsOverride(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// DEVX-1002 — --help (and -h) never require the emulator/provider schema, even
+// in an uninitialized project with no running emulator, and are forwarded to
+// terraform untouched.
+func TestTerraformHelpSkipsOverride(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	for _, args := range [][]string{{"--help"}, {"-h"}, {"-help"}, {"plan", "--help"}} {
+		args := args
+		t.Run(strings.Join(args, "_"), func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			fakeDir := writeFakeTerraform(t)
+			workDir := t.TempDir()
+			e := env.With(env.DisableEvents, "1").With("PATH", fakeDir).With(env.Home, t.TempDir())
+
+			cmdArgs := append([]string{"terraform"}, args...)
+			stdout, stderr, err := runLstk(t, testContext(t), workDir, e, cmdArgs...)
+			require.NoError(t, err, "stderr: %s", stderr)
+
+			assert.Contains(t, stdout, "ARGS:"+strings.Join(args, " "))
+			assert.NoFileExists(t, filepath.Join(workDir, tfOverrideFile))
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // 7.6 (validation) — invalid --account fails before terraform is invoked. No
 // emulator needed because validation happens at the command boundary.
 func TestTerraformInvalidAccountRejected(t *testing.T) {