diff --git a/tests/testthat/helper-live.R b/tests/testthat/helper-live.R
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..18f9c9f4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/helper-live.R
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Helper to skip tests that require live internet downloads unless explicitly enabled.
+# File loaded by testthat when its name starts with "helper-".
+skip_if_no_live_tests <- function() {
+  if (!identical(tolower(Sys.getenv("EPATADA_RUN_LIVE_TESTS", "")), "true")) {
+    testthat::skip(
+      "Live reference tests disabled in CI; set EPATADA_RUN_LIVE_TESTS=true to enable"
+    )
+  }
+  if (!requireNamespace("curl", quietly = TRUE) || !curl::has_internet()) {
+    testthat::skip("No internet connection available for live reference tests")
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-WQPWQXATTAINSCSTRefs.R b/tests/testthat/test-WQPWQXATTAINSCSTRefs.R
index f0335102a..6f8e55181 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-WQPWQXATTAINSCSTRefs.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-WQPWQXATTAINSCSTRefs.R
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ testthat::test_that("df_equal ignores row order and factor levels", {
 
 testthat::test_that("Is TADA_GetDetCondRef up to date?", {
   skip_on_cran()
+  skip_if_no_live_tests()
 
   file_path <- system.file(
     "extdata",
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ testthat::test_that("Is TADA_GetDetCondRef up to date?", {
 
 testthat::test_that("Is TADA_GetDetLimitRef up to date?", {
   skip_on_cran()
+  skip_if_no_live_tests()
 
   file_path <- system.file(
     "extdata",
@@ -130,6 +132,7 @@ testthat::test_that("Is TADA_GetDetLimitRef up to date?", {
 
 testthat::test_that("Is TADA_GetActivityTypeRef up to date?", {
   skip_on_cran()
+  skip_if_no_live_tests()
 
   file_path <- system.file(
     "extdata",
@@ -158,6 +161,7 @@ testthat::test_that("Is TADA_GetActivityTypeRef up to date?", {
 
 testthat::test_that("Is TADA_GetMeasureQualifierCodeRef up to date?", {
   skip_on_cran()
+  skip_if_no_live_tests()
 
   file_path <- system.file(
     "extdata",
@@ -189,6 +193,7 @@ testthat::test_that("Is TADA_GetMeasureQualifierCodeRef up to date?", {
 
 testthat::test_that("Is TADA_GetWQXCharAliasRef more than 1 month old?", {
   testthat::skip_on_cran()
+  skip_if_no_live_tests()
 
   file_path <- system.file(
     "extdata",