diff --git a/crates/dbx-core/src/query/mongo_ops.rs b/crates/dbx-core/src/query/mongo_ops.rs
index 5ef467d73d..164ec07172 100644
--- a/crates/dbx-core/src/query/mongo_ops.rs
+++ b/crates/dbx-core/src/query/mongo_ops.rs
@@ -545,8 +545,11 @@ pub async fn mongo_distinct_core(
     let pool = state.pool_handle(connection_id).await.ok_or("Not found")?;
     match &pool {
         PoolKind::MongoDb(client) => mongo_driver::distinct(client, database, collection, field, filter).await,
-        // The legacy agent protocol has no distinct method and no read that could stand in for it.
-        PoolKind::Agent(_) => Err("MongoDB legacy agent does not support distinct".to_string()),
+        PoolKind::Agent(client) => {
+            let command = mongo_driver::distinct_command(collection, field, filter)?;
+            let response = agent_run_command_document(client, database, command, "distinct").await?;
+            mongo_driver::distinct_response_result(&response)
+        }
         _ => Err("Not a MongoDB connection".to_string()),
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/dbx-core/tests/live_mongodb_legacy_agent_find_and_modify.rs b/crates/dbx-core/tests/live_mongodb_legacy_agent_commands.rs
similarity index 71%
rename from crates/dbx-core/tests/live_mongodb_legacy_agent_find_and_modify.rs
rename to crates/dbx-core/tests/live_mongodb_legacy_agent_commands.rs
index 1b423a3d8a..0d3abfa2dd 100644
--- a/crates/dbx-core/tests/live_mongodb_legacy_agent_find_and_modify.rs
+++ b/crates/dbx-core/tests/live_mongodb_legacy_agent_commands.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-//! `findOneAndUpdate` / `findOneAndReplace` / `findOneAndDelete` over the MongoDB Legacy Agent,
+//! Shell commands that reach the MongoDB Legacy Agent through its generic `runCommand`,
 //! driven through the same parse → dispatch path the query tab uses.
 use dbx_core::{
     connection::{AppState, PoolKind},
@@ -152,3 +152,52 @@ async fn find_and_modify_commands_run_over_the_legacy_agent() {
 
     command(&state, id, &database, doc! { "dropDatabase": 1 }).await;
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+#[ignore = "opt-in: DBX_MONGO_LEGACY_DUMP_TEST_HOST (host:port, MongoDB 3.6+ without auth) and an installed MongoDB Legacy Agent; creates a temporary database"]
+async fn distinct_runs_over_the_legacy_agent() {
+    let endpoint = std::env::var("DBX_MONGO_LEGACY_DUMP_TEST_HOST").expect("DBX_MONGO_LEGACY_DUMP_TEST_HOST");
+    let (host, port) = endpoint.split_once(':').expect("host:port");
+    let files = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let database = format!("dbx_legacy_distinct_{}", uuid::Uuid::new_v4().simple());
+    let state = AppState::new(Storage::open(&files.path().join("storage.db")).await.unwrap());
+    let id = "legacy-distinct-test";
+    let config: ConnectionConfig = serde_json::from_value(serde_json::json!({ "id": id, "name": "Legacy distinct test", "db_type": "mongodb", "host": host, "port": port.parse::<u16>().unwrap(), "username": "", "password": "", "database": database, "driver_profile": "mongodb-legacy" })).unwrap();
+    state.configs.write().await.insert(id.into(), config);
+    let key = state.get_or_create_pool(id, Some(&database)).await.unwrap();
+    assert!(matches!(state.pool_handle(&key).await, Some(PoolKind::Agent(_))), "test must run over the legacy agent");
+
+    command(
+        &state,
+        id,
+        &database,
+        doc! { "insert": "orders", "documents": [
+            { "_id": 1, "status": "open", "tags": ["a", "b"], "meta": { "region": "eu" } },
+            { "_id": 2, "status": "closed", "tags": ["b"], "meta": { "region": "us" } },
+            { "_id": 3, "status": "open", "tags": [], "meta": { "region": "eu" } },
+        ] },
+    )
+    .await;
+
+    let statuses = shell(&state, id, &database, r#"db.orders.distinct("status")"#).await.unwrap();
+    let mut shown: Vec<String> = statuses.rows.iter().map(|row| format!("{:?}", row[0])).collect();
+    shown.sort();
+    assert_eq!(shown.len(), 2, "{statuses:?}");
+    assert!(shown[0].contains("closed") && shown[1].contains("open"), "{shown:?}");
+
+    // Array fields are flattened and a filter narrows the input, as the native helper does.
+    let tags = shell(&state, id, &database, r#"db.orders.distinct("tags", {status: "open"})"#).await.unwrap();
+    let mut tags: Vec<String> = tags.rows.iter().map(|row| format!("{:?}", row[0])).collect();
+    tags.sort();
+    assert_eq!(tags.len(), 2, "{tags:?}");
+
+    // Dotted paths reach nested fields.
+    let regions = shell(&state, id, &database, r#"db.orders.distinct("meta.region")"#).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(regions.rows.len(), 2, "{regions:?}");
+
+    // No matches: empty result, not an error.
+    let none = shell(&state, id, &database, r#"db.orders.distinct("status", {status: "missing"})"#).await.unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(none.rows.len(), 0);
+
+    command(&state, id, &database, doc! { "dropDatabase": 1 }).await;
+}
diff --git a/crates/dbx-drivers/src/db/mongo_driver.rs b/crates/dbx-drivers/src/db/mongo_driver.rs
index ac1f05ebc0..3ba27d3d28 100644
--- a/crates/dbx-drivers/src/db/mongo_driver.rs
+++ b/crates/dbx-drivers/src/db/mongo_driver.rs
@@ -1689,6 +1689,48 @@ fn aggregate_options_explain(options: &Document) -> Result<bool, String> {
 /// array fields contribute their elements rather than the whole array, and the server may
 /// answer from an index with a DISTINCT_SCAN. Values are returned in the `documents` slot as
 /// bare scalars, which `mongoDocumentsToQueryResult` already renders as a single column.
+fn distinct_filter_document(filter: Option<&str>) -> Result<Document, String> {
+    match filter {
+        Some(f) if !f.trim().is_empty() => {
+            let json: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(f).map_err(|e| format!("Invalid filter JSON: {e}"))?;
+            json_filter_to_document(&json)
+        }
+        _ => Ok(doc! {}),
+    }
+}
+
+fn distinct_values_result(values: Vec<Bson>) -> MongoDocumentResult {
+    let documents = values.iter().map(bson_to_json).collect::<Vec<_>>();
+    let extended_documents = values.into_iter().map(|value| value.into_relaxed_extjson()).collect::<Vec<_>>();
+    let total = documents.len() as u64;
+    MongoDocumentResult {
+        documents,
+        raw_documents: None,
+        extended_documents: Some(extended_documents),
+        total,
+        total_is_exact: true,
+        next_cursor: None,
+    }
+}
+
+/// The `distinct` server command behind `distinct()`, for drivers that only expose `runCommand`
+/// (the legacy agent). Same field and filter validation as [`distinct`].
+pub fn distinct_command(collection: &str, field: &str, filter: Option<&str>) -> Result<Document, String> {
+    if field.trim().is_empty() {
+        return Err("Distinct field name is required".to_string());
+    }
+    let query = distinct_filter_document(filter)?;
+    Ok(doc! { "distinct": collection, "key": field, "query": query })
+}
+
+/// Turns a `distinct` response (`{ values: [...] }`) into the same result shape as [`distinct`].
+pub fn distinct_response_result(response: &Document) -> Result<MongoDocumentResult, String> {
+    match response.get("values") {
+        Some(Bson::Array(values)) => Ok(distinct_values_result(values.clone())),
+        other => Err(format!("Unexpected distinct values: {other:?}")),
+    }
+}
+
 pub async fn distinct(
     client: &Client,
     database: &str,
@@ -1699,29 +1741,10 @@ pub async fn distinct(
     if field.trim().is_empty() {
         return Err("Distinct field name is required".to_string());
     }
-
-    let filter_doc: Document = match filter {
-        Some(f) if !f.trim().is_empty() => {
-            let json: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(f).map_err(|e| format!("Invalid filter JSON: {e}"))?;
-            json_filter_to_document(&json)?
-        }
-        _ => doc! {},
-    };
-
+    let filter_doc = distinct_filter_document(filter)?;
     let col = client.database(database).collection::<Document>(collection);
     let values = col.distinct(field, filter_doc).await.map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-    let documents = values.iter().map(bson_to_json).collect::<Vec<_>>();
-    let extended_documents = values.into_iter().map(|value| value.into_relaxed_extjson()).collect::<Vec<_>>();
-    let total = documents.len() as u64;
-
-    Ok(MongoDocumentResult {
-        documents,
-        raw_documents: None,
-        extended_documents: Some(extended_documents),
-        total,
-        total_is_exact: true,
-        next_cursor: None,
-    })
+    Ok(distinct_values_result(values))
 }
 
 pub async fn create_index(
@@ -5095,6 +5118,22 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!delete.contains_key("update"));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn distinct_command_and_response_mirror_the_native_helper() {
+        let command = distinct_command("users", "status", Some(r#"{"age":{"$gte":18}}"#)).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(command.get_str("distinct"), Ok("users"));
+        assert_eq!(command.get_str("key"), Ok("status"));
+        assert_eq!(command.get_document("query"), Ok(&doc! { "age": { "$gte": 18i64 } }));
+        assert_eq!(distinct_command("users", "status", None).unwrap().get_document("query"), Ok(&doc! {}));
+        assert!(distinct_command("users", "  ", None).unwrap_err().contains("field name is required"));
+        assert!(distinct_command("users", "status", Some("{not json")).unwrap_err().contains("Invalid filter JSON"));
+
+        let result = distinct_response_result(&doc! { "values": ["a", 2i64, Bson::Null], "ok": 1.0 }).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(result.total, 3);
+        assert_eq!(result.documents, vec![serde_json::json!("a"), serde_json::json!(2), serde_json::Value::Null]);
+        assert!(distinct_response_result(&doc! { "ok": 1.0 }).is_err());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn find_and_modify_response_maps_value_to_zero_or_one_document() {
         let matched =