diff --git a/tests/backup_restore_test.go b/tests/backup_restore_test.go
index a215e7320d..e3642c51dd 100644
--- a/tests/backup_restore_test.go
+++ b/tests/backup_restore_test.go
@@ -43,10 +43,6 @@ func TestServer_BackupAndRestore(t *testing.T) {
 		s := OpenServer(config)
 		defer s.Close()
 
-		if _, ok := s.(*RemoteServer); ok {
-			t.Skip("Skipping.  Cannot modify remote server config")
-		}
-
 		if err := s.CreateDatabaseAndRetentionPolicy(db, NewRetentionPolicySpec(rp, 1, 0), true); err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
diff --git a/tests/server_concurrent_test.go b/tests/server_concurrent_test.go
index 8b6178958c..0c173f2612 100644
--- a/tests/server_concurrent_test.go
+++ b/tests/server_concurrent_test.go
@@ -22,10 +22,6 @@ func TestConcurrentServer_WriteValues(t *testing.T) {
 	s := OpenDefaultServer(NewConfig())
 	defer s.Close()
 
-	if _, ok := s.(*RemoteServer); ok {
-		t.Skip("Skipping.  Not implemented on remote server")
-	}
-
 	// The first %%d becomes a %d once fmt is done, so we can then inject new
 	// measurement names later on.
 	write := strings.Join([]string{
@@ -54,10 +50,6 @@ func TestConcurrentServer_TagValues(t *testing.T) {
 	s := OpenDefaultServer(NewConfig())
 	defer s.Close()
 
-	if _, ok := s.(*RemoteServer); ok {
-		t.Skip("Skipping.  Not implemented on remote server")
-	}
-
 	write := strings.Join([]string{
 		fmt.Sprintf(`a,host=serverA,region=uswest val=23.2 %d`, mustParseTime(time.RFC3339Nano, "2000-01-01T00:00:00Z").UnixNano()),
 		fmt.Sprintf(`a,host=serverA,region=useast val=23.2 %d`, mustParseTime(time.RFC3339Nano, "2000-01-01T00:00:00Z").UnixNano()),
@@ -113,10 +105,6 @@ func TestConcurrentServer_ShowMeasurements(t *testing.T) {
 	s := OpenDefaultServer(NewConfig())
 	defer s.Close()
 
-	if _, ok := s.(*RemoteServer); ok {
-		t.Skip("Skipping.  Not implemented on remote server")
-	}
-
 	write := strings.Join([]string{
 		fmt.Sprintf(`a,host=serverA,region=uswest val=23.2 %d`, mustParseTime(time.RFC3339Nano, "2000-01-01T00:00:00Z").UnixNano()),
 		fmt.Sprintf(`a,host=serverA,region=useast val=23.2 %d`, mustParseTime(time.RFC3339Nano, "2000-01-01T00:00:00Z").UnixNano()),
diff --git a/tests/server_delete_test.go b/tests/server_delete_test.go
index 8cdd56cd2b..2c9ba773be 100644
--- a/tests/server_delete_test.go
+++ b/tests/server_delete_test.go
@@ -131,10 +131,6 @@ func TestServer_DELETE_DROP_SERIES_DROP_MEASUREMENT(t *testing.T) {
 	s := OpenDefaultServer(NewConfig())
 	defer s.Close()
 
-	if _, ok := s.(*RemoteServer); ok {
-		t.Skip("Skipping. Not implemented on remote server")
-	}
-
 	localServer := s.(*LocalServer)
 
 	// First initialize some writes such that we end up with 10 shards.
diff --git a/tests/server_helpers.go b/tests/server_helpers.go
index 797019ce33..bc892cae20 100644
--- a/tests/server_helpers.go
+++ b/tests/server_helpers.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ var seed int64
 // Server represents a test wrapper for run.Server.
 type Server interface {
 	URL() string
+	TcpAddr() string
 	Open() error
 	SetLogOutput(w io.Writer)
 	Close()
@@ -51,111 +52,6 @@ type Server interface {
 	WritePoints(database, retentionPolicy string, consistencyLevel models.ConsistencyLevel, user meta.User, points []models.Point) error
 }
 
-// RemoteServer is a Server that is accessed remotely via the HTTP API
-type RemoteServer struct {
-	*client
-	url string
-}
-
-func (s *RemoteServer) URL() string {
-	return s.url
-}
-
-func (s *RemoteServer) Open() error {
-	resp, err := http.Get(s.URL() + "/ping")
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	body := strings.TrimSpace(string(MustReadAll(resp.Body)))
-	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusNoContent {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected status code: code=%d, body=%s", resp.StatusCode, body)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (s *RemoteServer) Close() {
-	// ignore, we can't shutdown a remote server
-}
-
-func (s *RemoteServer) SetLogOutput(w io.Writer) {
-	// ignore, we can't change the logging of a remote server
-}
-
-func (s *RemoteServer) Closed() bool {
-	return true
-}
-
-func (s *RemoteServer) CreateDatabase(db string) (*meta.DatabaseInfo, error) {
-	stmt := fmt.Sprintf("CREATE+DATABASE+%s", db)
-
-	_, err := s.HTTPPost(s.URL()+"/query?q="+stmt, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return &meta.DatabaseInfo{}, nil
-}
-
-func (s *RemoteServer) CreateDatabaseAndRetentionPolicy(db string, rp *meta.RetentionPolicySpec, makeDefault bool) error {
-	if _, err := s.CreateDatabase(db); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	stmt := fmt.Sprintf("CREATE+RETENTION+POLICY+%s+ON+\"%s\"+DURATION+%s+REPLICATION+%v+SHARD+DURATION+%s",
-		rp.Name, db, rp.Duration, *rp.ReplicaN, rp.ShardGroupDuration)
-	if makeDefault {
-		stmt += "+DEFAULT"
-	}
-
-	_, err := s.HTTPPost(s.URL()+"/query?q="+stmt, nil)
-	return err
-}
-
-func (s *RemoteServer) CreateSubscription(database, rp, name, mode string, destinations []string) error {
-	dests := make([]string, 0, len(destinations))
-	for _, d := range destinations {
-		dests = append(dests, "'"+d+"'")
-	}
-
-	stmt := fmt.Sprintf("CREATE+SUBSCRIPTION+%s+ON+\"%s\".\"%s\"+DESTINATIONS+%v+%s",
-		name, database, rp, mode, strings.Join(dests, ","))
-
-	_, err := s.HTTPPost(s.URL()+"/query?q="+stmt, nil)
-	return err
-}
-
-func (s *RemoteServer) DropDatabase(db string) error {
-	stmt := fmt.Sprintf("DROP+DATABASE+%s", db)
-
-	_, err := s.HTTPPost(s.URL()+"/query?q="+stmt, nil)
-	return err
-}
-
-// Reset attempts to remove all database state by dropping everything
-func (s *RemoteServer) Reset() error {
-	stmt := "SHOW+DATABASES"
-	results, err := s.HTTPPost(s.URL()+"/query?q="+stmt, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	resp := &httpd.Response{}
-	if resp.UnmarshalJSON([]byte(results)); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	for _, db := range resp.Results[0].Series[0].Values {
-		if err := s.DropDatabase(fmt.Sprintf("%s", db[0])); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-
-}
-
-func (s *RemoteServer) WritePoints(database, retentionPolicy string, consistencyLevel models.ConsistencyLevel, user meta.User, points []models.Point) error {
-	panic("WritePoints not implemented")
-}
-
 // NewServer returns a new instance of Server.
 func NewServer(c *Config) Server {
 	buildInfo := &run.BuildInfo{
@@ -164,22 +60,6 @@ func NewServer(c *Config) Server {
 		Branch:  "testBranch",
 	}
 
-	// If URL exists, create a server that will run against a remote endpoint
-	if url := os.Getenv("URL"); url != "" {
-		s := &RemoteServer{
-			url: url,
-			client: &client{
-				URLFn: func() string {
-					return url
-				},
-			},
-		}
-		if err := s.Reset(); err != nil {
-			panic(err.Error())
-		}
-		return s
-	}
-
 	// Otherwise create a local server
 	srv, _ := run.NewServer(c.Config, buildInfo)
 	s := LocalServer{
@@ -295,6 +175,12 @@ func (s *LocalServer) URL() string {
 	panic("httpd server not found in services")
 }
 
+func (s *LocalServer) TcpAddr() string {
+	s.mu.RLock()
+	defer s.mu.RUnlock()
+	return "tcp://" + s.Listener.Addr().String()
+}
+
 func (s *LocalServer) CreateDatabase(db string) (*meta.DatabaseInfo, error) {
 	s.mu.RLock()
 	defer s.mu.RUnlock()
diff --git a/tests/server_test.go b/tests/server_test.go
index 24ed57f82f..bb44e39086 100644
--- a/tests/server_test.go
+++ b/tests/server_test.go
@@ -333,10 +333,6 @@ func TestServer_RetentionPolicyCommands(t *testing.T) {
 	s := OpenServer(c)
 	defer s.Close()
 
-	if _, ok := s.(*RemoteServer); ok {
-		t.Skip("Skipping. Cannot alter auto create rp remotely")
-	}
-
 	test := tests.load(t, "retention_policy_commands")
 
 	// Create a database.
@@ -426,10 +422,6 @@ func TestServer_ShowDatabases_WithAuth(t *testing.T) {
 	s := OpenServer(c)
 	defer s.Close()
 
-	if _, ok := s.(*RemoteServer); ok {
-		t.Skip("Skipping.  Cannot enable auth on remote server")
-	}
-
 	adminParams := map[string][]string{"u": []string{"admin"}, "p": []string{"admin"}}
 	readerParams := map[string][]string{"u": []string{"reader"}, "p": []string{"r"}}
 	writerParams := map[string][]string{"u": []string{"writer"}, "p": []string{"w"}}
@@ -1280,10 +1272,6 @@ func TestServer_Query_MaxSelectSeriesN(t *testing.T) {
 	s := OpenServer(config)
 	defer s.Close()
 
-	if _, ok := s.(*RemoteServer); ok {
-		t.Skip("Skipping.  Cannot modify MaxSelectSeriesN remotely")
-	}
-
 	test := NewTest("db0", "rp0")
 	test.writes = Writes{
 		&Write{data: `cpu,host=server01 value=1.0 0`},
@@ -9324,10 +9312,6 @@ func TestServer_Query_LargeTimestamp(t *testing.T) {
 	s := OpenDefaultServer(NewConfig())
 	defer s.Close()
 
-	if _, ok := s.(*RemoteServer); ok {
-		t.Skip("Skipping.  Cannot restart remote server")
-	}
-
 	writes := []string{
 		fmt.Sprintf(`cpu value=100 %d`, models.MaxNanoTime),
 	}
@@ -9424,9 +9408,6 @@ func TestServer_ConcurrentPointsWriter_Subscriber(t *testing.T) {
 	s := OpenDefaultServer(NewConfig())
 	defer s.Close()
 
-	if _, ok := s.(*RemoteServer); ok {
-		t.Skip("Skipping.  Cannot access PointsWriter remotely")
-	}
 	// goroutine to write points
 	done := make(chan struct{})
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
diff --git a/tsdb/shard.go b/tsdb/shard.go
index 805825b3f6..21783c0b3c 100644
--- a/tsdb/shard.go
+++ b/tsdb/shard.go
@@ -342,6 +342,8 @@ func (s *Shard) Open() error {
 		}
 
 		// Load metadata index for the inmem index only.
+		// If the shard already has data, this is what loads the series ids into the series file, even
+		// if we are on TSI indexing.
 		if err := e.LoadMetadataIndex(s.id, s.index); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}