diff --git a/packages/compass-aggregations/src/components/stage-preview/output-stage-preview.spec.tsx b/packages/compass-aggregations/src/components/stage-preview/output-stage-preview.spec.tsx
index 3f931ef8542..7e6b8a7bfd3 100644
--- a/packages/compass-aggregations/src/components/stage-preview/output-stage-preview.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/compass-aggregations/src/components/stage-preview/output-stage-preview.spec.tsx
@@ -1,103 +1,155 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import type { ComponentProps } from 'react';
-import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { cleanup, render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { expect } from 'chai';
-import { Provider } from 'react-redux';
-
-import configureStore from '../../../test/configure-store';
+import preferencesAccess from 'compass-preferences-model';
 import { OutputStage } from './output-stage-preview';
 
 const renderOutputStage = (
   props: Partial<ComponentProps<typeof OutputStage>> = {}
 ) => {
   render(
-    <Provider
-      store={configureStore({
-        pipeline: [{ $match: { _id: 1 } }, { $limit: 10 }],
-      })}
-    >
-      <OutputStage
-        operator={null}
-        isLoading={false}
-        isFinishedPersistingDocuments={false}
-        destinationNamespace=""
-        hasServerError={false}
-        onGoToOutputResults={() => {}}
-        onRunOutputStage={() => {}}
-        {...props}
-      />
-    </Provider>
+    <OutputStage
+      operator={null}
+      isLoading={false}
+      isFinishedPersistingDocuments={false}
+      destinationNamespace="foo.bar"
+      hasServerError={false}
+      onGoToOutputResults={() => {}}
+      onRunOutputStage={() => {}}
+      {...props}
+    />
   );
 };
 
 describe('OutputStagePreview', function () {
-  (['$out', '$merge'] as const).forEach(function (operator) {
+  let enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline: boolean;
+
+  afterEach(cleanup);
+
+  it('renders nothing for a non-out stage', function () {
+    renderOutputStage({ operator: '$match' });
+    expect(screen.queryAllByText(/./)).to.have.lengthOf(0);
+  });
+
+  for (const operator of ['$out', '$merge']) {
     describe(`${operator} stage`, function () {
-      context('renders loader when stage is loading', function () {
-        it('renders loader with namespace', function () {
-          renderOutputStage({
-            operator,
-            isLoading: true,
-            destinationNamespace: 'test.out',
+      describe('with enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline set to `true`', function () {
+        before(async function () {
+          enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline =
+            preferencesAccess.getPreferences()
+              .enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline;
+          await preferencesAccess.savePreferences({
+            enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline: true,
           });
+        });
+
+        after(async function () {
+          await preferencesAccess.savePreferences({
+            enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline,
+          });
+        });
+
+        it('shows stage description in default state', function () {
+          renderOutputStage({ operator });
           expect(
-            screen.getByText(/Persisting documents to test.out/i)
+            screen.getByText(
+              new RegExp(`The \\${operator} operator will cause the pipeline`)
+            )
           ).to.exist;
         });
 
-        it('renders loader with generic text', function () {
+        it('does not show the "run" button', function () {
+          renderOutputStage({ operator });
+          expect(
+            screen.queryByRole('button', {
+              name:
+                operator === '$merge' ? 'Merge Documents' : 'Save Documents',
+            })
+          ).to.eq(null);
+        });
+
+        it('shows stage description in error state', function () {
+          renderOutputStage({ operator, hasServerError: true });
+          expect(
+            screen.getByText(
+              new RegExp(`The \\${operator} operator will cause the pipeline`)
+            )
+          ).to.exist;
+        });
+
+        it('shows stage description in loading state', function () {
           renderOutputStage({ operator, isLoading: true });
-          expect(screen.getByText(/Persisting documents .../i)).to.exist;
+          expect(
+            screen.getByText(
+              new RegExp(`The \\${operator} operator will cause the pipeline`)
+            )
+          ).to.exist;
         });
-      });
 
-      it('renders nothing on server error', function () {
-        renderOutputStage({ operator, hasServerError: true });
-        expect(() => {
-          screen.getByTestId('output-stage-text');
-        }).to.throw;
+        it('shows stage description in finished state', function () {
+          renderOutputStage({ operator, isFinishedPersistingDocuments: true });
+          expect(
+            screen.getByText(
+              new RegExp(`The \\${operator} operator will cause the pipeline`)
+            )
+          ).to.exist;
+        });
       });
 
-      context('when documents have been persisted', function () {
-        context('renders the out stage preview', function () {
-          it('with namespace', function () {
-            renderOutputStage({
-              operator,
-              isFinishedPersistingDocuments: true,
-              destinationNamespace: 'test.out',
-            });
-            expect(
-              screen.getByText(/Documents persisted to collection: test.out/i)
-            ).to.exist;
+      describe('with enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline set to `false`', function () {
+        before(async function () {
+          enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline =
+            preferencesAccess.getPreferences()
+              .enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline;
+          await preferencesAccess.savePreferences({
+            enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline: false,
           });
+        });
 
-          it('without namespace', function () {
-            renderOutputStage({
-              operator,
-              isFinishedPersistingDocuments: true,
-            });
-            expect(
-              screen.getByText(/Documents persisted to specified collection/i)
-            ).to.exist;
+        after(async function () {
+          await preferencesAccess.savePreferences({
+            enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline,
           });
         });
 
-        it('renders go to collection button', function () {
-          renderOutputStage({ operator, isFinishedPersistingDocuments: true });
-          expect(screen.getByTestId('goto-output-collection')).to.exist;
+        it('shows stage description in default state', function () {
+          renderOutputStage({ operator });
+          expect(
+            screen.getByText(
+              new RegExp(`The \\${operator} operator will cause the pipeline`)
+            )
+          ).to.exist;
         });
-      });
 
-      context('default stage of component', function () {
-        it('renders the out stage preview', function () {
+        it('shows the "run" button', function () {
           renderOutputStage({ operator });
-          expect(screen.getByTestId('output-stage-text')).to.exist;
+          expect(
+            screen.getByRole('button', {
+              name:
+                operator === '$merge' ? 'Merge Documents' : 'Save Documents',
+            })
+          ).to.exist;
         });
-        it('renders save documents button on atlas', function () {
-          renderOutputStage({ operator });
-          expect(screen.getByTestId('save-output-documents')).to.exist;
+
+        it('shows nothing in error state', function () {
+          renderOutputStage({ operator, hasServerError: true });
+          expect(screen.queryAllByText(/./)).to.have.lengthOf(0);
+        });
+
+        it('shows loader in loading state', function () {
+          renderOutputStage({ operator, isLoading: true });
+          expect(screen.getByText(/Persisting Documents to foo.bar/)).to.exist;
+        });
+
+        it('shows "Documents persisted ..." in finished state', function () {
+          renderOutputStage({ operator, isFinishedPersistingDocuments: true });
+          expect(screen.getByText(/Documents persisted to collection: foo.bar/))
+            .to.exist;
+          expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Go to collection.' })).to
+            .exist;
         });
       });
     });
-  });
+  }
 });
diff --git a/packages/compass-aggregations/src/components/stage-preview/output-stage-preview.tsx b/packages/compass-aggregations/src/components/stage-preview/output-stage-preview.tsx
index a5d4614b1ee..e64407ed0d3 100644
--- a/packages/compass-aggregations/src/components/stage-preview/output-stage-preview.tsx
+++ b/packages/compass-aggregations/src/components/stage-preview/output-stage-preview.tsx
@@ -89,7 +89,9 @@ export const OutputStage = ({
   onRunOutputStage,
   onGoToOutputResults,
 }: OutputStageProps) => {
-  const enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline = usePreference(
+  // When explicit pipeline run is not enabled, we allow to run output stage
+  // from the preview
+  const showOutputActions = !usePreference(
     'enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline',
     React
   );
@@ -98,31 +100,35 @@ export const OutputStage = ({
     return null;
   }
 
-  if (isLoading) {
-    return <Loader destinationNamespace={destinationNamespace} />;
-  }
-
-  // Stage editor show the error message.
-  if (hasServerError) {
-    return null;
-  }
-
-  if (isFinishedPersistingDocuments) {
-    return (
-      <div className={stagePreviewStyles}>
-        <Body className={stagePreviewTextStyles}>
-          {documentsPersistedText(destinationNamespace)}
-        </Body>
-        <Link
-          data-testid="goto-output-collection"
-          as="button"
-          className={stagePreviewLinkStyles}
-          onClick={onGoToOutputResults}
-        >
-          Go to collection.
-        </Link>
-      </div>
-    );
+  // Following states are only allowed when running out stage from the preview
+  // card is enabled
+  if (showOutputActions) {
+    // Stage editor show the error message.
+    if (hasServerError) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    if (isLoading) {
+      return <Loader destinationNamespace={destinationNamespace} />;
+    }
+
+    if (isFinishedPersistingDocuments) {
+      return (
+        <div className={stagePreviewStyles}>
+          <Body className={stagePreviewTextStyles}>
+            {documentsPersistedText(destinationNamespace)}
+          </Body>
+          <Link
+            data-testid="goto-output-collection"
+            as="button"
+            className={stagePreviewLinkStyles}
+            onClick={onGoToOutputResults}
+          >
+            Go to collection.
+          </Link>
+        </div>
+      );
+    }
   }
 
   return (
@@ -132,7 +138,7 @@ export const OutputStage = ({
           ? MERGE_STAGE_PREVIEW_TEXT
           : OUT_STAGE_PREVIEW_TEXT}
       </div>
-      {enableAggregationBuilderRunPipeline && (
+      {showOutputActions && (
         <Button
           variant="primary"
           data-testid="save-output-documents"