diff --git a/lib/core/sdam/topology.js b/lib/core/sdam/topology.js
index f9dbdbb073..95dd38c8bb 100644
--- a/lib/core/sdam/topology.js
+++ b/lib/core/sdam/topology.js
@@ -448,10 +448,11 @@ class Topology extends EventEmitter {
    * @return Whether the topology should initiate selection to determine session support
    */
   shouldCheckForSessionSupport() {
-    return (
-      (this.description.type === TopologyType.Single && !this.description.hasKnownServers) ||
-      !this.description.hasDataBearingServers
-    );
+    if (this.description.type === TopologyType.Single) {
+      return !this.description.hasKnownServers;
+    }
+
+    return !this.description.hasDataBearingServers;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/lib/core/sdam/topology_description.js b/lib/core/sdam/topology_description.js
index 97d14364ad..fe1fac6ed6 100644
--- a/lib/core/sdam/topology_description.js
+++ b/lib/core/sdam/topology_description.js
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ class TopologyDescription {
    * Determines if the topology description has any known servers
    */
   get hasKnownServers() {
-    return Array.from(this.servers.values()).some(sd => sd.type !== ServerDescription.Unknown);
+    return Array.from(this.servers.values()).some(sd => sd.type !== ServerType.Unknown);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/test/unit/sdam/topology_tests.js b/test/unit/sdam/topology_tests.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..79879483bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/sdam/topology_tests.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+'use strict';
+const Topology = require('../../../lib/core/sdam/topology').Topology;
+const Server = require('../../../lib/core/sdam/server').Server;
+const ServerDescription = require('../../../lib/core/sdam/server_description').ServerDescription;
+const expect = require('chai').expect;
+const sinon = require('sinon');
+
+describe('Topology (unit)', function() {
+  describe('shouldCheckForSessionSupport', function() {
+    beforeEach(function() {
+      this.sinon = sinon.sandbox.create();
+
+      // these are mocks we want across all tests
+      this.sinon.stub(Server.prototype, 'monitor');
+      this.sinon
+        .stub(Topology.prototype, 'selectServer')
+        .callsFake(function(selector, options, callback) {
+          const server = Array.from(this.s.servers.values())[0];
+          callback(null, server);
+        });
+    });
+
+    afterEach(function() {
+      this.sinon.restore();
+    });
+
+    it('should check for sessions if connected to a single server and has no known servers', function(done) {
+      const topology = new Topology('someserver:27019');
+      this.sinon.stub(Server.prototype, 'connect').callsFake(function() {
+        this.emit('connect');
+      });
+
+      topology.connect(() => {
+        expect(topology.shouldCheckForSessionSupport()).to.be.true;
+        topology.close(done);
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should not check for sessions if connected to a single server', function(done) {
+      const topology = new Topology('someserver:27019');
+      this.sinon.stub(Server.prototype, 'connect').callsFake(function() {
+        this.emit(
+          'descriptionReceived',
+          new ServerDescription('someserver:27019', { ok: 1, maxWireVersion: 5 })
+        );
+
+        this.emit('connect');
+      });
+
+      topology.connect(() => {
+        expect(topology.shouldCheckForSessionSupport()).to.be.false;
+        topology.close(done);
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should check for sessions if there are no data-bearing nodes', function(done) {
+      const topology = new Topology('mongos:27019,mongos:27018,mongos:27017');
+      this.sinon.stub(Server.prototype, 'connect').callsFake(function() {
+        this.emit(
+          'descriptionReceived',
+          new ServerDescription(this.name, { ok: 1, msg: 'isdbgrid', maxWireVersion: 5 })
+        );
+
+        this.emit('connect');
+      });
+
+      topology.connect(() => {
+        expect(topology.shouldCheckForSessionSupport()).to.be.false;
+        topology.close(done);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});