diff --git a/openeo/rest/_datacube.py b/openeo/rest/_datacube.py
index 6a8ffe1da..79fe5d5ea 100644
--- a/openeo/rest/_datacube.py
+++ b/openeo/rest/_datacube.py
@@ -37,8 +37,10 @@ class _ProcessGraphAbstraction(_FromNodeMixin, FlatGraphableMixin):
     raster data cubes, vector cubes, ML models, ...
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, pgnode: PGNode, connection: Connection):
+    def __init__(self, pgnode: PGNode, connection: Union[Connection, None]):
         self._pg = pgnode
+        # TODO: now that connection can officially be None:
+        #       improve exceptions in cases where is it still assumed to be a real connection (download, create_job, ...)
         self._connection = connection
 
     def __str__(self):
diff --git a/openeo/rest/datacube.py b/openeo/rest/datacube.py
index fe80c79c0..246e5161a 100644
--- a/openeo/rest/datacube.py
+++ b/openeo/rest/datacube.py
@@ -2211,10 +2211,11 @@ def save_result(
         format: str = _DEFAULT_RASTER_FORMAT,
         options: Optional[dict] = None,
     ) -> DataCube:
-        formats = set(self._connection.list_output_formats().keys())
-        # TODO: map format to correct casing too?
-        if format.lower() not in {f.lower() for f in formats}:
-            raise ValueError("Invalid format {f!r}. Should be one of {s}".format(f=format, s=formats))
+        if self._connection:
+            formats = set(self._connection.list_output_formats().keys())
+            # TODO: map format to correct casing too?
+            if format.lower() not in {f.lower() for f in formats}:
+                raise ValueError("Invalid format {f!r}. Should be one of {s}".format(f=format, s=formats))
         return self.process(
             process_id="save_result",
             arguments={
diff --git a/openeo/rest/mlmodel.py b/openeo/rest/mlmodel.py
index 0ddb92598..07162e7f5 100644
--- a/openeo/rest/mlmodel.py
+++ b/openeo/rest/mlmodel.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class MlModel(_ProcessGraphAbstraction):
     .. versionadded:: 0.10.0
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, graph: PGNode, connection: Connection):
+    def __init__(self, graph: PGNode, connection: Union[Connection, None]):
         super().__init__(pgnode=graph, connection=connection)
 
     def save_ml_model(self, options: Optional[dict] = None):
diff --git a/openeo/rest/vectorcube.py b/openeo/rest/vectorcube.py
index 0e941b790..09b35f77e 100644
--- a/openeo/rest/vectorcube.py
+++ b/openeo/rest/vectorcube.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class VectorCube(_ProcessGraphAbstraction):
 
     _DEFAULT_VECTOR_FORMAT = "GeoJSON"
 
-    def __init__(self, graph: PGNode, connection: Connection, metadata: Optional[CubeMetadata] = None):
+    def __init__(self, graph: PGNode, connection: Union[Connection, None], metadata: Optional[CubeMetadata] = None):
         super().__init__(pgnode=graph, connection=connection)
         self.metadata = metadata
 
diff --git a/tests/rest/datacube/test_datacube.py b/tests/rest/datacube/test_datacube.py
index 6b0da6e8b..83f82e488 100644
--- a/tests/rest/datacube/test_datacube.py
+++ b/tests/rest/datacube/test_datacube.py
@@ -83,18 +83,6 @@ def _get_leaf_node(cube, force_flat=True) -> dict:
 
 
 class TestDataCube:
-    def test_load_stac_connectionless(self, connection):
-        expected_graph = {
-            "loadstac1": {
-                "process_id": "load_stac",
-                "arguments": {"url": "https://provider.test/dataset"},
-                "result": True,
-            }
-        }
-        cube = DataCube.load_stac("https://provider.test/dataset")
-        assert cube.flat_graph() == expected_graph
-        cube2 = connection.load_stac("https://provider.test/dataset")
-        assert cube2.flat_graph() == expected_graph
 
     def test_load_collection_connectionless_basic(self):
         cube = DataCube.load_collection("T3")
@@ -148,6 +136,48 @@ def test_load_collection_connectionless_temporal_extent_shortcut(self):
             }
         }
 
+    def test_load_collection_connectionless_save_result(self):
+        cube = DataCube.load_collection("T3").save_result(format="GTiff")
+        assert cube.flat_graph() == {
+            "loadcollection1": {
+                "process_id": "load_collection",
+                "arguments": {"id": "T3", "spatial_extent": None, "temporal_extent": None},
+            },
+            "saveresult1": {
+                "process_id": "save_result",
+                "arguments": {
+                    "data": {"from_node": "loadcollection1"},
+                    "format": "GTiff",
+                    "options": {},
+                },
+                "result": True,
+            },
+        }
+
+    def test_load_stac_connectionless_basic(self):
+        cube = DataCube.load_stac("https://provider.test/dataset")
+        assert cube.flat_graph() == {
+            "loadstac1": {
+                "process_id": "load_stac",
+                "arguments": {"url": "https://provider.test/dataset"},
+                "result": True,
+            }
+        }
+
+    def test_load_stac_connectionless_save_result(self):
+        cube = DataCube.load_stac("https://provider.test/dataset").save_result(format="GTiff")
+        assert cube.flat_graph() == {
+            "loadstac1": {
+                "process_id": "load_stac",
+                "arguments": {"url": "https://provider.test/dataset"},
+            },
+            "saveresult1": {
+                "process_id": "save_result",
+                "arguments": {"data": {"from_node": "loadstac1"}, "format": "GTiff", "options": {}},
+                "result": True,
+            },
+        }
+
 
 def test_filter_temporal_basic_positional_args(s2cube):
     im = s2cube.filter_temporal("2016-01-01", "2016-03-10")