diff --git a/dask_cloudprovider/aws/helper.py b/dask_cloudprovider/aws/helper.py
index e93ca13a..4b3ace4a 100644
--- a/dask_cloudprovider/aws/helper.py
+++ b/dask_cloudprovider/aws/helper.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ async def get_security_group(client, vpc, create_default=True):
         if create_default:
             try:
                 return await create_default_security_group(
-                    client, DEFAULT_SECURITY_GROUP_NAME, vpc
+                    client, DEFAULT_SECURITY_GROUP_NAME, vpc, tags=None
                 )
             except Exception as e:
                 raise RuntimeError(
@@ -95,20 +95,20 @@ async def get_security_group(client, vpc, create_default=True):
 
 
 async def create_default_security_group(client, group_name, vpc, tags):
+    tag_list = [{"Key": k, "Value": v} for k, v in (tags or {}).items() if k and v]
     response = await client.create_security_group(
         Description="A default security group for Dask",
         GroupName=group_name,
         VpcId=vpc,
-        TagSpecifications=[
+        **(
             {
-                "ResourceType": "security-group",
-                "Tags": [
-                    {"Key": k, "Value": v}
-                    for k, v in (tags or {}).items()
-                    if k and v  # Filter out empty tags
-                ],
+                "TagSpecifications": [
+                    {"ResourceType": "security-group", "Tags": tag_list}
+                ]
             }
-        ],
+            if tag_list
+            else {}
+        ),
         DryRun=False,
     )
 
diff --git a/dask_cloudprovider/aws/tests/test_ec2.py b/dask_cloudprovider/aws/tests/test_ec2.py
index 496ed073..896aabc6 100644
--- a/dask_cloudprovider/aws/tests/test_ec2.py
+++ b/dask_cloudprovider/aws/tests/test_ec2.py
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ async def skip_without_credentials():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-@pytest.mark.external
 async def cluster():
     await skip_without_credentials()
     async with EC2Cluster(asynchronous=True) as cluster:
@@ -32,7 +31,6 @@ async def cluster():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-@pytest.mark.external
 async def cluster_sync():
     await skip_without_credentials()
     cluster = EC2Cluster()
@@ -40,7 +38,6 @@ async def cluster_sync():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-@pytest.mark.external
 async def cluster_rapids():
     await skip_without_credentials()
     async with EC2Cluster(
@@ -57,7 +54,6 @@ async def cluster_rapids():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-@pytest.mark.external
 async def cluster_rapids_packer():
     await skip_without_credentials()
     async with EC2Cluster(
@@ -74,7 +70,6 @@ async def cluster_rapids_packer():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-@pytest.mark.external
 async def cluster_packer():
     await skip_without_credentials()
     async with EC2Cluster(
@@ -99,6 +94,7 @@ async def test_init():
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.timeout(600)
+@pytest.mark.external
 async def test_create_cluster(cluster):
     assert cluster.status == Status.running
 
@@ -113,6 +109,7 @@ async def test_create_cluster(cluster):
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.timeout(600)
+@pytest.mark.external
 async def test_create_cluster_sync(cluster_sync):
     assert cluster_sync.status == Status.running
 
@@ -125,6 +122,7 @@ async def test_create_cluster_sync(cluster_sync):
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.timeout(600)
+@pytest.mark.external
 async def test_create_cluster_with_packer(cluster_packer):
     assert cluster_packer.status == Status.running
 
@@ -139,6 +137,7 @@ async def test_create_cluster_with_packer(cluster_packer):
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.timeout(1200)
+@pytest.mark.external
 async def test_create_rapids_cluster(cluster_rapids):
     assert cluster_rapids.status == Status.running
 
@@ -158,6 +157,7 @@ def f():
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.timeout(1200)
+@pytest.mark.external
 async def test_create_rapids_cluster_with_packer(cluster_rapids_packer):
     assert cluster_rapids_packer.status == Status.running
 
diff --git a/dask_cloudprovider/digitalocean/tests/test_droplet.py b/dask_cloudprovider/digitalocean/tests/test_droplet.py
index 8be129eb..a67af99f 100644
--- a/dask_cloudprovider/digitalocean/tests/test_droplet.py
+++ b/dask_cloudprovider/digitalocean/tests/test_droplet.py
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ async def config():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-@pytest.mark.external
 async def cluster(config):
     await skip_without_credentials(config)
     async with DropletCluster(asynchronous=True) as cluster:
diff --git a/dask_cloudprovider/hetzner/tests/test_vserver.py b/dask_cloudprovider/hetzner/tests/test_vserver.py
index c1b2af54..a23788bb 100644
--- a/dask_cloudprovider/hetzner/tests/test_vserver.py
+++ b/dask_cloudprovider/hetzner/tests/test_vserver.py
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ async def config():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-@pytest.mark.external
 async def cluster(config):
     await skip_without_credentials(config)
     async with HetznerCluster(asynchronous=True) as cluster:
@@ -51,6 +50,7 @@ async def test_init():
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.timeout(600)
+@pytest.mark.external
 async def test_create_cluster(cluster):
     assert cluster.status == Status.running
 
diff --git a/dask_cloudprovider/nebius/tests/test_nebius.py b/dask_cloudprovider/nebius/tests/test_nebius.py
index 0d83c21e..fd115bd5 100644
--- a/dask_cloudprovider/nebius/tests/test_nebius.py
+++ b/dask_cloudprovider/nebius/tests/test_nebius.py
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ async def config():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-@pytest.mark.external
 async def cluster(config):
     await skip_without_credentials(config)
     async with NebiusCluster(asynchronous=True, debug=True) as cluster:
diff --git a/dask_cloudprovider/openstack/tests/test_instances.py b/dask_cloudprovider/openstack/tests/test_instances.py
index eae815bf..c71b9f26 100644
--- a/dask_cloudprovider/openstack/tests/test_instances.py
+++ b/dask_cloudprovider/openstack/tests/test_instances.py
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ async def config():
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-@pytest.mark.external
 async def cluster(config):
     await skip_without_credentials(config)
 
@@ -50,6 +49,7 @@ async def test_init():
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.timeout(600)
+@pytest.mark.external
 async def test_create_cluster(cluster):
     assert cluster.status == Status.running
     cluster.scale(1)