diff --git a/vclusterops/cluster_op.go b/vclusterops/cluster_op.go
index 2f697f7..8caf0f3 100644
--- a/vclusterops/cluster_op.go
+++ b/vclusterops/cluster_op.go
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ type clusterOp interface {
 	applyTLSOptions(tlsOptions opTLSOptions) error
 	isSkipExecute() bool
 	filterUnreachableHosts(execContext *opEngineExecContext)
+	filterHostsBySandbox(execContext *opEngineExecContext)
 }
 
 /* Cluster ops basic fields and functions
@@ -475,6 +476,29 @@ func (op *opBase) filterUnreachableHosts(execContext *opEngineExecContext) {
 	op.hosts = util.SliceDiff(op.hosts, execContext.unreachableHosts)
 }
 
+// filterHostsBySandbox selects hosts only in the target sandbox or main cluster
+func (op *opBase) filterHostsBySandbox(execContext *opEngineExecContext) {
+	if execContext.sandbox == util.MainClusterSandbox {
+		return
+	}
+
+	// If vdb is given as nil or the vdb is obtained,
+	// we will not filter hosts by sandbox.
+	// Instead, we will send requests to all hosts.
+	if execContext.vdbForSandboxInfo == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	// filter out hosts that are not in the target sandbox or main cluster
+	var hostsNotInSandbox []string
+	for h, vnode := range execContext.vdbForSandboxInfo.HostNodeMap {
+		if vnode.Sandbox != execContext.sandbox {
+			hostsNotInSandbox = append(hostsNotInSandbox, h)
+		}
+	}
+	op.hosts = util.SliceDiff(op.hosts, hostsNotInSandbox)
+}
+
 /* Sensitive fields in request body
  */
 type sensitiveFields struct {
diff --git a/vclusterops/cluster_op_engine.go b/vclusterops/cluster_op_engine.go
index cd76e8c..3810d09 100644
--- a/vclusterops/cluster_op_engine.go
+++ b/vclusterops/cluster_op_engine.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package vclusterops
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/vertica/vcluster/vclusterops/util"
 	"github.com/vertica/vcluster/vclusterops/vlog"
 )
 
@@ -35,7 +36,16 @@ func makeClusterOpEngine(instructions []clusterOp, tlsOptions opTLSOptions) VClu
 }
 
 func (opEngine *VClusterOpEngine) run(logger vlog.Printer) error {
+	// when vdb is nil or sandbox is not specified,
+	// the op engine will not filter any hosts to send requests
+	return opEngine.runInSandbox(logger, nil /*vdb*/, util.MainClusterSandbox)
+}
+
+func (opEngine *VClusterOpEngine) runInSandbox(logger vlog.Printer,
+	vdb *VCoordinationDatabase, sandbox string) error {
 	execContext := makeOpEngineExecContext(logger)
+	execContext.vdbForSandboxInfo = vdb
+	execContext.sandbox = sandbox
 	opEngine.execContext = &execContext
 
 	return opEngine.runWithExecContext(logger, &execContext)
@@ -67,6 +77,7 @@ func (opEngine *VClusterOpEngine) runInstruction(
 	defer op.cleanupSpinner()
 
 	op.filterUnreachableHosts(execContext)
+	op.filterHostsBySandbox(execContext)
 
 	op.logPrepare()
 	err := op.prepare(execContext)
diff --git a/vclusterops/cluster_op_engine_context.go b/vclusterops/cluster_op_engine_context.go
index 0ad856b..af87bb7 100644
--- a/vclusterops/cluster_op_engine_context.go
+++ b/vclusterops/cluster_op_engine_context.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ type opEngineExecContext struct {
 	nodesInfo       []NodeInfo
 	scNodesInfo     []NodeInfo // a node list contains all nodes in a subcluster
 
-	// This field is specifically used for sandboxing
+	// this field is specifically used for sandboxing
 	// as sandboxing requires all nodes in the subcluster to be sandboxed to be UP.
 	upScInfo                      map[string]string // map with UP hosts as keys and their subcluster names as values.
 	upHostsToSandboxes            map[string]string // map with UP hosts as keys and their corresponding sandbox names as values.
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ type opEngineExecContext struct {
 
 	// hosts that have the VCluster server PID file
 	HostsWithVclusterServerPid []string
+
+	// sandbox on which the op engine will run instruction
+	sandbox string
+	// this vdb will only be used to get sandbox info of the nodes
+	vdbForSandboxInfo *VCoordinationDatabase
 }
 
 func makeOpEngineExecContext(logger vlog.Printer) opEngineExecContext {
diff --git a/vclusterops/start_node.go b/vclusterops/start_node.go
index 0bda007..b08ea4b 100644
--- a/vclusterops/start_node.go
+++ b/vclusterops/start_node.go
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ func (vcc VClusterCommands) VStartNodes(options *VStartNodesOptions) error {
 	clusterOpEngine := makeClusterOpEngine(instructions, options)
 
 	// Give the instructions to the VClusterOpEngine to run
-	err = clusterOpEngine.run(vcc.Log)
+	err = clusterOpEngine.runInSandbox(vcc.Log, &vdb, startNodeInfo.Sandbox)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("fail to start node, %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/vclusterops/stop_db.go b/vclusterops/stop_db.go
index 80c83f4..3b575b5 100644
--- a/vclusterops/stop_db.go
+++ b/vclusterops/stop_db.go
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ func (vcc VClusterCommands) VStopDatabase(options *VStopDatabaseOptions) error {
 	clusterOpEngine := makeClusterOpEngine(instructions, options)
 
 	// Give the instructions to the VClusterOpEngine to run
-	runError := clusterOpEngine.run(vcc.Log)
+	runError := clusterOpEngine.runInSandbox(vcc.GetLog(), &vdb, options.SandboxName)
 	if runError != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("fail to stop database: %w", runError)
 	}