diff --git a/tests/utils/basic-skipif.inc b/tests/utils/basic-skipif.inc
index 91cdbf66d..df23d43ca 100644
--- a/tests/utils/basic-skipif.inc
+++ b/tests/utils/basic-skipif.inc
@@ -1,9 +1,24 @@
 <?php
 
-if ( ! extension_loaded("mongodb")) {
-    exit("skip mongodb not loaded");
+require_once __DIR__ . '/basic.inc';
+require_once __DIR__ . '/skipif.php';
+
+if ( ! extension_loaded('mongodb')) {
+    exit('skip mongodb extension is not loaded');
 }
 
-require __DIR__ . "/" . "basic.inc";
+set_error_handler(function($errno, $errstr) {
+    exit(sprintf('skip %s: %s', errno_as_string($errno), $errstr));
+});
+
+set_exception_handler(function($e) {
+    exit(sprintf('skip %s(%d): %s', get_class($e), $e->getCode(), $e->getMessage()));
+});
 
+register_shutdown_function(function() {
+    $lastError = error_get_last();
 
+    if ($lastError !== null) {
+        exit(sprintf('skip %s: %s', errno_as_string($lastError['type']), $lastError['message']));
+    }
+});
diff --git a/tests/utils/basic.inc b/tests/utils/basic.inc
index 1c10600f0..ac9cd1143 100644
--- a/tests/utils/basic.inc
+++ b/tests/utils/basic.inc
@@ -1,38 +1,8 @@
 <?php
-require __DIR__ . "/" . "tools.php";
 
-if (($FILENAME = getenv("PHONGO_SERVERS")) === false) {
-    $FILENAME = sys_get_temp_dir() . "/PHONGO-SERVERS.json";
-}
+require_once __DIR__ . "/" . "tools.php";
 
-$json = file_get_contents($FILENAME);
-$config = json_decode($json, true);
-if (!$config) {
-    exit("skip Couldn't json_decode(file_get_contents($FILENAME));");
-}
-
-$servers = array(
-    "STANDALONE"      => "",
-    "STANDALONE_30"   => "",
-    "STANDALONE_SSL"  => "",
-    "STANDALONE_AUTH" => "",
-    "STANDALONE_X509" => "",
-    "STANDALONE_PLAIN" => "",
-    "REPLICASET"       => "",
-    "REPLICASET_30"    => "",
-    "REPLICASET_DNS"   => "",
-);
-$servers = array_merge($servers, $config);
-def($servers);
-
-$consts = array(
-    "DATABASE_NAME"                 => "phongo",
-    "COLLECTION_NAME"               => makeCollectionNameFromFilename($_SERVER["SCRIPT_FILENAME"]),
-);
-def($consts);
-
-// These use values from constants defined above
-$consts = array(
-    "NS"             => DATABASE_NAME . "." . COLLECTION_NAME,
-);
-def($consts);
+define('URI', getenv('MONGODB_URI') ?: 'mongodb://127.0.0.1/');
+define('DATABASE_NAME', getenv('MONGODB_DATABASE') ?: 'phongo');
+define('COLLECTION_NAME', makeCollectionNameFromFilename($_SERVER['SCRIPT_FILENAME']));
+define('NS', DATABASE_NAME . '.' . COLLECTION_NAME);
diff --git a/tests/utils/skipif.php b/tests/utils/skipif.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..77741e197
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/utils/skipif.php
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+<?php
+
+use MongoDB\Driver\Exception\ConnectionException;
+
+require_once __DIR__ . "/" . "basic.inc";
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if the topology is a sharded cluster.
+ */
+function skip_if_mongos()
+{
+    is_mongos(URI) and exit('skip topology is a sharded cluster');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if the topology is not a shard cluster.
+ */
+function skip_if_not_mongos()
+{
+    is_mongos(URI) or exit('skip topology is not a sharded cluster');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if the topology is a replica set.
+ */
+function skip_if_replica_set()
+{
+    is_replica_set(URI) and exit('skip topology is a replica set');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if the topology is not a replica set.
+ */
+function skip_if_not_replica_set()
+{
+    is_replica_set(URI) or exit('skip topology is not a replica set');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if the topology is a standalone.
+ */
+function skip_if_standalone()
+{
+    is_standalone(URI) and exit('skip topology is a standalone');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if the topology is not a standalone.
+ */
+function skip_if_not_standalone()
+{
+    is_standalone(URI) or exit('skip topology is not a standalone');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if the connection string uses SSL.
+ */
+function skip_if_ssl()
+{
+    is_ssl(URI) and exit('skip URI is using SSL');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if the connection string uses SSL.
+ */
+function skip_if_not_ssl()
+{
+    is_ssl(URI) or exit('skip URI is not using SSL');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if the server is not accessible.
+ */
+function skip_if_not_live()
+{
+    try {
+        get_primary_server(URI);
+    } catch (ConnectionException $e) {
+        exit('skip server is not accessible: ' . $e->getMessage());
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if the server version satisfies a comparison.
+ *
+ * @see http://php.net/version_compare
+ * @param string $operator Comparison operator
+ * @param string $version  Version to compare against
+ */
+function skip_if_server_version($operator, $version)
+{
+    $serverVersion = get_server_version(URI);
+
+    if (version_compare($serverVersion, $version, $operator)) {
+        exit("skip Server version '$serverVersion' $operator '$version'");
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if the server not using a particular storage engine.
+ *
+ * @param string $storageEngine Storage engine name
+ */
+function skip_if_not_server_storage_engine($storageEngine)
+{
+    $serverStorageEngine = get_server_storage_engine(URI);
+
+    if ($serverStorageEngine !== $storageEngine) {
+        exit("skip Server storage engine is '$serverStorageEngine' (needed '$storageEngine')");
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if libmongoc does not support crypto.
+ *
+ * If one or more libaries are provided, additionally check that the reported
+ * library is in that array. Possible values are "libcrypto", "Common Crypto",
+ * and "CNG".
+ *
+ * @param array $libs Optional list of crypto libraries to require
+ */
+function skip_if_not_libmongoc_crypto(array $libs = [])
+{
+    $lib = get_module_info('libmongoc crypto library');
+
+    if ($lib === null) {
+        exit('skip libmongoc crypto is not enabled');
+    }
+
+    if (!empty($libs) && !in_array($lib, $libs)) {
+        exit('skip Needs libmongoc crypto library ' . implode(', ', $libs) . ', but found ' . $lib);
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skips the test if libmongoc does not support SSL.
+ *
+ * If one or more libaries are provided, additionally check that the reported
+ * library is in that array. Possible values are "OpenSSL", "LibreSSL",
+ * "Secure Transport", and "Secure Channel".
+ *
+ * @param array $libs Optional list of SSL libraries to require
+ */
+function skip_if_not_libmongoc_ssl(array $libs = [])
+{
+    $lib = get_module_info('libmongoc SSL library');
+
+    if ($lib === null) {
+        exit('skip libmongoc SSL is not enabled');
+    }
+
+    if (!empty($libs) && !in_array($lib, $libs)) {
+        exit('skip Needs libmongoc SSL library ' . implode(', ', $libs) . ', but found ' . $lib);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/utils/tools.php b/tests/utils/tools.php
index 19e0cdeda..c416f9109 100644
--- a/tests/utils/tools.php
+++ b/tests/utils/tools.php
@@ -1,5 +1,189 @@
 <?php
 
+use MongoDB\Driver\Command;
+use MongoDB\Driver\Manager;
+use MongoDB\Driver\ReadPreference;
+use MongoDB\Driver\Server;
+use MongoDB\Driver\Exception\ConnectionException;
+use MongoDB\Driver\Exception\RuntimeException;
+
+/**
+ * Returns the value of a module row from phpinfo(), or null if it's not found.
+ *
+ * @param string $row
+ * @return string|null
+ */
+function get_module_info($row)
+{
+    ob_start();
+    phpinfo(INFO_MODULES);
+    $info = ob_get_clean();
+
+    $pattern = sprintf('/^%s([\w ]+)$/m', preg_quote($row . ' => '));
+
+    if (preg_match($pattern, $info, $matches) !== 1) {
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    return $matches[1];
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns the primary server.
+ *
+ * @param string $uri Connection string
+ * @return Server
+ * @throws ConnectionException
+ */
+function get_primary_server($uri)
+{
+    return (new Manager($uri))->selectServer(new ReadPreference('primary'));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns the storage engine of the primary server.
+ *
+ * @param string $uri Connection string
+ * @return string
+ * @throws RuntimeException
+ */
+function get_server_storage_engine($uri)
+{
+    $server = get_primary_server($uri);
+    $command = new Command(['serverStatus' => 1]);
+    $cursor = $server->executeCommand('admin', $command);
+
+    return current($cursor->toArray())->storageEngine->name;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns the version of the primary server.
+ *
+ * @param string $uri Connection string
+ * @return string
+ * @throws RuntimeException
+ */
+function get_server_version($uri)
+{
+    $server = get_primary_server($uri);
+    $command = new Command(['buildInfo' => 1]);
+    $cursor = $server->executeCommand('admin', $command);
+
+    return current($cursor->toArray())->version;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Checks that the topology is a sharded cluster.
+ *
+ * @param string $uri
+ * @return boolean
+ */
+function is_mongos($uri)
+{
+    return get_primary_server($uri)->getType() === Server::TYPE_MONGOS;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Checks that the topology is a replica set.
+ *
+ * @param string $uri
+ * @return boolean
+ */
+function is_replica_set($uri)
+{
+    return get_primary_server($uri)->getType() === Server::TYPE_RS_PRIMARY;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Checks if the connection string uses SSL.
+ *
+ * @param string $uri
+ * @return boolean
+ */
+function is_ssl($uri)
+{
+    return stripos($uri, 'ssl=true') !== false;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Checks that the topology is a standalone.
+ *
+ * @param string $uri
+ * @return boolean
+ */
+function is_standalone($uri)
+{
+    return get_primary_server($uri)->getType() === Server::TYPE_STANDALONE;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Converts the server type constant to a string.
+ *
+ * @see http://php.net/manual/en/class.mongodb-driver-server.php
+ * @param integer $type
+ * @return string
+ */
+function server_type_as_string($type)
+{
+    switch ($type) {
+        case Server::TYPE_STANDALONE:
+            return 'Standalone';
+        case Server::TYPE_MONGOS:
+            return 'Mongos';
+        case Server::TYPE_POSSIBLE_PRIMARY:
+            return 'PossiblePrimary';
+        case Server::TYPE_RS_PRIMARY:
+            return 'RSPrimary';
+        case Server::TYPE_RS_SECONDARY:
+            return 'RSSecondary';
+        case Server::TYPE_RS_ARBITER:
+            return 'RSArbiter';
+        case Server::TYPE_RS_OTHER:
+            return 'RSOther';
+        case Server::TYPE_RS_GHOST:
+            return 'RSGhost';
+        default:
+            return 'Unknown';
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Converts an errno number to a string.
+ *
+ * @see http://php.net/manual/en/errorfunc.constants.php
+ * @param integer $errno
+ * @param string
+ */
+function errno_as_string($errno)
+{
+    $errors = [
+        'E_ERROR',
+        'E_WARNING',
+        'E_PARSE',
+        'E_NOTICE',
+        'E_CORE_ERROR',
+        'E_CORE_WARNING',
+        'E_COMPILE_ERROR',
+        'E_COMPILE_WARNING',
+        'E_USER_ERROR',
+        'E_USER_WARNING',
+        'E_USER_NOTICE',
+        'E_STRICT',
+        'E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR',
+        'E_DEPRECATED',
+        'E_USER_DEPRECATED',
+        'E_ALL',
+    ];
+
+    foreach ($errors as $error) {
+        if ($errno === constant($error)) {
+            return $error;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 'Unknown';
+}
+
 /**
  * Prints a traditional hex dump of byte values and printable characters.
  *