diff --git a/metacov.ini b/metacov.ini
index 884babf7e..84321712e 100644
--- a/metacov.ini
+++ b/metacov.ini
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ exclude_lines =
     #
     pragma: nested
 
+    # Abstract methods
+    raise NotImplementedError
+
     # Lines that are only executed when we are debugging coverage.py.
     def __repr__
     pragma: debugging
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index cbc35b1af..dcdebe97d 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 import sys
 import textwrap
 
-from typing import cast, Callable, Dict, Iterable, List, Optional, Protocol, Set
+from typing import cast, Callable, Dict, Iterable, List, Optional, Set
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -814,19 +814,14 @@ def test_bug_572(self) -> None:
             cov.report()
 
 
-class CoverageUsePkgs(Protocol):
-    """A number of test classes have the same helper method."""
-    def coverage_usepkgs(
-        self,
-        **kwargs: TCovKwargs,
-    ) -> Iterable[str]:
-        """Run coverage on usepkgs, return a line summary. kwargs are for Coverage(**kwargs)."""
-        return ""
-
-
-class IncludeOmitTestsMixin(CoverageUsePkgs, UsingModulesMixin, CoverageTest):
+class IncludeOmitTestsMixin(UsingModulesMixin, CoverageTest):
     """Test methods for coverage methods taking include and omit."""
 
+    # An abstract method for subclasses to define, to appease mypy.
+    def coverage_usepkgs(self, **kwargs_unused: TCovKwargs) -> Iterable[str]:
+        """Run coverage on usepkgs, return a line summary. kwargs are for Coverage(**kwargs)."""
+        raise NotImplementedError()
+
     def filenames_in(self, summary: Iterable[str], filenames: str) -> None:
         """Assert the `filenames` are in the `summary`."""
         for filename in filenames.split():