diff --git a/snakemake/persistence.py b/snakemake/persistence.py
index 7d9ad0b4b..add87058f 100755
--- a/snakemake/persistence.py
+++ b/snakemake/persistence.py
@@ -35,10 +35,13 @@ def __init__(
         shadow_prefix=None,
         warn_only=False,
     ):
-        try:
-            self._serialize_param = self._serialize_param_pandas
-        except ModuleNotFoundError:
-            self._serialize_param = self._serialize_param_builtin
+        import importlib.util
+
+        self._serialize_param = (
+            self._serialize_param_pandas
+            if importlib.util.find_spec("pandas") is not None
+            else self._serialize_param_builtin
+        )
 
         self._max_len = None
 
diff --git a/tests/common.py b/tests/common.py
index 8c6e5c067..e80f25556 100644
--- a/tests/common.py
+++ b/tests/common.py
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ def has_gcloud_service_key():
     return "GCP_AVAILABLE" in os.environ
 
 
+def has_azbatch_account_url():
+    return os.environ.get("AZ_BATCH_ACCOUNT_URL")
+
+
 def has_zenodo_token():
     return os.environ.get("ZENODO_SANDBOX_PAT")
 
@@ -67,6 +71,12 @@ def has_zenodo_token():
     "in to gcloud.",
 )
 
+azbatch = pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not is_connected() or not has_azbatch_account_url(),
+    reason="Skipping AZBATCH tests because "
+    "no inet connection or no AZ_BATCH_ACCOUNT_URL.",
+)
+
 connected = pytest.mark.skipif(not is_connected(), reason="no internet connection")
 
 ci = pytest.mark.skipif(not is_ci(), reason="not in CI")
diff --git a/tests/test_azure_batch_executor.py b/tests/test_azure_batch_executor.py
index 57c52c10f..2e54fd133 100644
--- a/tests/test_azure_batch_executor.py
+++ b/tests/test_azure_batch_executor.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 from common import *
 
 
+@azbatch
 def test_az_batch_executor():
     # AZ_BATCH_ACCOUNT_URL=https://${batch_account_name}.${region}.batch.azure.com
     bau = os.getenv("AZ_BATCH_ACCOUNT_URL")