diff --git a/numcodecs/tests/test_blosc.py b/numcodecs/tests/test_blosc.py
index edc14faf..168d5f2f 100644
--- a/numcodecs/tests/test_blosc.py
+++ b/numcodecs/tests/test_blosc.py
@@ -6,8 +6,15 @@
 import pytest
 
 
-from numcodecs import blosc
-from numcodecs.blosc import Blosc
+try:
+    from numcodecs import blosc
+    from numcodecs.blosc import Blosc
+except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
+    pytest.skip(
+        "numcodecs.blosc not available", allow_module_level=True
+    )
+
+
 from numcodecs.tests.common import (check_encode_decode,
                                     check_encode_decode_partial,
                                     check_config,
diff --git a/numcodecs/tests/test_lz4.py b/numcodecs/tests/test_lz4.py
index 94a01821..a7cfadd0 100644
--- a/numcodecs/tests/test_lz4.py
+++ b/numcodecs/tests/test_lz4.py
@@ -2,9 +2,17 @@
 
 
 import numpy as np
+import pytest
+
+
+try:
+    from numcodecs.lz4 import LZ4
+except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
+    pytest.skip(
+        "numcodecs.lz4 not available", allow_module_level=True
+    )
 
 
-from numcodecs.lz4 import LZ4
 from numcodecs.tests.common import (check_encode_decode, check_config, check_repr,
                                     check_backwards_compatibility,
                                     check_err_decode_object_buffer,
diff --git a/numcodecs/tests/test_zstd.py b/numcodecs/tests/test_zstd.py
index de291c12..ccdf1556 100644
--- a/numcodecs/tests/test_zstd.py
+++ b/numcodecs/tests/test_zstd.py
@@ -2,9 +2,17 @@
 
 
 import numpy as np
+import pytest
+
+
+try:
+    from numcodecs.zstd import Zstd
+except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
+    pytest.skip(
+        "numcodecs.zstd not available", allow_module_level=True
+    )
 
 
-from numcodecs.zstd import Zstd
 from numcodecs.tests.common import (check_encode_decode, check_config, check_repr,
                                     check_backwards_compatibility,
                                     check_err_decode_object_buffer,