diff --git a/tests/test_io_hdf5.py b/tests/test_io_hdf5.py
index 1c48399..c11eff0 100644
--- a/tests/test_io_hdf5.py
+++ b/tests/test_io_hdf5.py
@@ -7,10 +7,15 @@
 import shutil
 import os
 import pathlib
+import pytest
 
 import healsparse
 
 
+if not healsparse.io_map_hdf5.use_hdf5:
+    pytest.skip("Skipping hdf5 tests", allow_module_level=True)
+
+
 class Hdf5IoTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_hdf5_writeread(self):
         """