diff --git a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_distances.py b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_distances.py
index 238f9579aea..a5a98b44b1b 100644
--- a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_distances.py
+++ b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_distances.py
@@ -16,14 +16,27 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
 
 import MDAnalysis
-import MDAnalysis.analysis.distances
+from MDAnalysisTests import module_not_found
 
-from numpy.testing import TestCase, assert_equal
+from numpy.testing import TestCase, assert_equal, dec
 import numpy as np
 
 
+def scipy_missing():
+    try:
+        import scipy
+    except ImportError:
+        return True
+    else:
+        return False
+
+
 class TestContactMatrix(TestCase):
+
+    @dec.skipif(module_not_found('scipy'),
+                "Test skipped because scipy is not available.")
     def setUp(self):
+        import MDAnalysis.analysis.distances
         self.coord = np.array([[1, 1, 1],
                                   [5, 5, 5],
                                   [1.1, 1.1, 1.1],
diff --git a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_leaflet.py b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_leaflet.py
index 5e1ed5e8a99..ea1c8be2f85 100644
--- a/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_leaflet.py
+++ b/testsuite/MDAnalysisTests/analysis/test_leaflet.py
@@ -14,15 +14,18 @@
 # J. Comput. Chem. 32 (2011), 2319--2327, doi:10.1002/jcc.21787
 #
 import MDAnalysis
-from MDAnalysis.analysis.leaflet import LeafletFinder
+from MDAnalysisTests import module_not_found
 
-from numpy.testing import TestCase, assert_equal
+from numpy.testing import TestCase, assert_equal, dec
 import numpy as np
 
 from MDAnalysisTests.datafiles import Martini_membrane_gro
 
 class TestLeafletFinder(TestCase):
+    @dec.skipif(module_not_found('scipy'),
+                "Test skipped because scipy is not available.")
     def setUp(self):
+        from MDAnalysis.analysis.leaflet import LeafletFinder
         self.universe = MDAnalysis.Universe(Martini_membrane_gro, Martini_membrane_gro)
         self.lipid_heads = self.universe.select_atoms("name PO4")