diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 8eadb99..cfebc37 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -265,13 +265,7 @@ TESTSUITE_OVERRIDE_LIBS = \
 TESTSUITE_OVERRIDE_LIBS_LDFLAGS = \
 	avoid-version -module -shared -export-dynamic -rpath /nowhere -ldl
 
-check-sysconfdir:
-	$(AM_V_at)if test "$(sysconfdir)" != "/etc" -a "$(sysconfdir)" != "/etc/"; then \
-		echo "warning: Some tests will fail without --sysconfdir=/etc" >&2; \
-	fi
-.PHONY: check-sysconfdir
-
-check-am: rootfs check-sysconfdir
+check-am: rootfs
 
 
 EXTRA_DIST += \
@@ -326,6 +320,10 @@ TESTSUITE_LDADD = \
 	testsuite/libtestsuite.la libkmod/libkmod-internal.la \
 	shared/libshared.la
 
+if KMOD_SYSCONFDIR_NOT_ETC
+TESTSUITE_CPPFLAGS += -DKMOD_SYSCONFDIR_NOT_ETC
+endif
+
 check_LTLIBRARIES += testsuite/libtestsuite.la
 testsuite_libtestsuite_la_SOURCES = \
 	testsuite/testsuite.c testsuite/testsuite.h
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4a65d6b..2115b03 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -213,6 +213,8 @@ GTK_DOC_CHECK([1.14],[--flavour no-tmpl-flat])
 ], [
 AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_GTK_DOC], false)])
 
+# Some tests are skipped when sysconfdir != /etc.
+AM_CONDITIONAL([KMOD_SYSCONFDIR_NOT_ETC], [test "x$sysconfdir" != "x/etc"])
 
 #####################################################################
 # Default CFLAGS and LDFLAGS
diff --git a/testsuite/test-blacklist.c b/testsuite/test-blacklist.c
index 969567d..d03eedb 100644
--- a/testsuite/test-blacklist.c
+++ b/testsuite/test-blacklist.c
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ fail_lookup:
 }
 
 DEFINE_TEST(blacklist_1,
+#if defined(KMOD_SYSCONFDIR_NOT_ETC)
+        .skip = true,
+#endif
 	.description = "check if modules are correctly blacklisted",
 	.config = {
 		[TC_ROOTFS] = TESTSUITE_ROOTFS "test-blacklist/",
diff --git a/testsuite/test-depmod.c b/testsuite/test-depmod.c
index 47dafb4..261559c 100644
--- a/testsuite/test-depmod.c
+++ b/testsuite/test-depmod.c
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ static noreturn int depmod_modules_order_for_compressed(const struct test *t)
 }
 
 DEFINE_TEST(depmod_modules_order_for_compressed,
+#if defined(KMOD_SYSCONFDIR_NOT_ETC)
+        .skip = true,
+#endif
 	.description = "check if depmod let aliases in right order when using compressed modules",
 	.config = {
 		[TC_UNAME_R] = MODULES_ORDER_UNAME,
@@ -121,6 +124,9 @@ static noreturn int depmod_detect_loop(const struct test *t)
 	exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 DEFINE_TEST(depmod_detect_loop,
+#if defined(KMOD_SYSCONFDIR_NOT_ETC)
+        .skip = true,
+#endif
 	.description = "check if depmod detects module loops correctly",
 	.config = {
 		[TC_UNAME_R] = "4.4.4",
@@ -144,6 +150,9 @@ static noreturn int depmod_search_order_external_first(const struct test *t)
 	exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 DEFINE_TEST(depmod_search_order_external_first,
+#if defined(KMOD_SYSCONFDIR_NOT_ETC)
+        .skip = true,
+#endif
 	.description = "check if depmod honor external keyword with higher priority",
 	.config = {
 		[TC_UNAME_R] = "4.4.4",
@@ -196,6 +205,9 @@ static noreturn int depmod_search_order_override(const struct test *t)
 	exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 DEFINE_TEST(depmod_search_order_override,
+#if defined(KMOD_SYSCONFDIR_NOT_ETC)
+        .skip = true,
+#endif
 	.description = "check if depmod honor override keyword",
 	.config = {
 		[TC_UNAME_R] = "4.4.4",
diff --git a/testsuite/test-modprobe.c b/testsuite/test-modprobe.c
index f908d56..f6bed8b 100644
--- a/testsuite/test-modprobe.c
+++ b/testsuite/test-modprobe.c
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ static noreturn int modprobe_show_alias_to_none(const struct test *t)
 	exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 DEFINE_TEST(modprobe_show_alias_to_none,
+#if defined(KMOD_SYSCONFDIR_NOT_ETC)
+        .skip = true,
+#endif
 	.description = "check if modprobe --show-depends doesn't explode with an alias to nothing",
 	.config = {
 		[TC_UNAME_R] = "4.4.4",
@@ -172,6 +175,9 @@ static noreturn int modprobe_softdep_loop(const struct test *t)
 	exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 DEFINE_TEST(modprobe_softdep_loop,
+#if defined(KMOD_SYSCONFDIR_NOT_ETC)
+        .skip = true,
+#endif
 	.description = "check if modprobe breaks softdep loop",
 	.config = {
 		[TC_UNAME_R] = "4.4.4",
