diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pyrepl/test_pyrepl.py b/Lib/test/test_pyrepl/test_pyrepl.py
index 7621b8af808f53..015b690566223d 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_pyrepl/test_pyrepl.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pyrepl/test_pyrepl.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from unittest.mock import patch
 from test.support import force_not_colorized
 from test.support import SHORT_TIMEOUT
+from test.support.import_helper import import_module
 from test.support.os_helper import unlink
 
 from .support import (
@@ -902,6 +903,9 @@ def test_python_basic_repl(self):
         self.assertNotIn("Traceback", output)
 
     def test_not_wiping_history_file(self):
+        # skip, if readline module is not available
+        import_module('readline')
+
         hfile = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False)
         self.addCleanup(unlink, hfile.name)
         env = os.environ.copy()