diff --git a/tests/printrun.spec b/tests/printrun.spec
index 56a7de6..abca9e1 100644
--- a/tests/printrun.spec
+++ b/tests/printrun.spec
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Building this tests that lang files are marked with %%lang in filelist.
 
 
 %generate_buildrequires
-%pyproject_buildrequires
+%pyproject_buildrequires -R
 
 
 %build
diff --git a/tests/python-distroinfo.spec b/tests/python-distroinfo.spec
index 52f8354..7303eca 100644
--- a/tests/python-distroinfo.spec
+++ b/tests/python-distroinfo.spec
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ Summary:          %{summary}
 
 %prep
 %autosetup -p1 -n distroinfo-%{version}
+# we don't need pytest-runner
+sed -Ei "s/(, )?'pytest-runner'//" setup.py
 
 
 %generate_buildrequires
diff --git a/tests/python-httpbin.spec b/tests/python-httpbin.spec
index d93ba10..e1e25c6 100644
--- a/tests/python-httpbin.spec
+++ b/tests/python-httpbin.spec
@@ -10,6 +10,14 @@ BuildArch:      noarch
 BuildRequires:  python3-devel
 BuildRequires:  pyproject-rpm-macros
 
+# no flask, itsdangerous, raven, werkzeug packaged for EPEL 9 yet
+# cannot run tests on EPEL and also cannot BuildRequire runtime deps
+%if 0%{?fedora}
+%bcond_without tests
+%else
+%bcond_with tests
+%endif
+
 %description
 This package buildrequires a package with extra: raven[flask].
 
@@ -34,7 +42,7 @@ sed -i /Content-Length/d test_httpbin.py
 sed -Ei 's/\bdef (test_(relative_)?redirect_(to_post|n_(equals_to|higher_than)_1))/def no\1/' test_httpbin.py
 
 %generate_buildrequires
-%pyproject_buildrequires -t
+%pyproject_buildrequires %{?with_tests:-t}%{?!with_tests:-R}
 
 
 %build
@@ -46,6 +54,7 @@ sed -Ei 's/\bdef (test_(relative_)?redirect_(to_post|n_(equals_to|higher_than)_1
 %pyproject_save_files httpbin
 
 
+%if %{with tests}
 %check
 %tox
 
@@ -53,6 +62,7 @@ sed -Ei 's/\bdef (test_(relative_)?redirect_(to_post|n_(equals_to|higher_than)_1
 # The runtime dependencies contain raven[flask], we assert we got them.
 # The %%tox above also dies without it, but this makes it more explicit
 %{python3} -c 'import blinker, flask'  # transitive deps
+%endif
 
 
 %files -n python3-httpbin -f %{pyproject_files}
diff --git a/tests/python-openqa_client.spec b/tests/python-openqa_client.spec
index 6e6dfbe..fdf903d 100644
--- a/tests/python-openqa_client.spec
+++ b/tests/python-openqa_client.spec
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ Summary:        %{summary}
 # we sed it out to save ourselves a dependency, but that is not strictly required
 sed -i -e 's., "setuptools-git"..g' pyproject.toml
 
+# the tests don't actually need mock, they use unittest.mock
+# https://github.com/os-autoinst/openQA-python-client/pull/21
+sed -i '/mock/d' tests.requires
+
 
 %generate_buildrequires
 %pyproject_buildrequires -t
diff --git a/tests/python-pytest.spec b/tests/python-pytest.spec
index 9693fcd..b9d0623 100644
--- a/tests/python-pytest.spec
+++ b/tests/python-pytest.spec
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ BuildArch:      noarch
 BuildRequires:  python3-devel
 BuildRequires:  pyproject-rpm-macros
 
+# no xmlschema packaged for EPEL 9 yet, cannot run tests on EPEL
+%if 0%{?fedora}
+%bcond_without tests
+%else
+%bcond_with tests
+%endif
+
 %description
 This is a pure Python package with executables. It has a test suite in tox.ini
 and test dependencies specified via the [test] extra.
@@ -28,10 +35,13 @@ Summary:        %{summary}
 
 %prep
 %autosetup -p1 -n %{pypi_name}-%{version}
+# remove optional test dependencies we don't like to pull in
+sed -E -i '/mock|nose/d' setup.cfg
 
 
 %generate_buildrequires
-%pyproject_buildrequires -x testing -t
+%pyproject_buildrequires %{?with_tests:-x testing -t}
+
 
 %build
 %pyproject_wheel
@@ -43,9 +53,13 @@ Summary:        %{summary}
 
 
 %check
+%if %{with tests}
 # Only run one test (which uses a test-only dependency, hypothesis)
 # See how to pass options trough the macro to tox, trough tox to pytest
 %tox -- -- -k metafunc
+%else
+%pyproject_check_import
+%endif
 
 
 %files -n python3-%{pypi_name} -f %{pyproject_files}
diff --git a/tests/python-setuptools.spec b/tests/python-setuptools.spec
index 2e73e74..f6b67d3 100644
--- a/tests/python-setuptools.spec
+++ b/tests/python-setuptools.spec
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ BuildRequires:  python3-devel
 BuildRequires:  pyproject-rpm-macros
 BuildRequires:  gcc
 
+# too many missing tests deps in EPEL 9
+%if 0%{?fedora}
+%bcond_without tests
+%else
+%bcond_with tests
+%endif
+
 %description
 This package tests 2 things:
 
@@ -44,7 +51,7 @@ sed -i pytest.ini -e 's/ --flake8//' \
 
 
 %generate_buildrequires
-%pyproject_buildrequires -r -x testing
+%pyproject_buildrequires -r %{?with_tests:-x testing}
 
 
 %build
@@ -64,8 +71,12 @@ sed -i '/tests/d' %{pyproject_files}
 # https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/discussions/2607
 rm pyproject.toml
 
+%if %{with tests}
 # We only run a subset of tests to speed things up and be less fragile
 PYTHONPATH=$(pwd) %pytest --ignore=pavement.py -k "sdist"
+%else
+%pyproject_check_import
+%endif
 
 # Internal check that license file was recognized correctly
 grep '^%%license' %{pyproject_files} > tested.license
diff --git a/tests/python-setuptools_scm.spec b/tests/python-setuptools_scm.spec
index 4d81244..7ecba7d 100644
--- a/tests/python-setuptools_scm.spec
+++ b/tests/python-setuptools_scm.spec
@@ -11,7 +11,13 @@ BuildArch:      noarch
 BuildRequires:  python3-devel
 BuildRequires:  pyproject-rpm-macros
 BuildRequires:  /usr/bin/git
-BuildRequires:  /usr/bin/hg
+
+# flake8 is still missing tests deps in EPEL 9
+%if 0%{?fedora}
+%bcond_without flake8
+%else
+%bcond_with flake8
+%endif
 
 %description
 Here we test that %%pyproject_extras_subpkg works and generates
@@ -37,7 +43,7 @@ Summary:        %{summary}
 %generate_buildrequires
 # Note that you should not run flake8-like linters in Fedora spec files,
 # here we do it solely to check the *ability* to use multiple toxenvs.
-%pyproject_buildrequires -e %{default_toxenv}-test -e flake8
+%pyproject_buildrequires -e %{default_toxenv}-test %{?with_flake8:-e flake8}
 
 
 %build
@@ -56,7 +62,7 @@ Summary:        %{summary}
 
 # Internal check for our macros: Assert both toxenvs were executed.
 grep -F 'py%{python3_version_nodots}-test: commands succeeded' toxlog
-grep -F 'flake8: commands succeeded' toxlog
+%{?!with_flake8:! }grep -F 'flake8: commands succeeded' toxlog
 
 # Internal check for our macros
 # making sure that %%{_pyproject_ghost_distinfo} has the right content