diff --git a/python/tests/test_dump_load.py b/python/tests/test_dump_load.py
index cf429fc70..d21f371a4 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_dump_load.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_dump_load.py
@@ -119,7 +119,10 @@ def get_field_point(sim):
     def test_load_dump_structure_2d(self):
         self._load_dump_structure_2d()
 
-    @unittest.skipIf(not mp.with_mpi(), "MPI specific test")
+    @unittest.skipIf(
+        not mp.with_mpi() or mp.count_processors() < 2,
+        "MPI specific test (requires mpirun with more than 1 process)",
+    )
     def test_load_dump_structure_sharded_2d(self):
         self._load_dump_structure_2d(single_parallel_file=False)
 
@@ -226,7 +229,10 @@ def get_field_point(sim):
     def test_load_dump_structure_3d(self):
         self._load_dump_structure_3d()
 
-    @unittest.skipIf(not mp.with_mpi(), "MPI specific test")
+    @unittest.skipIf(
+        not mp.with_mpi() or mp.count_processors() < 2,
+        "MPI specific test (requires mpirun with more than 1 process)",
+    )
     def test_load_dump_structure_sharded_3d(self):
         self._load_dump_structure_3d(single_parallel_file=False)
 
@@ -348,7 +354,10 @@ def get_field_point(sim):
     def test_load_dump_fields_2d(self):
         self._load_dump_fields_2d()
 
-    @unittest.skipIf(not mp.with_mpi(), "MPI specific test")
+    @unittest.skipIf(
+        not mp.with_mpi() or mp.count_processors() < 2,
+        "MPI specific test (requires mpirun with more than 1 process)",
+    )
     def test_load_dump_fields_sharded_2d(self):
         self._load_dump_fields_2d(single_parallel_file=False)
 
@@ -468,7 +477,10 @@ def get_field_point(sim):
     def test_load_dump_fields_3d(self):
         self._load_dump_fields_3d()
 
-    @unittest.skipIf(not mp.with_mpi(), "MPI specific test")
+    @unittest.skipIf(
+        not mp.with_mpi() or mp.count_processors() < 2,
+        "MPI specific test (requires mpirun with more than 1 process)",
+    )
     def test_load_dump_fields_sharded_3d(self):
         self._load_dump_fields_3d(single_parallel_file=False)
 
diff --git a/python/tests/test_simulation.py b/python/tests/test_simulation.py
index 271dc1617..8a550c18a 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_simulation.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_simulation.py
@@ -219,9 +219,12 @@ def init_simple_simulation(self, **kwargs):
             **kwargs,
         )
 
-    @unittest.skipIf(not mp.with_mpi(), "MPI specific test")
+    @unittest.skipIf(
+        not mp.with_mpi() or mp.count_processors() < 2,
+        "MPI specific test (requires mpirun with more than 1 process)",
+    )
     def test_mpi(self):
-        self.assertGreater(mp.comm.Get_size(), 1)
+        self.assertGreater(mp.count_processors(), 1)
 
     def test_use_output_directory_default(self):
         sim = self.init_simple_simulation()