diff --git a/Lib/test/test_ssl.py b/Lib/test/test_ssl.py
index ad586472659..12373d19eb6 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_ssl.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_ssl.py
@@ -190,7 +190,12 @@ class NetworkedTests(unittest.TestCase):
         if test_support.verbose:
             sys.stdout.write("\nVerified certificate for svn.python.org:443 is\n%s\n" % pem)
 
+    # Test disabled: OPENSSL_VERSION* not available in Python 2.6
     def test_algorithms(self):
+        if test_support.verbose:
+            sys.stdout.write("test_algorithms disabled, "
+                             "as it fails on some old OpenSSL versions")
+        return
         # Issue #8484: all algorithms should be available when verifying a
         # certificate.
         # NOTE: https://sha256.tbs-internet.com is another possible test host