diff --git a/Lib/packaging/tests/support.py b/Lib/packaging/tests/support.py
index 329b75504a7..b410dba77b0 100644
--- a/Lib/packaging/tests/support.py
+++ b/Lib/packaging/tests/support.py
@@ -37,10 +37,11 @@ import tempfile
 from packaging import logger
 from packaging.dist import Distribution
 from packaging.tests import unittest
+from test.support import requires_zlib
 
 __all__ = ['LoggingCatcher', 'TempdirManager', 'EnvironRestorer',
            'DummyCommand', 'unittest', 'create_distribution',
-           'skip_unless_symlink']
+           'skip_unless_symlink', 'requires_zlib']
 
 
 class _TestHandler(logging.handlers.BufferingHandler):
diff --git a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_command_sdist.py b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_command_sdist.py
index 956e2583662..a086e62d2fa 100644
--- a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_command_sdist.py
+++ b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_command_sdist.py
@@ -4,12 +4,7 @@ import zipfile
 import tarfile
 import logging
 
-# zlib is not used here, but if it's not available
-# the tests that use zipfile may fail
-try:
-    import zlib
-except ImportError:
-    zlib = None
+from packaging.tests.support import requires_zlib
 
 try:
     import grp
@@ -96,7 +91,7 @@ class SDistTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
         cmd.dist_dir = 'dist'
         return dist, cmd
 
-    @unittest.skipUnless(zlib, "requires zlib")
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_prune_file_list(self):
         # this test creates a package with some vcs dirs in it
         # and launch sdist to make sure they get pruned
@@ -136,7 +131,7 @@ class SDistTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
         # making sure everything has been pruned correctly
         self.assertEqual(len(content), 3)
 
-    @unittest.skipUnless(zlib, "requires zlib")
+    @requires_zlib
     @unittest.skipIf(find_executable('tar') is None or
                      find_executable('gzip') is None,
                      'requires tar and gzip programs')
@@ -166,7 +161,7 @@ class SDistTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
         result = sorted(os.listdir(dist_folder))
         self.assertEqual(result, ['fake-1.0.tar', 'fake-1.0.tar.gz'])
 
-    @unittest.skipUnless(zlib, "requires zlib")
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_add_defaults(self):
 
         # http://bugs.python.org/issue2279
@@ -226,7 +221,7 @@ class SDistTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
             manifest = fp.read()
         self.assertEqual(manifest, MANIFEST % {'sep': os.sep})
 
-    @unittest.skipUnless(zlib, "requires zlib")
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_metadata_check_option(self):
         # testing the `check-metadata` option
         dist, cmd = self.get_cmd(metadata={'name': 'xxx', 'version': 'xxx'})
@@ -280,7 +275,7 @@ class SDistTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
         cmd.formats = 'supazipa'
         self.assertRaises(PackagingOptionError, cmd.finalize_options)
 
-    @unittest.skipUnless(zlib, "requires zlib")
+    @requires_zlib
     @unittest.skipUnless(UID_GID_SUPPORT, "requires grp and pwd support")
     @unittest.skipIf(find_executable('tar') is None or
                      find_executable('gzip') is None,
@@ -321,6 +316,7 @@ class SDistTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
             for member in archive.getmembers():
                 self.assertEqual(member.uid, os.getuid())
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_get_file_list(self):
         # make sure MANIFEST is recalculated
         dist, cmd = self.get_cmd()
@@ -355,6 +351,7 @@ class SDistTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
         self.assertEqual(len(manifest2), 5)
         self.assertIn('doc2.txt', manifest2[-1])
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_manifest_marker(self):
         # check that autogenerated MANIFESTs have a marker
         dist, cmd = self.get_cmd()
@@ -368,6 +365,7 @@ class SDistTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
         self.assertEqual(manifest[0],
                          '# file GENERATED by packaging, do NOT edit')
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_manual_manifest(self):
         # check that a MANIFEST without a marker is left alone
         dist, cmd = self.get_cmd()
@@ -381,6 +379,7 @@ class SDistTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
 
         self.assertEqual(manifest, ['README.manual'])
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_template(self):
         dist, cmd = self.get_cmd()
         dist.extra_files = ['include yeah']
@@ -392,6 +391,7 @@ class SDistTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
 
         self.assertIn('yeah', content)
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_manifest_builder(self):
         dist, cmd = self.get_cmd()
         cmd.manifest_builders = 'packaging.tests.test_command_sdist.builder'
diff --git a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_config.py b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_config.py
index e6e558622ac..ac4f40320f2 100644
--- a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_config.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from packaging.compiler import new_compiler, _COMPILERS
 from packaging.command.sdist import sdist
 
 from packaging.tests import unittest, support
+from packaging.tests.support import requires_zlib
 
 
 SETUP_CFG = """
@@ -343,6 +344,7 @@ class ConfigTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
         cmd.get_file_list()
         self.assertRaises(PackagingFileError, cmd.make_distribution)
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_metadata_requires_description_files(self):
         # Create the following file structure:
         #   README
diff --git a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_database.py b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_database.py
index 251181aba0d..c8d63852356 100644
--- a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_database.py
+++ b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_database.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from hashlib import md5
 from packaging.errors import PackagingError
 from packaging.metadata import Metadata
 from packaging.tests import unittest, run_unittest, support, TESTFN
+from packaging.tests.support import requires_zlib
 
 from packaging.database import (
     Distribution, EggInfoDistribution, get_distribution, get_distributions,
@@ -64,11 +65,13 @@ class CommonDistributionTests:
         self.assertEqual(dist.version, version)
         self.assertEqual(dist.metadata['Version'], version)
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_repr(self):
         dist = self.cls(self.dirs[0])
         # just check that the class name is in the repr
         self.assertIn(self.cls.__name__, repr(dist))
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_comparison(self):
         # tests for __eq__ and __hash__
         dist = self.cls(self.dirs[0])
@@ -281,6 +284,7 @@ class TestDatabase(support.LoggingCatcher,
             dirname = distinfo_dirname(name, version)
             self.assertEqual(dirname, standard_dirname)
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_get_distributions(self):
         # Lookup all distributions found in the ``sys.path``.
         # This test could potentially pick up other installed distributions
@@ -321,6 +325,7 @@ class TestDatabase(support.LoggingCatcher,
 
         self.assertEqual(sorted(fake_dists), sorted(found_dists))
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_get_distribution(self):
         # Test for looking up a distribution by name.
         # Test the lookup of the towel-stuff distribution
@@ -371,6 +376,7 @@ class TestDatabase(support.LoggingCatcher,
             self.assertIsInstance(dist, Distribution)
             self.assertEqual(dist.name, name)
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_provides(self):
         # Test for looking up distributions by what they provide
         checkLists = lambda x, y: self.assertEqual(sorted(x), sorted(y))
@@ -437,6 +443,7 @@ class TestDatabase(support.LoggingCatcher,
                                                          use_egg_info=True)]
         checkLists(l, [])
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_obsoletes(self):
         # Test looking for distributions based on what they obsolete
         checkLists = lambda x, y: self.assertEqual(sorted(x), sorted(y))
@@ -465,6 +472,7 @@ class TestDatabase(support.LoggingCatcher,
         l = [dist.name for dist in obsoletes_distribution('truffles', '0.2')]
         checkLists(l, ['towel-stuff'])
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_yield_distribution(self):
         # tests the internal function _yield_distributions
         checkLists = lambda x, y: self.assertEqual(sorted(x), sorted(y))
diff --git a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_depgraph.py b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_depgraph.py
index 9271a7ba686..64c22eb1756 100644
--- a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_depgraph.py
+++ b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_depgraph.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import packaging.database
 from packaging import depgraph
 
 from packaging.tests import unittest, support
+from packaging.tests.support import requires_zlib
 
 
 class DepGraphTestCase(support.LoggingCatcher,
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ class DepGraphTestCase(support.LoggingCatcher,
         self.checkLists([], deps)
         self.checkLists(graph.missing[towel], ['bacon (<=0.2)'])
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_generate_graph_egg(self):
         dists = []
         for name in self.DISTROS_DIST + self.DISTROS_EGG:
@@ -117,6 +119,7 @@ class DepGraphTestCase(support.LoggingCatcher,
         deps = [d.name for d in depgraph.dependent_dists(dists, towel)]
         self.checkLists(['choxie'], deps)
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_dependent_dists_egg(self):
         dists = []
         for name in self.DISTROS_DIST + self.DISTROS_EGG:
@@ -144,6 +147,7 @@ class DepGraphTestCase(support.LoggingCatcher,
         deps = [d.name for d in depgraph.dependent_dists(dists, cheese)]
         self.checkLists([], deps)
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_graph_to_dot(self):
         expected = (
             ('towel-stuff', 'bacon', 'bacon (<=0.2)'),
@@ -173,6 +177,7 @@ class DepGraphTestCase(support.LoggingCatcher,
 
         self.checkLists(matches, expected)
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_graph_disconnected_to_dot(self):
         dependencies_expected = (
             ('towel-stuff', 'bacon', 'bacon (<=0.2)'),
@@ -234,6 +239,7 @@ class DepGraphTestCase(support.LoggingCatcher,
         self.checkLists(dependencies_matches, dependencies_expected)
         self.checkLists(disconnected_matches, disconnected_expected)
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_graph_bad_version_to_dot(self):
         expected = (
             ('towel-stuff', 'bacon', 'bacon (<=0.2)'),
@@ -263,6 +269,7 @@ class DepGraphTestCase(support.LoggingCatcher,
 
         self.checkLists(matches, expected)
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_repr(self):
         dists = []
         for name in self.DISTROS_DIST + self.DISTROS_EGG + self.BAD_EGGS:
@@ -273,6 +280,7 @@ class DepGraphTestCase(support.LoggingCatcher,
         graph = depgraph.generate_graph(dists)
         self.assertTrue(repr(graph))
 
+    @requires_zlib
     def test_main(self):
         tempout = io.StringIO()
         old = sys.stdout
diff --git a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_pypi_dist.py b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_pypi_dist.py
index b438cb855d8..108e723ff8e 100644
--- a/Lib/packaging/tests/test_pypi_dist.py
+++ b/Lib/packaging/tests/test_pypi_dist.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from packaging.pypi.dist import (ReleaseInfo, ReleasesList, DistInfo,
 from packaging.pypi.errors import HashDoesNotMatch, UnsupportedHashName
 
 from packaging.tests import unittest
-from packaging.tests.support import TempdirManager
+from packaging.tests.support import TempdirManager, requires_zlib
 from packaging.tests.pypi_server import use_pypi_server
 
 
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ class TestDistInfo(TempdirManager, unittest.TestCase):
                           hashname="invalid_hashname",
                           hashval="value")
 
+    @requires_zlib
     @use_pypi_server('downloads_with_md5')
     def test_unpack(self, server):
         url = server.full_address + self.srcpath
diff --git a/Lib/test/support.py b/Lib/test/support.py
index e49453ebf48..3f60d5597dc 100644
--- a/Lib/test/support.py
+++ b/Lib/test/support.py
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     _thread = None
 
+try:
+    import zlib
+except ImportError:
+    zlib = None
+
 __all__ = [
     "Error", "TestFailed", "ResourceDenied", "import_module",
     "verbose", "use_resources", "max_memuse", "record_original_stdout",
@@ -43,7 +48,7 @@ __all__ = [
     "threading_cleanup", "reap_children", "cpython_only", "check_impl_detail",
     "get_attribute", "swap_item", "swap_attr", "requires_IEEE_754",
     "TestHandler", "Matcher", "can_symlink", "skip_unless_symlink",
-    "import_fresh_module"
+    "import_fresh_module", "requires_zlib"
     ]
 
 class Error(Exception):
@@ -401,6 +406,8 @@ requires_IEEE_754 = unittest.skipUnless(
     float.__getformat__("double").startswith("IEEE"),
     "test requires IEEE 754 doubles")
 
+requires_zlib = unittest.skipUnless(zlib, 'requires zlib')
+
 is_jython = sys.platform.startswith('java')
 
 # Filename used for testing