diff --git a/Lib/test/test_crypt.py b/Lib/test/test_crypt.py
index cfb7341e20a..624d702f99e 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_crypt.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_crypt.py
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 from test import support
 import unittest
 
-def setUpModule():
-    # this import will raise unittest.SkipTest if _crypt doesn't exist,
-    # so it has to be done in setUpModule for test discovery to work
-    global crypt
-    crypt = support.import_module('crypt')
+crypt = support.import_module('crypt')
 
 class CryptTestCase(unittest.TestCase):