diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index aa589d646a..ae747fb248 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1982,30 +1982,6 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL([WITH_PYTHON], [test "$with_python" = "yes"])
 AC_SUBST([PYTHON_VERSION])
 AC_SUBST([PYTHON_INCLUDES])
 
-
-
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether this host is running a Xen kernel])
-RUNNING_XEN=
-if test -d /proc/sys/xen
-then
-    RUNNING_XEN=yes
-else
-    RUNNING_XEN=no
-fi
-AC_MSG_RESULT($RUNNING_XEN)
-
-AC_MSG_CHECKING([If XenD UNIX socket /var/run/xend/xmlrpc.sock is accessible])
-RUNNING_XEND=
-if test -S /var/run/xend/xmlrpc.sock
-then
-    RUNNING_XEND=yes
-else
-    RUNNING_XEND=no
-fi
-AC_MSG_RESULT($RUNNING_XEND)
-
-AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_XEN_TESTS], [test "$RUNNING_XEN" != "no" && test "$RUNNING_XEND" != "no"])
-
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([test-coverage],
   AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-test-coverage], [turn on code coverage instrumentation @<:@default=no@:>@]),
 [case "${enableval}" in
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 48f9faabfa..528b88e2c6 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -93,10 +93,7 @@ ssh_LDADD = $(COVERAGE_LDFLAGS)
 
 if WITH_XEN
 check_PROGRAMS += xml2sexprtest sexpr2xmltest \
-	xmconfigtest xencapstest
-if ENABLE_XEN_TESTS
-check_PROGRAMS += statstest reconnect
-endif
+	xmconfigtest xencapstest statstest reconnect
 endif
 if WITH_QEMU
 check_PROGRAMS += qemuxml2argvtest qemuxml2xmltest qemuargv2xmltest qemuhelptest
@@ -216,10 +213,9 @@ if WITH_XEN
 TESTS += xml2sexprtest \
 	sexpr2xmltest \
 	xmconfigtest \
-	xencapstest
-if ENABLE_XEN_TESTS
-TESTS += reconnect statstest
-endif
+	xencapstest \
+	reconnect \
+	statstest
 endif
 
 if WITH_QEMU
diff --git a/tests/reconnect.c b/tests/reconnect.c
index 63877fc6b6..e5553b549b 100644
--- a/tests/reconnect.c
+++ b/tests/reconnect.c
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include "internal.h"
+#include "testutils.h"
+#include "command.h"
 
 static void errorHandler(void *userData ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                          virErrorPtr error ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED) {
@@ -14,6 +16,16 @@ int main(void) {
     int ro = 0;
     virConnectPtr conn;
     virDomainPtr dom;
+    int status;
+    virCommandPtr cmd;
+
+    /* skip test if xend is not running */
+    cmd = virCommandNewArgList("/usr/sbin/xend", "status", NULL);
+    if (virCommandRun(cmd, &status) != 0 || status != 0) {
+        virCommandFree(cmd);
+        return EXIT_AM_SKIP;
+    }
+    virCommandFree(cmd);
 
     virSetErrorFunc(NULL, errorHandler);
 
diff --git a/tests/statstest.c b/tests/statstest.c
index c9899922aa..18cdc5c515 100644
--- a/tests/statstest.c
+++ b/tests/statstest.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "internal.h"
 #include "xen/block_stats.h"
 #include "testutils.h"
+#include "command.h"
 
 static void testQuietError(void *userData ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                            virErrorPtr error ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
@@ -44,7 +45,18 @@ static int
 mymain(void)
 {
     int ret = 0;
-    /* Some of our tests delibrately test failure cases, so
+    int status;
+    virCommandPtr cmd;
+
+    /* skip test if xend is not running */
+    cmd = virCommandNewArgList("/usr/sbin/xend", "status", NULL);
+    if (virCommandRun(cmd, &status) != 0 || status != 0) {
+        virCommandFree(cmd);
+        return EXIT_AM_SKIP;
+    }
+    virCommandFree(cmd);
+
+    /* Some of our tests deliberately test failure cases, so
      * register a handler to stop error messages cluttering
      * up display
      */