diff --git a/IPython/core/tests/test_pylabtools.py b/IPython/core/tests/test_pylabtools.py
index 24a110d..df648c7 100644
--- a/IPython/core/tests/test_pylabtools.py
+++ b/IPython/core/tests/test_pylabtools.py
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import numpy as np
 from IPython.core.interactiveshell import InteractiveShell
 from .. import pylabtools as pt
 
+from IPython.testing import decorators as dec
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Globals and constants
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -53,18 +55,15 @@ def test_figure_to_svg():
     svg = pt.print_figure(fig, 'svg')[:100].lower()
     nt.assert_in(b'doctype svg', svg)
 
-try:
-    from PIL import Image
-    def test_figure_to_jpg():
-        # simple check for at least jpg-looking output
-        fig = plt.figure()
-        ax = fig.add_subplot(1,1,1)
-        ax.plot([1,2,3])
-        plt.draw()
-        jpg = pt.print_figure(fig, 'jpg')[:100].lower()
-        assert jpg.startswith(b'\xff\xd8')
-except ImportError:
-    pass
+@dec.skip_without("PIL.Image")
+def test_figure_to_jpg():
+    # simple check for at least jpg-looking output
+    fig = plt.figure()
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(1,1,1)
+    ax.plot([1,2,3])
+    plt.draw()
+    jpg = pt.print_figure(fig, 'jpg')[:100].lower()
+    assert jpg.startswith(b'\xff\xd8')
 
 
 def test_import_pylab():