diff --git a/IPython/qt/console/tests/test_app.py b/IPython/qt/console/tests/test_app.py
index d28596e..9c7c2b3 100644
--- a/IPython/qt/console/tests/test_app.py
+++ b/IPython/qt/console/tests/test_app.py
@@ -14,11 +14,13 @@
 import nose.tools as nt
 
 import IPython.testing.tools as tt
+from IPython.testing.decorators import skip_if_no_x11
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Test functions
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+@skip_if_no_x11
 def test_help_output():
     """ipython qtconsole --help-all works"""
     tt.help_all_output_test('qtconsole')