diff --git a/mayavi/api.py b/mayavi/api.py

index a571eb26..73d5f789 100644

--- a/mayavi/api.py

+++ b/mayavi/api.py

@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@

 from mayavi.version import version, version as __version__

 from mayavi.core.engine import Engine

 from mayavi.core.off_screen_engine import OffScreenEngine

-from mayavi.tests.runtests import m2_tests as test

+try:

+    from mayavi.tests.runtests import m2_tests as test

+except ImportError:

+    pass