diff --git a/python-testtools.spec b/python-testtools.spec
index 7dde1d6..6a21ae6 100644
--- a/python-testtools.spec
+++ b/python-testtools.spec
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@
 #
 
 
+# A build cycle exists between python-extras and python-testtools. Thus, only
+# enable testing with a build conditional (off by default):
+%bcond_with tests 
+
 Name:           python-testtools
 Version:        0.9.32
 Release:        0
@@ -28,8 +32,10 @@ BuildRequires:  python-devel
 # Documentation requirements:
 BuildRequires:  python-Sphinx
 # Test requirements:
+%if %{with tests}
 BuildRequires:  python-extras
 BuildRequires:  python-python-mimeparse
+%endif
 Requires:       python-extras
 Requires:       python-python-mimeparse
 BuildRoot:      %{_tmppath}/%{name}-%{version}-build
@@ -40,9 +46,9 @@ BuildArch:      noarch
 %endif
 
 %description
-testtools is a set of extensions to the Python standard library's unit testing
+testtools is a set of extensions to the Python standard library's unit tests
 framework. These extensions have been derived from many years of experience
-with unit testing in Python and come from many different sources. testtools
+with unit tests in Python and come from many different sources. testtools
 also ports recent unittest changes all the way back to Python 2.4.
 
 %prep
@@ -55,8 +61,10 @@ python setup.py build_sphinx
 %install
 python setup.py install --prefix=%{_prefix} --root=%{buildroot}
 
+%if %{with tests}
 %check
 python setup.py test
+%endif
 
 %files
 %defattr(-,root,root,-)