diff --git a/test/test_mpi_communication.py b/test/test_mpi_communication.py
index 0ab13f05351f6ff23f6cd1a7bd96587526a30c96..7a1f3a4188003a5f4f08ff8fbeb6f6b8470ac42a 100644
--- a/test/test_mpi_communication.py
+++ b/test/test_mpi_communication.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ from grudge.shortcuts import set_up_rk4
 def simple_mpi_communication_entrypoint():
     cl_ctx = cl.create_some_context()
     queue = cl.CommandQueue(cl_ctx)
-    from meshmode.distributed import MPIMeshDistributor
+    from meshmode.distributed import MPIMeshDistributor, get_partition_by_pymetis
 
     from mpi4py import MPI
     comm = MPI.COMM_WORLD
@@ -53,11 +53,7 @@ def simple_mpi_communication_entrypoint():
                                           b=(1,)*2,
                                           n=(3,)*2)
 
-        from pymetis import part_graph
-        _, p = part_graph(num_parts,
-                          xadj=mesh.nodal_adjacency.neighbors_starts.tolist(),
-                          adjncy=mesh.nodal_adjacency.neighbors.tolist())
-        part_per_element = np.array(p)
+        part_per_element = get_partition_by_pymetis(mesh, num_parts)
 
         local_mesh = mesh_dist.send_mesh_parts(mesh, part_per_element, num_parts)
     else:
@@ -108,7 +104,7 @@ def mpi_communication_entrypoint():
     i_local_rank = comm.Get_rank()
     num_parts = comm.Get_size()
 
-    from meshmode.distributed import MPIMeshDistributor
+    from meshmode.distributed import MPIMeshDistributor, get_partition_by_pymetis
     mesh_dist = MPIMeshDistributor(comm)
 
     dim = 2
@@ -121,11 +117,7 @@ def mpi_communication_entrypoint():
                                           b=(0.5,)*dim,
                                           n=(16,)*dim)
 
-        from pymetis import part_graph
-        _, p = part_graph(num_parts,
-                          xadj=mesh.nodal_adjacency.neighbors_starts.tolist(),
-                          adjncy=mesh.nodal_adjacency.neighbors.tolist())
-        part_per_element = np.array(p)
+        part_per_element = get_partition_by_pymetis(mesh, num_parts)
 
         local_mesh = mesh_dist.send_mesh_parts(mesh, part_per_element, num_parts)
     else:
@@ -261,6 +253,7 @@ def mpi_communication_entrypoint():
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("num_ranks", [3])
 def test_mpi(num_ranks):
     pytest.importorskip("mpi4py")
+    pytest.importorskip("pymetis")
 
     from subprocess import check_call
     import sys
@@ -277,6 +270,7 @@ def test_mpi(num_ranks):
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("num_ranks", [3])
 def test_simple_mpi():
     pytest.importorskip("mpi4py")
+    pytest.importorskip("pymetis")
 
     from subprocess import check_call
     import sys