diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index f9ce7403719d08c9948812ce6ca8bb26da36f735..0c13014df5f61ae34ae79679d1411cd832c7e6f2 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ setup(name="pytential",
           "loo.py>=2017.2",
           "sumpy>=2013.1",
           "cgen>=2013.1.2",
+          "pyfmmlib>=2018.1",
 
           "six",
           ])
diff --git a/test/test_layer_pot.py b/test/test_layer_pot.py
index 66445fee0eda170998b7be5dccd424d9154357ae..b4f4a02fe0dede451c6172d747b5a0357ab66333 100644
--- a/test/test_layer_pot.py
+++ b/test/test_layer_pot.py
@@ -392,8 +392,6 @@ def test_perf_data_gathering(ctx_getter, n_arms=5):
 def test_3d_jump_relations(ctx_factory, relation, visualize=False):
     # logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
 
-    pytest.importorskip("pyfmmlib")
-
     cl_ctx = ctx_factory()
     queue = cl.CommandQueue(cl_ctx)
 
diff --git a/test/test_layer_pot_eigenvalues.py b/test/test_layer_pot_eigenvalues.py
index b8c9c9fd0a2ed2f13408069688bb7746724eff9e..cdda0a3c94ba2cdfdad74ab9f3b8e4699ca157aa 100644
--- a/test/test_layer_pot_eigenvalues.py
+++ b/test/test_layer_pot_eigenvalues.py
@@ -258,9 +258,6 @@ def no_test_sphere_eigenvalues(ctx_getter, mode_m, mode_n, qbx_order,
 
     special = pytest.importorskip("scipy.special")
 
-    if fmm_backend == "fmmlib":
-        pytest.importorskip("pyfmmlib")
-
     cl_ctx = ctx_getter()
     queue = cl.CommandQueue(cl_ctx)
 
diff --git a/test/test_layer_pot_identity.py b/test/test_layer_pot_identity.py
index 942b6ed282ae1eb250c5d6bea645bc834dda84eb..c376fdf3e5072aba8604147c70a4f5d918c15f33 100644
--- a/test/test_layer_pot_identity.py
+++ b/test/test_layer_pot_identity.py
@@ -240,9 +240,6 @@ class DynamicTestCase(object):
                 and self.expr.zero_op_name == "green_grad"):
             pytest.skip("does not achieve sufficient precision")
 
-        if self.fmm_backend == "fmmlib":
-            pytest.importorskip("pyfmmlib")
-
 
 # {{{ integral identity tester
 
diff --git a/test/test_maxwell.py b/test/test_maxwell.py
index 914312e99e62928d63de4b61859f0017a0e5f87a..fa9383f4821a179c6ad088608e31d0ed88486c0b 100644
--- a/test/test_maxwell.py
+++ b/test/test_maxwell.py
@@ -228,8 +228,6 @@ def test_pec_mfie_extinction(ctx_getter, case, visualize=False):
     cl_ctx = ctx_getter()
     queue = cl.CommandQueue(cl_ctx)
 
-    pytest.importorskip("pyfmmlib")
-
     np.random.seed(12)
 
     knl_kwargs = {"k": case.k}
diff --git a/test/test_scalar_int_eq.py b/test/test_scalar_int_eq.py
index 22d99cab19a5cc35977ca0ba7dec704ca864913d..8830e84b037beaa9159d6355d1bee9106c471ac4 100644
--- a/test/test_scalar_int_eq.py
+++ b/test/test_scalar_int_eq.py
@@ -871,9 +871,6 @@ def test_integral_equation(ctx_getter, case, visualize=False):
     cl_ctx = ctx_getter()
     queue = cl.CommandQueue(cl_ctx)
 
-    if case.fmm_backend == "fmmlib":
-        pytest.importorskip("pyfmmlib")
-
     if USE_SYMENGINE and case.fmm_backend is None:
         pytest.skip("https://gitlab.tiker.net/inducer/sumpy/issues/25")