diff --git a/tests/test_gallery_parity.py b/tests/test_gallery_parity.py
index fcdf8a0..4f3e7dc 100644
--- a/tests/test_gallery_parity.py
+++ b/tests/test_gallery_parity.py
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 """Gallery parity: the same conversion table the TypeScript example
 gallery (interscript-ts/examples/) asserts. Same bytes from every
 runtime - demonstrated, not claimed. Adding a case = one line."""
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+
 import pytest
 
 import interscript
 
+MAPS = Path(os.environ.get("INTERSCRIPT_MAPS_PATH", Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent / "maps" / "maps"))
+
 GALLERY = [
     ("Антон Олегович", "Anton Olehovych"),
     ("Соломія", "Solomiia"),
@@ -12,6 +17,7 @@
 ]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(not MAPS.is_dir(), reason="interscript maps repo not present")
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("input_text,expected", GALLERY)
 def test_gallery_parity(input_text, expected):
     assert (
diff --git a/tests/test_interscript.py b/tests/test_interscript.py
index 4225583..db1ba62 100644
--- a/tests/test_interscript.py
+++ b/tests/test_interscript.py
@@ -1,12 +1,21 @@
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
 import interscript
 
+MAPS = Path(os.environ.get("INTERSCRIPT_MAPS_PATH", Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent / "maps" / "maps"))
+
 def assert_transliteration(map, input, output):
     interscript.load_map(map)
     result = interscript.transliterate(map, input)
     assert result == output
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(not MAPS.is_dir(), reason="interscript maps repo not present")
 def test_can_transliterate():
     assert_transliteration('bgnpcgn-ukr-Cyrl-Latn-2019', 'Антон', 'Anton')
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(not MAPS.is_dir(), reason="interscript maps repo not present")
 def test_can_transliterate_maps_requiring_libraries():
     assert_transliteration('bgnpcgn-deu-Latn-Latn-2000', 'Tschüß!', 'Tschueß!')