diff --git a/t/t9600-cvsimport.sh b/t/t9600-cvsimport.sh
index 08f0f2a3a3..7706430d81 100755
--- a/t/t9600-cvsimport.sh
+++ b/t/t9600-cvsimport.sh
@@ -3,13 +3,29 @@
 test_description='git-cvsimport basic tests'
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
-if ! ( type cvs && type cvsps ) >/dev/null 2>&1
+if ! type cvs >/dev/null 2>&1
 then
-	test_expect_success 'skipping cvsimport tests, cvs/cvsps not found' ''
+	say 'skipping cvsimport tests, cvs not found'
 	test_done
 	exit
 fi
 
+cvsps_version=`cvsps -h 2>&1 | sed -ne 's/cvsps version //p'`
+case "$cvsps_version" in
+2.1)
+	;;
+'')
+	say 'skipping cvsimport tests, cvsps not found'
+	test_done
+	exit
+	;;
+*)
+	say 'skipping cvsimport tests, cvsps too old'
+	test_done
+	exit
+	;;
+esac
+
 CVSROOT=$(pwd)/cvsroot
 export CVSROOT
 # for clean cvsps cache