diff --git a/IPython/html/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvert_handlers.py b/IPython/html/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvert_handlers.py
index 16e44fe12..b612b9c29 100644
--- a/IPython/html/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvert_handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/html/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvert_handlers.py
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ from IPython.nbformat.current import (new_notebook, write, new_worksheet,
                                       new_heading_cell, new_code_cell,
                                       new_output)
 
+from IPython.testing.decorators import onlyif_cmds_exist
+
+
 class NbconvertAPI(object):
     """Wrapper for nbconvert API calls."""
     def __init__(self, base_url):
@@ -71,6 +74,7 @@ class APITest(NotebookTestBase):
         for dname in ['foo']:
             shutil.rmtree(pjoin(nbdir, dname), ignore_errors=True)
     
+    @onlyif_cmds_exist('pandoc')
     def test_from_file(self):
         r = self.nbconvert_api.from_file('html', 'foo', 'testnb.ipynb')
         self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200)
@@ -82,21 +86,25 @@ class APITest(NotebookTestBase):
         self.assertIn(u'text/x-python', r.headers['Content-Type'])
         self.assertIn(u'print(2*6)', r.text)
 
+    @onlyif_cmds_exist('pandoc')
     def test_from_file_404(self):
         with assert_http_error(404):
             self.nbconvert_api.from_file('html', 'foo', 'thisdoesntexist.ipynb')
 
+    @onlyif_cmds_exist('pandoc')
     def test_from_file_download(self):
         r = self.nbconvert_api.from_file('python', 'foo', 'testnb.ipynb', download=True)
         content_disposition = r.headers['Content-Disposition']
         self.assertIn('attachment', content_disposition)
         self.assertIn('testnb.py', content_disposition)
 
+    @onlyif_cmds_exist('pandoc')
     def test_from_file_zip(self):
         r = self.nbconvert_api.from_file('latex', 'foo', 'testnb.ipynb', download=True)
         self.assertIn(u'application/zip', r.headers['Content-Type'])
         self.assertIn(u'.zip', r.headers['Content-Disposition'])
 
+    @onlyif_cmds_exist('pandoc')
     def test_from_post(self):
         nbmodel_url = url_path_join(self.base_url(), 'api/notebooks/foo/testnb.ipynb')
         nbmodel = requests.get(nbmodel_url).json()
@@ -111,6 +119,7 @@ class APITest(NotebookTestBase):
         self.assertIn(u'text/x-python', r.headers['Content-Type'])
         self.assertIn(u'print(2*6)', r.text)
 
+    @onlyif_cmds_exist('pandoc')
     def test_from_post_zip(self):
         nbmodel_url = url_path_join(self.base_url(), 'api/notebooks/foo/testnb.ipynb')
         nbmodel = requests.get(nbmodel_url).json()
diff --git a/IPython/testing/iptest.py b/IPython/testing/iptest.py
index 3bd7e1bde..f50b64acb 100644
--- a/IPython/testing/iptest.py
+++ b/IPython/testing/iptest.py
@@ -280,6 +280,8 @@ if not have['jinja2']:
     sec.exclude('notebookapp')
 if not have['azure']:
     sec.exclude('services.notebooks.azurenbmanager')
+if not have['pygments'] or not have['jinja2']:
+    sec.exclude('nbconvert')
 
 # config:
 # Config files aren't really importable stand-alone
@@ -287,7 +289,7 @@ test_sections['config'].exclude('profile')
 
 # nbconvert:
 sec = test_sections['nbconvert']
-sec.requires('pygments', 'jinja2', 'sphinx')
+sec.requires('pygments', 'jinja2')
 # Exclude nbconvert directories containing config files used to test.
 # Executing the config files with iptest would cause an exception.
 sec.exclude('tests.files')