diff --git a/tests/extmod/uctypes_ptr_le.py b/tests/extmod/uctypes_ptr_le.py
index 4125dd86ff..d2ceb76f47 100644
--- a/tests/extmod/uctypes_ptr_le.py
+++ b/tests/extmod/uctypes_ptr_le.py
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import uctypes
 
+if sys.byteorder != "little":
+    print("SKIP")
+    sys.exit()
+
 desc = {
     "ptr": (uctypes.PTR | 0, uctypes.UINT8),
     "ptr16": (uctypes.PTR | 0, uctypes.UINT16),
diff --git a/tests/run-tests-exp.sh b/tests/run-tests-exp.sh
index 7ba501911c..5bc84d1e32 100755
--- a/tests/run-tests-exp.sh
+++ b/tests/run-tests-exp.sh
@@ -32,8 +32,9 @@ do
     $MP_PY $infile > $outfile
     numtestcases=$(expr $numtestcases + $(cat $expfile | wc -l))
 
-    if grep -q "SyntaxError: invalid micropython decorator" $outfile
+    if grep -q "SKIP\|SyntaxError: invalid micropython decorator" $outfile
     then
+        # we don't count tests that explicitly ask to be skipped
         # we don't count tests that fail due to unsupported decorator
         echo "skip  $infile"
         $RM $outfile