diff --git a/Lib/test/test_mhlib.py b/Lib/test/test_mhlib.py
index a7879623f1e5..b4d99fe6b39b 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_mhlib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_mhlib.py
@@ -7,11 +7,15 @@
 ###      mhlib.  It should.
 
 import unittest
-from test_support import run_unittest, TESTFN
+from test_support import run_unittest, TESTFN, TestSkipped
 import os, StringIO
-
+import sys
 import mhlib
 
+if sys.platform.startswith("win"):
+    raise TestSkipped("test_mhlib skipped on Windows -- "
+                      "too many Unix assumptions")
+
 _mhroot = TESTFN+"_MH"
 _mhpath = os.path.join(_mhroot, "MH")
 _mhprofile = os.path.join(_mhroot, ".mh_profile")