diff --git a/tests/libzebra.tests/testcommands.exp b/tests/libzebra.tests/testcommands.exp
index f760c6d..d4bfc82 100644
--- a/tests/libzebra.tests/testcommands.exp
+++ b/tests/libzebra.tests/testcommands.exp
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
 set timeout 30
 set test_name "testcommands"
 
-spawn sh -c "./testcommands -e 0 < testcommands.in | diff -au - testcommands.out"
+if {![info exists env(QUAGGA_TEST_COMMANDS)]} {
+	# sadly, the test randomly fails when configure parameters differ from
+	# what was used to create testcommands.refout.  this can be fixed by
+	# shipping a matching vtysh_cmd.c, which we'll add after 0.99.23
+	unresolved "$test_name"
+	exit 0
+}
+
+spawn sh -c "./testcommands -e 0 < $env(srcdir)/testcommands.in | diff -au - $env(srcdir)/testcommands.refout"
 
 expect {
 	eof {