diff --git a/bin/tests/system/isctest/name.py b/bin/tests/system/isctest/name.py
index 7cf3e8d696..a2fe3ac424 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/isctest/name.py
+++ b/bin/tests/system/isctest/name.py
@@ -9,15 +9,14 @@
 # See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
 # information regarding copyright ownership.
 
-from typing import Container, Iterable, FrozenSet
+from typing import Iterable, FrozenSet
 
-import pytest
-
-pytest.importorskip("dns", minversion="2.3.0")  # NameRelation
-from dns.name import Name, NameRelation
+import dns.name
 import dns.zone
 import dns.rdatatype
 
+from dns.name import Name
+
 
 def prepend_label(label: str, name: Name) -> Name:
     return Name((label,) + name.labels)
@@ -60,6 +59,7 @@ class ZoneAnalyzer:
         return cls(zonedb)
 
     def __init__(self, zone: dns.zone.Zone):
+        self._abort_on_old_dnspython()
         self.zone = zone
         assert self.zone.origin  # mypy hack
         # based on individual nodes but not relationship between nodes
@@ -85,6 +85,14 @@ class ZoneAnalyzer:
             .union(self.reachable_dnames)
         )
 
+    def _abort_on_old_dnspython(self):
+        if not hasattr(dns.name, "NameRelation"):
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                "ZoneAnalyzer requires dnspython>=2.3.0 for dns.name.NameRelation support. "
+                "Use pytest.importorskip('dns', minversion='2.3.0') to the test module to "
+                "skip this test."
+            )
+
     def get_names_with_type(self, rdtype) -> FrozenSet[Name]:
         return frozenset(
             name for name in self.zone if self.zone.get_rdataset(name, rdtype)
@@ -117,15 +125,15 @@ class ZoneAnalyzer:
         for name in reachable:
             relation, _, _ = name.fullcompare(self.zone.origin)
             if relation in (
-                NameRelation.NONE,  # out of zone?
-                NameRelation.SUPERDOMAIN,  # parent of apex?!
+                dns.name.NameRelation.NONE,  # out of zone?
+                dns.name.NameRelation.SUPERDOMAIN,  # parent of apex?!
             ):
                 raise NotImplementedError
 
         for maybe_occluded in reachable.copy():
             for cut in self.delegations:
                 rel, _, _ = maybe_occluded.fullcompare(cut)
-                if rel == NameRelation.EQUAL:
+                if rel == dns.name.NameRelation.EQUAL:
                     # data _on_ a parent-side of a zone cut are in limbo:
                     # - are not really authoritative (except for DS)
                     # - but NS is not really 'occluded'
@@ -134,14 +142,14 @@ class ZoneAnalyzer:
                     if maybe_occluded in reachable:
                         reachable.remove(maybe_occluded)
 
-                if rel == NameRelation.SUBDOMAIN:
+                if rel == dns.name.NameRelation.SUBDOMAIN:
                     _mark_occluded(maybe_occluded)
                 # do not break cycle - handle also nested NS and DNAME
 
             # DNAME itself is authoritative but nothing under it is reachable
             for dname in self.dnames:
                 rel, _, _ = maybe_occluded.fullcompare(dname)
-                if rel == NameRelation.SUBDOMAIN:
+                if rel == dns.name.NameRelation.SUBDOMAIN:
                     _mark_occluded(maybe_occluded)
                 # do not break cycle - handle also nested NS and DNAME
 
@@ -174,7 +182,7 @@ class ZoneAnalyzer:
         nce = None  # Next closer name, RFC 5155
         for zname in self.all_existing_names:
             relation, _, common_labels = qname.fullcompare(zname)
-            if relation == NameRelation.SUBDOMAIN:
+            if relation == dns.name.NameRelation.SUBDOMAIN:
                 if not ce or common_labels > len(ce):
                     # longest match so far
                     ce = zname
@@ -190,15 +198,3 @@ class ZoneAnalyzer:
         """
         ce, _ = self.closest_encloser(qname)
         return Name("*") + ce
-
-
-def is_related_to_any(
-    test_name: Name,
-    acceptable_relations: Container[NameRelation],
-    candidates: Iterable[Name],
-) -> bool:
-    for maybe_parent in candidates:
-        relation, _, _ = test_name.fullcompare(maybe_parent)
-        if relation in acceptable_relations:
-            return True
-    return False
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/nsec3-answer/tests_nsec3.py b/bin/tests/system/nsec3-answer/tests_nsec3.py
index 33d16aca7f..785f574f42 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/nsec3-answer/tests_nsec3.py
+++ b/bin/tests/system/nsec3-answer/tests_nsec3.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Optional, Set, Tuple
+from typing import Container, Iterable, Optional, Set, Tuple
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -45,6 +45,18 @@ ZONE = isctest.name.ZoneAnalyzer.read_path(
 )
 
 
+def is_related_to_any(
+    test_name: dns.name.Name,
+    acceptable_relations: Container[dns.name.NameRelation],
+    candidates: Iterable[dns.name.Name],
+) -> bool:
+    for maybe_parent in candidates:
+        relation, _, _ = test_name.fullcompare(maybe_parent)
+        if relation in acceptable_relations:
+            return True
+    return False
+
+
 def do_test_query(
     qname: dns.name.Name, qtype: dns.rdatatype.RdataType, server: str, named_port: int
 ) -> Tuple[dns.message.QueryMessage, "NSEC3Checker"]:
@@ -103,7 +115,7 @@ def assume_nx_and_no_delegation(qname: dns.name.Name) -> None:
     # name must not be under a delegation or DNAME:
     # it would not work with resolver ns2
     assume(
-        not isctest.name.is_related_to_any(
+        not is_related_to_any(
             qname,
             (dns.name.NameRelation.EQUAL, dns.name.NameRelation.SUBDOMAIN),
             ZONE.reachable_delegations.union(ZONE.reachable_dnames),
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/selftest/tests_zone_analyzer.py b/bin/tests/system/selftest/tests_zone_analyzer.py
index 9cea8c7986..3c7a2fc609 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/selftest/tests_zone_analyzer.py
+++ b/bin/tests/system/selftest/tests_zone_analyzer.py
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import pytest
 import isctest
 import isctest.name
 
+pytest.importorskip("dns.name", minversion="2.3.0")
+
 # set of properies present in the tested zone - read by tests_zone_analyzer.py
 CATEGORIES = frozenset(
     [