diff --git a/tools/tests/test_title_run.py b/tools/tests/test_title_run.py
index 474e43917d..3382c03452 100644
--- a/tools/tests/test_title_run.py
+++ b/tools/tests/test_title_run.py
@@ -287,8 +287,10 @@ class SessionTests(unittest.TestCase):
         window = ("import ctypes; user32 = ctypes.WinDLL('user32'); user32.CreateWindowExW.argtypes = [ctypes.c_uint, ctypes.c_wchar_p, ctypes.c_wchar_p, ctypes.c_uint] + [ctypes.c_int] * 4 + [ctypes.c_void_p] * 4; "
                   "user32.CreateWindowExW(0x08000000, 'STATIC', 'title_run test', 0x10CF0000, 100, 100, 200, 200, None, None, None, None); message = ctypes.create_string_buffer(64)\n"
                   "while user32.GetMessageW(message, None, 0, 0) > 0: user32.DispatchMessageW(message)")
-        session = self.start(window)
         user32 = title_run.user32
+        if not user32.FindWindowW("Progman", None):
+            self.skipTest("no desktop shell in this session")
+        session = self.start(window)
         user32.GetWindow.restype = title_run.wintypes.HWND
         user32.GetWindow.argtypes = (title_run.wintypes.HWND, title_run.wintypes.UINT)
         name = title_run.ctypes.create_unicode_buffer(256)