diff --git a/cmd/utils/fdlimit_test.go b/cmd/utils/fdlimit_test.go
index 0a950a6c9d..f1bc33bc0c 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/fdlimit_test.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/fdlimit_test.go
@@ -16,12 +16,23 @@
 
 package utils
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"syscall"
+	"testing"
+)
 
 // TestFileDescriptorLimits simply tests whether the file descriptor allowance
 // per this process can be retrieved.
 func TestFileDescriptorLimits(t *testing.T) {
 	target := 4096
+	var limit syscall.Rlimit
+	if err := syscall.Getrlimit(syscall.RLIMIT_NOFILE, &limit); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if int(limit.Max) < target {
+		t.Skip(fmt.Sprintf("system limit is less than desired test target: %d < %d", limit.Max, target))
+	}
 
 	if limit, err := getFdLimit(); err != nil || limit <= 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to retrieve file descriptor limit (%d): %v", limit, err)