diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/pkg.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/pkg.py
index 3e939d8dc3b..1e8ceec402e 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/pkg.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/pkg.py
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ def split(output):
 pkg = spack.main.SpackCommand("pkg")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.requires_builtin("builtin repository path must exist")
 def test_builtin_repo():
     assert spack.repo.builtin_repo() is spack.repo.PATH.get_repo("builtin")
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
index b5b8e4d9825..9e6e72622de 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
@@ -2072,6 +2072,11 @@ def pytest_runtest_setup(item):
     if only_windows_marker and sys.platform != "win32":
         pytest.skip(*only_windows_marker.args)
 
+    # Skip tests marked "requires_builtin" if builtin repo is required
+    requires_builtin_marker = item.get_closest_marker(name="requires_builtin")
+    if requires_builtin_marker and not os.path.exists(spack.paths.packages_path):
+        pytest.skip(*requires_builtin_marker.args)
+
 
 def _sequential_executor(*args, **kwargs):
     return spack.util.parallel.SequentialExecutor()
diff --git a/pytest.ini b/pytest.ini
index 79db8545913..eb84dbc8f0a 100644
--- a/pytest.ini
+++ b/pytest.ini
@@ -14,3 +14,4 @@ markers =
   disable_clean_stage_check: avoid failing tests if there are leftover files in the stage area
   not_on_windows: mark tests that are skipped on Windows
   only_windows: mark tests that are skipped everywhere but Windows
+  requires_builtin: tests that require the builtin repository