diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/architecture.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/architecture.py
index 8f257cf0dc9..f658b1951f6 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/architecture.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/architecture.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def test_dict_functions_for_architecture():
 
 def test_platform():
         output_platform_class = spack.architecture.real_platform()
-        if os.path.exists('/opt/cray/craype'):
+        if os.environ.get('CRAYPE_VERSION') is not None:
             my_platform_class = Cray()
         elif os.path.exists('/bgsys'):
             my_platform_class = Bgq()
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/flake8.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/flake8.py
index 3fad486333e..f0fc339f8b9 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/flake8.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/flake8.py
@@ -87,10 +87,7 @@ def test_flake8(parser, flake8_package):
     # Otherwise, the unit tests would fail every time
     # the flake8 tests fail
     args = parser.parse_args([flake8_package])
-
     flake8(parser, args)
-
     # Get even more coverage
     args = parser.parse_args(['--output', '--root-relative', flake8_package])
-
     flake8(parser, args)
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
index 3c725e229b5..c8720ddbc83 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/conftest.py
@@ -474,7 +474,9 @@ def mock_svn_repository():
     url = 'file://' + str(repodir)
     # Initialize the repository
     current = repodir.chdir()
-    svnadmin('create', str(repodir))
+    # NOTE: Adding --pre-1.5-compatible works for NERSC
+    # Unknown if this is also an issue at other sites.
+    svnadmin('create', '--pre-1.5-compatible', str(repodir))
 
     # Import a structure (first commit)
     r0_file = 'r0_file'