diff --git a/lib/kernel/test/inet_res_SUITE.erl b/lib/kernel/test/inet_res_SUITE.erl
index 50fbb479af89..045fdcc83bf8 100644
--- a/lib/kernel/test/inet_res_SUITE.erl
+++ b/lib/kernel/test/inet_res_SUITE.erl
@@ -172,14 +172,17 @@ init_per_testcase(Func, Config) ->
             %% dbg:p(all, c),
             %% dbg:tpl(inet_res, query_nss_res, cx),
             ?P("init_per_testcase -> done:"
-               "~n      NsSpec: ~p"
-               "~n      Lookup: ~p", [NsSpec, Lookup]),
+               "~n    NsSpec: ~p"
+               "~n    Lookup: ~p", [NsSpec, Lookup]),
 	    [{nameserver, NsSpec}, {res_lookup, Lookup} | Config]
     catch
 	SkipReason ->
-            ?P("init_per_testcase -> caught:"
-               "~n      SkipReason: ~p", [SkipReason]),
-	    {skip, SkipReason}
+            ?P("init_per_testcase -> skip: ~p", [SkipReason]),
+	    {skip, SkipReason};
+        Class : Reason : Stacktrace ->
+            ?P("init_per_testcase -> ~w: ~p"
+               "~n    ~p~n", [Class, Reason, Stacktrace]),
+            {fail, Reason}
     end.
 
 end_per_testcase(_Func, Config) ->
@@ -255,11 +258,16 @@ ns_start(ZoneDir, PrivDir, NS, P) ->
 	"Running: "++_ ->
             ?P("ns_start -> running"),
 	    {ZoneDir,NS,P};
+	"Skip: "++Reason ->
+            ?P("ns_start -> skip: "
+               "~n      ~p", [Reason]),
+	    ns_printlog(filename:join([PrivDir,ZoneDir,?LOG_FILE])),
+	    throw(Reason);
 	"Error: "++Error ->
             ?P("ns_start -> error: "
                "~n      ~p", [Error]),
 	    ns_printlog(filename:join([PrivDir,ZoneDir,?LOG_FILE])),
-	    throw(Error);
+	    error(Error);
 	_X ->
             ?P("ns_start -> retry"),
 	    ns_start(ZoneDir, PrivDir, NS, P)
diff --git a/lib/kernel/test/inet_res_SUITE_data/run-ns b/lib/kernel/test/inet_res_SUITE_data/run-ns
index 3dbc0eff935b..86f2957c1039 100755
--- a/lib/kernel/test/inet_res_SUITE_data/run-ns
+++ b/lib/kernel/test/inet_res_SUITE_data/run-ns
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ PATH=/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin
 SHELL=/bin/sh
 export PATH SHELL
 
+NS=knotd
 LOG_FILE=ns.log
 CONF_FILE=knot.conf
 INC_FILE=knot_inc.conf
@@ -59,6 +60,12 @@ error () {
     exit $r
 }
 
+skip () {
+    r=$?
+    echo "Skip: $*"
+    exit $r
+}
+
 ME="$0"
 SELF=$$
 
@@ -83,16 +90,18 @@ test -f "$SRCDIR/$INC_FILE" || \
 DIR="$3"
 
 # Locate name server and check version.
-NS=knotd
-NS_STARTED="notice: $NS started"
 for n in /usr/sbin /usr/bin /usr/local/sbin /usr/local/bin
 do
     test -x "$n/$NS" && { NS="$n/$NS"; break; }
 done
 
 NS_VER="`"$NS" -V 2>&1`" || \
-    error "Name server not found!"
+    skip "Name server ($NS) not found!"
 NS_VER="`echo "$NS_VER" | head -1`"
+{ echo "$NS_VER" |
+      grep -q -e ' 2[.]9[.]' -e ' 2[.][1-9][0-9][0-9]*[.]' \
+           -e ' [3-9][.]' -e ' [1-9][0-9][0-9]*[.]'
+} || skip "Name server $NS_VER < 2.9"
 
 # Create working directory and cd to it
 mkdir "$DIR" >/dev/null 2>&1