diff --git a/tests/live/conftest.py b/tests/live/conftest.py
index 48b5e78..7d23aad 100644
--- a/tests/live/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/live/conftest.py
@@ -30,6 +30,13 @@ _PYTHON = str(_VENV_PYTHON) if _VENV_PYTHON.exists() else sys.executable
 # Use search (not match) so lines prefixed by Twisted timestamps are handled.
 _RFC5424_RE = re.compile(r"<\d+>1 \S+ \S+ \S+ - \S+ ")
 
+def _mysql_available() -> bool:
+    try:
+        s = socket.create_connection(("127.0.0.1", 3307), timeout=1)
+        s.close()
+        return True
+    except OSError:
+        return False
 
 def _free_port() -> int:
     with socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM) as s:
diff --git a/tests/live/test_mysql_backend_live.py b/tests/live/test_mysql_backend_live.py
index 5df3773..7a3a388 100644
--- a/tests/live/test_mysql_backend_live.py
+++ b/tests/live/test_mysql_backend_live.py
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ import pytest
 from sqlalchemy import text
 from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import create_async_engine
 
+from tests.live.conftest import _mysql_available
 from decnet.web.db.mysql.repository import MySQLRepository
 
-
 LIVE_URL = "mysql+asyncmy://root:root@127.0.0.1:3307/decnet"
 
 pytestmark = [
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ pytestmark = [
         not (LIVE_URL and LIVE_URL.startswith("mysql")),
         reason="Set DECNET_DB_URL=mysql+aiomysql://... to run MySQL live tests",
     ),
+    pytest.mark.skipif(
+        not _mysql_available(),
+        reason="MySQL not available on 127.0.0.1:3307"
+    )
 ]
 
 
@@ -63,7 +67,7 @@ def _url_with_db(server_url: str, db_name: str) -> str:
     return urlunparse(parsed._replace(path=f"/{db_name}"))
 
 
-@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
 async def mysql_test_db_url():
     """Create a per-worker throwaway database, yield its URL, drop it on teardown.
 
diff --git a/tests/live/test_mysql_live.py b/tests/live/test_mysql_live.py
index d42f1ae..e5c5c30 100644
--- a/tests/live/test_mysql_live.py
+++ b/tests/live/test_mysql_live.py
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 import pytest
 import pymysql
 
-from tests.live.conftest import assert_rfc5424
+from tests.live.conftest import assert_rfc5424, _mysql_available
 
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not _mysql_available(),
+    reason="MySQL not available on 127.0.0.1:3307"
+)
 
 @pytest.mark.live
 class TestMySQLLive: