diff --git a/Lib/test/test_imaplib.py b/Lib/test/test_imaplib.py
index 30ae6a457cc..c37ea1dccf1 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_imaplib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_imaplib.py
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ def test_ssl_context_keyfile_exclusive(self):
                               keyfile=CERTFILE, ssl_context=self.create_ssl_context())
 
 
-def test_main():
+def load_tests(*args):
     tests = [TestImaplib]
 
     if support.is_resource_enabled('network'):
@@ -459,9 +459,9 @@ def test_main():
             RemoteIMAPTest, RemoteIMAP_SSLTest, RemoteIMAP_STARTTLSTest,
         ])
 
-    support.run_unittest(*tests)
+    return unittest.TestSuite([unittest.makeSuite(test) for test in tests])
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     support.use_resources = ['network']
-    test_main()
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 82030c98e77..eac45d309d6 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -899,6 +899,9 @@ Tests
 
 - Issue #16836: Enable IPv6 support even if IPv6 is disabled on the build host.
 
+- Issue #17333: test_imaplib now works with unittest test discovery.
+  Patch by Zachary Ware.
+
 - Issue #17082: test_dbm* now work with unittest test discovery.
   Patch by Zachary Ware.