diff --git a/Lib/test/test_sys.py b/Lib/test/test_sys.py
index 50f0e9381b2..52e72390091 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_sys.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_sys.py
@@ -215,6 +215,8 @@ def test_recursionlimit(self):
         self.assertEqual(sys.getrecursionlimit(), 10000)
         sys.setrecursionlimit(oldlimit)
 
+    @unittest.skipIf(sys.gettrace(), 'fatal error if run with a trace function')
+    @test.support.cpython_only
     def test_recursionlimit_recovery(self):
         # NOTE: this test is slightly fragile in that it depends on the current
         # recursion count when executing the test being low enough so as to