diff --git a/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py b/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py
index 6d7b20e3780a6..0926112baecfe 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py
@@ -46,6 +46,14 @@
 else:
     import unittest
 
+_have_pandas = False
+try:
+    import pandas
+    _have_pandas = True
+except:
+    # No Pandas, but that's okay, we'll skip those tests
+    pass
+
 from pyspark import SparkContext
 from pyspark.sql import SparkSession, SQLContext, HiveContext, Column, Row
 from pyspark.sql.types import *
@@ -2208,10 +2216,11 @@ def test_create_dataframe_from_pandas_with_timestamp(self):
         self.assertTrue(isinstance(df.schema['ts'].dataType, TimestampType))
         self.assertTrue(isinstance(df.schema['d'].dataType, DateType))
         # test with schema will accept pdf as input
-        df = self.spark.createDataFrame(pdf, schema="d date, ts timestamp")
+        df = self.spark.createDataFrame(pdf, schema="d: date, ts: timestamp")
         self.assertTrue(isinstance(df.schema['ts'].dataType, TimestampType))
         self.assertTrue(isinstance(df.schema['d'].dataType, DateType))
 
+
 class HiveSparkSubmitTests(SparkSubmitTests):
 
     def test_hivecontext(self):