diff --git a/tests/compat/001.phpt b/tests/compat/001.phpt
index 464f7c9..28ae3e5 100644
--- a/tests/compat/001.phpt
+++ b/tests/compat/001.phpt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 --TEST--
 Compat simdjson_decode() tests
+--SKIPIF--
+<?php if (PHP_VERSION_ID < 70100) echo "skip php 7.1+ only (empty string in object property name)\n";
 --FILE--
 <?php
 function simdjson_compat_decode($v) {
diff --git a/tests/compat/bug41067.phpt b/tests/compat/bug41067.phpt
index c20e5bf..ac5a1aa 100644
--- a/tests/compat/bug41067.phpt
+++ b/tests/compat/bug41067.phpt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 --TEST--
-Bug #41067 compat test (json_encode() problem with UTF-16 input)
+Bug #41067 compat test
 --FILE--
 <?php
 $json = '["\ud834\udd00"]';
diff --git a/tests/compat/pass001.1.phpt b/tests/compat/pass001.1.phpt
index 06e7df3..f515082 100644
--- a/tests/compat/pass001.1.phpt
+++ b/tests/compat/pass001.1.phpt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 --TEST--
 JSON (http://www.crockford.com/JSON/JSON_checker/test/pass1.json)
+--SKIPIF--
+<?php if (!function_exists('json_encode')) { echo "skip json_encode not available\n"; } ?>
 --INI--
 serialize_precision=-1
 --FILE--
diff --git a/tests/compat/pass001.1_64bit.phpt b/tests/compat/pass001.1_64bit.phpt
index 2a5a9ef..6a0597f 100644
--- a/tests/compat/pass001.1_64bit.phpt
+++ b/tests/compat/pass001.1_64bit.phpt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ serialize_precision=-1
 --SKIPIF--
 <?php
 if (PHP_INT_SIZE != 8) die("skip this test is for 64bit platform only");
+if (!function_exists('json_encode')) { echo "skip json_encode not available\n"; }
 if (PHP_VERSION < 70100) die("skip this test is for php 7.1+ only");
 ?>
 --FILE--
diff --git a/tests/compat/pass001.phpt b/tests/compat/pass001.phpt
index 881a801..d51b3f7 100644
--- a/tests/compat/pass001.phpt
+++ b/tests/compat/pass001.phpt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 --TEST--
 JSON (http://www.crockford.com/JSON/JSON_checker/test/pass1.json)
+--SKIPIF--
+<?php if (!function_exists('json_encode')) { echo "skip json_encode not available\n"; } ?>
 --INI--
 serialize_precision=-1
 --FILE--
diff --git a/tests/compat/pass002.phpt b/tests/compat/pass002.phpt
index 5f6d195..32a7828 100644
--- a/tests/compat/pass002.phpt
+++ b/tests/compat/pass002.phpt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 --TEST--
 JSON (http://www.crockford.com/JSON/JSON_checker/test/pass2.json)
+--SKIPIF--
+<?php if (!function_exists('json_encode')) { echo "skip json_encode not available\n"; } ?>
 --FILE--
 <?php
 
diff --git a/tests/compat/pass003.phpt b/tests/compat/pass003.phpt
index bdb2654..5089428 100644
--- a/tests/compat/pass003.phpt
+++ b/tests/compat/pass003.phpt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 --TEST--
 JSON (http://www.crockford.com/JSON/JSON_checker/test/pass3.json)
+--SKIPIF--
+<?php if (!function_exists('json_encode')) { echo "skip json_encode not available\n"; } ?>
 --FILE--
 <?php