diff --git a/py/_path/local.py b/py/_path/local.py
index 282a1bc6c..3ddfc80fd 100644
--- a/py/_path/local.py
+++ b/py/_path/local.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import sys, os, stat, re, atexit
 import py
 from py._path import common
 
-iswin32 = sys.platform == "win32" or (os._name == 'nt')
+iswin32 = sys.platform == "win32" or (getattr(os, '_name', False) == 'nt')
 
 class Stat(object):
     def __getattr__(self, name):
diff --git a/testing/path/test_local.py b/testing/path/test_local.py
index 097e8195f..50f212bc2 100644
--- a/testing/path/test_local.py
+++ b/testing/path/test_local.py
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ from py.path import local
 from testing.path import common
 
 failsonjython = py.test.mark.xfail("sys.platform.startswith('java')")
+win32only = py.test.mark.skipif(
+        "not (sys.platform == 'win32' or getattr(os, '_name', None) == 'nt')")
+failsonwin32 = py.test.mark.skipif(
+        "sys.platform == 'win32' or getattr(os, '_name', None) == 'nt'")
+
 
 def pytest_funcarg__path1(request):
     def setup():
@@ -193,7 +198,7 @@ class TestLocalPath(common.CommonFSTests):
         assert l[2] == p3 
 
 class TestExecutionOnWindows:
-    pytestmark = py.test.mark.skipif("not (sys.platform == 'win32' or os._name == 'nt')")
+    pytestmark = win32only
 
     def test_sysfind(self):
         x = py.path.local.sysfind('cmd')
@@ -201,7 +206,7 @@ class TestExecutionOnWindows:
         assert py.path.local.sysfind('jaksdkasldqwe') is None
 
 class TestExecution:
-    pytestmark = py.test.mark.skipif("sys.platform == 'win32' or os._name == 'nt'")
+    pytestmark = failsonwin32
 
     def test_sysfind(self):
         x = py.path.local.sysfind('test')
@@ -357,7 +362,7 @@ def test_samefile(tmpdir):
     assert p.samefile(p) 
 
 class TestWINLocalPath:
-    pytestmark = py.test.mark.skipif("sys.platform != 'win32' and os._name != 'win32'")
+    pytestmark = win32only
 
     def test_owner_group_not_implemented(self, path1):
         py.test.raises(NotImplementedError, "path1.stat().owner")
@@ -406,7 +411,7 @@ class TestWINLocalPath:
             old.chdir()    
 
 class TestPOSIXLocalPath:
-    pytestmark = py.test.mark.skipif("sys.platform == 'win32' or os._name == 'nt'")
+    pytestmark = failsonwin32
 
     def test_hardlink(self, tmpdir):
         linkpath = tmpdir.join('test')