diff --git a/src/georinex/tests/test_header.py b/src/georinex/tests/test_header.py
index 5b44368..466d045 100644
--- a/src/georinex/tests/test_header.py
+++ b/src/georinex/tests/test_header.py
@@ -3,10 +3,6 @@
 
 import georinex as gr
 
-try:
-    import netCDF4
-except ImportError:
-    netCDF4 = None
 
 R = Path(__file__).parent / "data"
 
@@ -24,8 +20,8 @@
     ids=["obs2", "obs3", "nav2", "nav3", "Cobs1", "NetCDF_obs2"],
 )
 def test_header(fn, rtype, vers):
-    if fn.suffix == ".nc" and netCDF4 is None:
-        pytest.skip("no netCDF4")
+    if fn.suffix == ".nc":
+        pytest.importorskip("netCDF4")
 
     hdr = gr.rinexheader(fn)
     assert isinstance(hdr, dict)
diff --git a/src/georinex/versions.py b/src/georinex/versions.py
index 2e59f0d..31971bb 100644
--- a/src/georinex/versions.py
+++ b/src/georinex/versions.py
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@
 import numpy
 import sys
 import pandas
-import netCDF4
+try:
+    import netCDF4
+except ImportError:
+    pass
 
 from . import __version__
 
@@ -11,7 +14,10 @@
 print("xarray", xarray.__version__)
 print("Numpy", numpy.__version__)
 print("Pandas", pandas.__version__)
-print("NetCDF4", netCDF4.__version__)
+try:
+    print("NetCDF4", netCDF4.__version__)
+except NameError:
+    print("netCDF4 not available")
 
 try:
     import pytest