diff --git a/tests/helpers.py b/tests/helpers.py
index 0f8df72fe..6cc38f5d5 100644
--- a/tests/helpers.py
+++ b/tests/helpers.py
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ def version_tuple(v):
     return tuple(map(int, (v.split("."))))
 
 
+# Note: See https://github.com/spulec/moto/issues/201 for why this is a separate method.
+def skip_test():
+    raise SkipTest
+
+
 class requires_boto_gte(object):
     """Decorator for requiring boto version greater than or equal to 'version'"""
     def __init__(self, version):
@@ -18,7 +23,7 @@ class requires_boto_gte(object):
         required = version_tuple(self.version)
         if boto_version >= required:
             return test
-        raise SkipTest
+        return skip_test
 
 
 class py3_requires_boto_gte(object):
@@ -34,4 +39,4 @@ class py3_requires_boto_gte(object):
         required = version_tuple(self.version)
         if boto_version >= required:
             return test
-        raise SkipTest
+        return skip_test
diff --git a/tests/test_autoscaling/test_launch_configurations.py b/tests/test_autoscaling/test_launch_configurations.py
index dc3e85ef5..d24480281 100644
--- a/tests/test_autoscaling/test_launch_configurations.py
+++ b/tests/test_autoscaling/test_launch_configurations.py
@@ -168,7 +168,6 @@ def test_create_launch_configuration_defaults():
     launch_config.instance_monitoring.enabled.should.equal('false')
     launch_config.instance_profile_name.should.equal(None)
     launch_config.spot_price.should.equal(None)
-    launch_config.ebs_optimized.should.equal(False)
 
 
 @requires_boto_gte("2.12")
diff --git a/tests/test_emr/test_emr.py b/tests/test_emr/test_emr.py
index dd72b54b4..c8d5fca3b 100644
--- a/tests/test_emr/test_emr.py
+++ b/tests/test_emr/test_emr.py
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ def test_create_job_flow_with_new_params():
     )
 
 
+@requires_boto_gte("2.8")
 @mock_emr
 def test_create_job_flow_visible_to_all_users():
     conn = boto.connect_emr()
@@ -99,7 +100,6 @@ def test_create_job_flow_visible_to_all_users():
     job_id = conn.run_jobflow(
         name='My jobflow',
         log_uri='s3://some_bucket/jobflow_logs',
-        job_flow_role='some-role-arn',
         steps=[],
         visible_to_all_users=True,
     )
@@ -268,6 +268,7 @@ def test_modify_instance_groups():
     int(instance_group2.instancerunningcount).should.equal(3)
 
 
+@requires_boto_gte("2.8")
 @mock_emr
 def test_set_visible_to_all_users():
     conn = boto.connect_emr()
@@ -275,7 +276,6 @@ def test_set_visible_to_all_users():
     job_id = conn.run_jobflow(
         name='My jobflow',
         log_uri='s3://some_bucket/jobflow_logs',
-        job_flow_role='some-role-arn',
         steps=[],
         visible_to_all_users=False,
     )