diff --git a/py/_cmdline/pyconvert_unittest.py b/py/_cmdline/pyconvert_unittest.py
index a975a478e..a50233638 100644
--- a/py/_cmdline/pyconvert_unittest.py
+++ b/py/_cmdline/pyconvert_unittest.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import re
 import sys
-import parser
+
+try:
+    import parser
+except ImportError:
+    parser = None
 
 d={}
 #  d is the dictionary of unittest changes, keyed to the old name
diff --git a/py/_code/code.py b/py/_code/code.py
index 397398029..ee054fc2e 100644
--- a/py/_code/code.py
+++ b/py/_code/code.py
@@ -523,7 +523,8 @@ class FormattedExcinfo(object):
             source = py.code.Source("???")
             line_index = 0
         else:
-            line_index = entry.lineno - entry.getfirstlinesource()
+            # entry.getfirstlinesource() can be -1, should be 0 on jython
+            line_index = entry.lineno - max(entry.getfirstlinesource(), 0)
 
         lines = []
         if self.style == "long":
diff --git a/testing/cmdline/test_convert_unittest.py b/testing/cmdline/test_convert_unittest.py
index 48280c7c1..2bfcd9c2b 100644
--- a/testing/cmdline/test_convert_unittest.py
+++ b/testing/cmdline/test_convert_unittest.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import py
+py.test.importorskip("parser")
 from py._cmdline.pyconvert_unittest import rewrite_utest
 
 
diff --git a/testing/path/common.py b/testing/path/common.py
index 3b0d48c19..8e83e45f6 100644
--- a/testing/path/common.py
+++ b/testing/path/common.py
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ class CommonFSTests(object):
         assert not l1.relto(l2)
         assert not l2.relto(l1)
 
-    #@py.test.mark.xfail("sys.platform.startswith('java')")
+    @py.test.mark.xfail("sys.platform.startswith('java')")
     def test_listdir(self, path1):
         l = path1.listdir()
         assert path1.join('sampledir') in l
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ class CommonFSTests(object):
         assert "sampledir" in l
         assert "otherdir" in l
 
-    #@py.test.mark.xfail("sys.platform.startswith('java')")
+    @py.test.mark.xfail("sys.platform.startswith('java')")
     def test_visit_ignore(self, path1):
         p = path1.join('nonexisting')
         assert list(p.visit(ignore=py.error.ENOENT)) == []
diff --git a/testing/path/test_svnurl.py b/testing/path/test_svnurl.py
index 82dce22d4..e6e226661 100644
--- a/testing/path/test_svnurl.py
+++ b/testing/path/test_svnurl.py
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ class TestSvnURLCommandPath(CommonSvnTests):
     def test_load(self, path1):
         super(TestSvnURLCommandPath, self).test_load(path1)
 
+    # the following two work on jython but not in local/svnwc
+    def test_listdir(self, path1):
+        super(TestSvnURLCommandPath, self).test_listdir(path1)
+    def test_visit_ignore(self, path1):
+        super(TestSvnURLCommandPath, self).test_visit_ignore(path1)
+
     def test_svnurl_needs_arg(self, path1):
         py.test.raises(TypeError, "py.path.svnurl()")
 
diff --git a/testing/plugin/test_pytest__pytest.py b/testing/plugin/test_pytest__pytest.py
index 182efe564..4eb7beac1 100644
--- a/testing/plugin/test_pytest__pytest.py
+++ b/testing/plugin/test_pytest__pytest.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import py
-import sys
+import os, sys
 from py._plugin.pytest__pytest import HookRecorder
 from py._test.pluginmanager import Registry
 
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def test_hookrecorder_basic():
 
 def test_hookrecorder_basic_no_args_hook():
     rec = HookRecorder(Registry())
-    apimod = type(sys)('api')
+    apimod = type(os)('api')
     def xyz():
         pass
     apimod.xyz = xyz
diff --git a/testing/plugin/test_pytest_terminal.py b/testing/plugin/test_pytest_terminal.py
index 98b367d88..7180927b2 100644
--- a/testing/plugin/test_pytest_terminal.py
+++ b/testing/plugin/test_pytest_terminal.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class TestTerminal:
         ])
 
     def test_collect_fail(self, testdir, option):
-        p = testdir.makepyfile("import xyz")
+        p = testdir.makepyfile("import xyz\n")
         result = testdir.runpytest(*option._getcmdargs())
         result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
             "*test_collect_fail.py E*",
diff --git a/testing/root/test_oldmagic.py b/testing/root/test_oldmagic.py
index e6f608578..92accc699 100644
--- a/testing/root/test_oldmagic.py
+++ b/testing/root/test_oldmagic.py
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import py
 import sys, os
 
+def fass():
+    assert 1 == 2
 def check_assertion():
-    excinfo = py.test.raises(AssertionError, "assert 1 == 2")
+    excinfo = py.test.raises(AssertionError, fass)
     s = excinfo.exconly(tryshort=True)
     if not s == "assert 1 == 2":
         raise ValueError("assertion not enabled: got %s" % s)
@@ -16,6 +18,7 @@ def test_invoke_assertion(recwarn, monkeypatch):
         py.magic.revoke(assertion=True)
     recwarn.pop(DeprecationWarning)
 
+@py.test.mark.skipif("sys.platform.startswith('java')")
 def test_invoke_compile(recwarn, monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setattr(py.builtin.builtins, 'compile', None)
     py.magic.invoke(compile=True)
diff --git a/testing/root/test_py_imports.py b/testing/root/test_py_imports.py
index 81b1a1975..901b304bd 100644
--- a/testing/root/test_py_imports.py
+++ b/testing/root/test_py_imports.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ def checksubpackage(name):
         keys = dir(obj)
         assert len(keys) > 0
         print (obj.__map__)
-        for name in obj.__map__:
+        for name in list(obj.__map__):
             assert hasattr(obj, name), (obj, name)
 
 def test_dir():