diff --git a/t/31_isJSON_valid.t b/t/31_isJSON_valid.t
index 2637ac1..31a2863 100755
--- a/t/31_isJSON_valid.t
+++ b/t/31_isJSON_valid.t
@@ -13,9 +13,12 @@ my $check2run ="--ip=one --ids-friendly -q --color 0";
 my $uri="";
 my $json="";
 my $out="";
+my $cmd_timeout="--openssl-timeout=10";
 # Blacklists we use to trigger an error:
 my $socket_regex_bl='(e|E)rror|\.\/testssl\.sh: line |(f|F)atal|(c|C)ommand not found';
 my $openssl_regex_bl='(e|E)rror|(f|F)atal|\.\/testssl\.sh: line |Oops|s_client connect problem|(c|C)ommand not found';
+# that can be done better but I am a perl n00b ;-)
+my $os=`perl -e 'print "$^O";'`;
 
 die "Unable to open $prg" unless -f $prg;
 
@@ -33,6 +36,7 @@ my @errors=eval { decode_json($json) };
 is(@errors,0,"no errors");
 $tests++;
 
+
 #2
 printf "%s\n", ".. pretty JSON --> $uri ";
 $out = `./testssl.sh $check2run --jsonfile-pretty tmp.json $uri`;
@@ -44,27 +48,6 @@ $tests++;
 
 
 #3
-# This testssl.sh run deliberately does NOT work as travis-ci.org blocks port 25 egress.
-# but the output should be fine. The idea is to have a unit test for a failed connection.
-printf "%s\n", ".. plain JSON for a failed run: '--mx $uri' ...";
-$out = `./testssl.sh --ssl-native --openssl-timeout=10 $check2run --jsonfile tmp.json --mx $uri`;
-$json = json('tmp.json');
-unlink 'tmp.json';
-@errors=eval { decode_json($json) };
-is(@errors,0,"no errors");
-$tests++;
-
-#4
-# Same as above but with pretty JSON
-printf "%s\n", ".. pretty JSON for a failed run '--mx $uri' ...";
-$out = `./testssl.sh --ssl-native --openssl-timeout=10 $check2run --jsonfile-pretty tmp.json --mx $uri`;
-$json = json('tmp.json');
-unlink 'tmp.json';
-@errors=eval { decode_json($json) };
-is(@errors,0,"no errors");
-$tests++;
-
-#5
 my $uri = "smtp-relay.gmail.com:587";
 printf "%s\n", " .. plain JSON and STARTTLS --> $uri ...";
 $out = `./testssl.sh  --jsonfile tmp.json $check2run -t smtp $uri`;
@@ -74,6 +57,35 @@ unlink 'tmp.json';
 is(@errors,0,"no errors");
 $tests++;
 
+if ( $os eq "linux" ){
+     # macos doesn't have a timout command, unless we install coreutils (gnu coreutils)
+     # so we just silently skip this
+
+     #4
+     # This testssl.sh run deliberately does NOT work as github actions block port 25 egress.
+     # but the output should be fine. The idea is to have a unit test for a failed connection.
+     printf "%s\n", ".. plain JSON for a failed run: '--mx $uri' ...";
+     $out = `./testssl.sh --ssl-native --openssl-timeout=10 $check2run --jsonfile tmp.json --mx $uri`;
+     $json = json('tmp.json');
+     unlink 'tmp.json';
+     @errors=eval { decode_json($json) };
+     is(@errors,0,"no errors");
+     $tests++;
+
+     #5
+     # Same as above but with pretty JSON
+     printf "%s\n", ".. pretty JSON for a failed run '--mx $uri' ...";
+     $out = `./testssl.sh --ssl-native --openssl-timeout=10 $check2run --jsonfile-pretty tmp.json --mx $uri`;
+     $json = json('tmp.json');
+     unlink 'tmp.json';
+     @errors=eval { decode_json($json) };
+     is(@errors,0,"no errors");
+     $tests++;
+
+} elif ( $os eq "darwin" ){
+     printf "skipped two checks on MacOS\n\n";
+}
+
 printf "\n";
 done_testing($tests);