diff --git a/unittests/test_sss_helper.py b/unittests/test_sss_helper.py
index c040f5035342c5dfa3e14d79e857a19a49a60387..e1ce286d05da7747ff462923028c01ae9e996856 100644
--- a/unittests/test_sss_helper.py
+++ b/unittests/test_sss_helper.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import subprocess
 from email import message_from_file, policy
 from os import listdir, remove
 from os.path import abspath, dirname, exists, isfile, join
-
+import platform
 import linkahead as db
 from caosadvancedtools.serverside.helper import (NameCollector, get_data,
                                                  get_file_via_download,
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ def test_send_mail():
     assert msg["Subject"] == "the subject"
     assert msg.get_content() == "hello!\n"
 
-
+# skip on windows (has no sendmail)
+@mark.skipif(platform.system() == "Windows")
 def test_send_mail_error():
     with raises(subprocess.CalledProcessError):
         send_mail("me@example.com", "you@example.com", "the subject", "hello!",
diff --git a/unittests/test_utils.py b/unittests/test_utils.py
index c8134e3d30ed2f19a4784890703381d244078e25..aeae08e4775c92f04959c67f06aa0dfb9b1ea9ca 100644
--- a/unittests/test_utils.py
+++ b/unittests/test_utils.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class ReferencesBaseTest(BaseMockUpTest):
         files = get_referenced_files("test.npy", prefix=None, filename=None,
                                      location=None)
         self.assertEqual(len(files), 1)
-        self.assertEqual(os.path.join(files[0].path, "some", "path", "test.npy"))
+        self.assertEqual(files[0].path, "/some/path/test.npy")
         log = self.get_log()
         assert "FIND file which" in log
         assert "does not allow a search" not in log