diff --git a/test/units/plugins/connection/test_connection.py b/test/units/plugins/connection/test_connection.py
index 0705e495d7..ea5f540fcd 100644
--- a/test/units/plugins/connection/test_connection.py
+++ b/test/units/plugins/connection/test_connection.py
@@ -20,9 +20,12 @@ from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
 __metaclass__ = type
 
 from io import StringIO
+import sys
 
 from ansible.compat.tests import mock
 from ansible.compat.tests import unittest
+from ansible.compat.tests.mock import MagicMock
+from ansible.compat.tests.mock import patch
 from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.playbook.play_context import PlayContext
 from ansible.plugins.connection import ConnectionBase
@@ -37,9 +40,27 @@ from ansible.plugins.connection.paramiko_ssh import Connection as ParamikoConnec
 from ansible.plugins.connection.ssh import Connection as SSHConnection
 from ansible.plugins.connection.docker import Connection as DockerConnection
 # from ansible.plugins.connection.winrm import Connection as WinRmConnection
-from ansible.plugins.connection.netconf import Connection as NetconfConnection
 from ansible.plugins.connection.network_cli import Connection as NetworkCliConnection
 
+PY3 = sys.version_info[0] == 3
+
+builtin_import = __import__
+
+mock_ncclient = MagicMock(name='ncclient')
+
+
+def import_mock(name, *args):
+    if name.startswith('ncclient'):
+        return mock_ncclient
+    return builtin_import(name, *args)
+
+if PY3:
+    with patch('builtins.__import__', side_effect=import_mock):
+        from ansible.plugins.connection.netconf import Connection as NetconfConnection
+else:
+    with patch('__builtin__.__import__', side_effect=import_mock):
+        from ansible.plugins.connection.netconf import Connection as NetconfConnection
+
 
 class TestConnectionBaseClass(unittest.TestCase):