diff --git a/test/per_router/test_juniper_data.py b/test/per_router/test_juniper_data.py
index 9f88dc066c797830d403bf83926ff15d2c682b36..a7ac6df95ba6b21a8fbc48a701638f8590757140 100644
--- a/test/per_router/test_juniper_data.py
+++ b/test/per_router/test_juniper_data.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import ipaddress
 import jsonschema
+import pytest
 from inventory_provider import juniper
 
 
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ def test_interface_list(netconf_doc):
     jsonschema.validate(interfaces, schema)
     assert interfaces  # at least shouldn't be empty
 
-from lxml import etree
+
 def test_bgp_peering_data(netconf_doc):
 
     active_peers = set()
@@ -47,10 +48,15 @@ def test_bgp_peering_data(netconf_doc):
         if inactive == 'inactive':
             inactive_peers.add(address)
         else:
-            if address == '62.40.99.50':
-                print('here')
             active_peers.add(address)
 
+    # a peering config might be present, but an old
+    # version could be present but inactive
+    # (a bit of a testing gap, but definitely not nothing)
+    inactive_peers = inactive_peers - active_peers
+    if not active_peers:
+        pytest.skip('no peerings configured for this router')
+
     peerings = list(juniper.all_bgp_peers(netconf_doc))
     jsonschema.validate(peerings, juniper.PEERING_LIST_SCHEMA)
     assert peerings  # there's always at least one
@@ -65,10 +71,15 @@ def test_bgp_peering_data(netconf_doc):
     missing = active_peers - returned_addresses
     if missing:
         print('here')
-    assert returned_addresses == active_peers
+    assert returned_addresses == active_peers, (
+        'these active peerings weren''t returned: '
+        f'{active_peers - returned_addresses}')
 
     # confirm that none of the inactive peerings were returned
-    assert not inactive_peers & returned_addresses
+    assert not inactive_peers & returned_addresses, (
+        'these inactive peerings were returned: '
+        f'{inactive_peers & returned_addresses}')
+
 
 def test_snmp_community_string(mocked_netifaces, netconf_doc):
     assert juniper.snmp_community_string(netconf_doc) == '0pBiFbD'