diff --git a/tests/helpers.sh b/tests/helpers.sh
index 5eadd0f5fce..c64fde55dbb 100644
--- a/tests/helpers.sh
+++ b/tests/helpers.sh
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ function small-repo-in-sandbox() {
 
 function launch-git-daemon() {
     local port=9418
-    if nc -z localhost "$port"; then
-      echo "Port $port should not have been open before this test's run of the git daemon!" >&2
+    if true; then
+      echo "We didn't check $port -- this just tests if we can bail out." >&2
       return 1
     fi
     git -c uploadpack.allowrefinwant daemon --verbose --base-path=. --export-all --user-path &>/dev/null &