diff --git a/tests/dateutils.rs b/tests/dateutils.rs
index aabab29a78..e213d64e2c 100644
--- a/tests/dateutils.rs
+++ b/tests/dateutils.rs
@@ -48,16 +48,18 @@ fn verify_against_date_command_local(path: &'static str, dt: NaiveDateTime) {
     }
 }
 
+/// path to Unix `date` command. Should work on most Linux and Unixes. Not the
+/// path for MacOS (/bin/date) which uses a different version of `date` with
+/// different arguments (so it won't run which is okay).
+/// for testing only
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+const DATE_PATH: &'static str = "/usr/bin/date";
+
 #[test]
 #[cfg(unix)]
 fn try_verify_against_date_command() {
-    let date_path = "/usr/bin/date";
-
-    if !path::Path::new(date_path).exists() {
+    if !path::Path::new(DATE_PATH).exists() {
         // date command not found, skipping
-        // avoid running this on macOS, which has path /bin/date
-        // as the required CLI arguments are not present in the
-        // macOS build.
         return;
     }
 
@@ -68,7 +70,7 @@ fn try_verify_against_date_command() {
             || (2020..=2022).contains(&date.year())
             || (2073..=2077).contains(&date.year())
         {
-            verify_against_date_command_local(date_path, date);
+            verify_against_date_command_local(DATE_PATH, date);
         }
 
         date += chrono::TimeDelta::hours(1);
@@ -117,15 +119,13 @@ fn verify_against_date_command_format_local(path: &'static str, dt: NaiveDateTim
 #[test]
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 fn try_verify_against_date_command_format() {
-    let date_path = "/usr/bin/date";
-
-    if !path::Path::new(date_path).exists() {
+    if !path::Path::new(DATE_PATH).exists() {
         // date command not found, skipping
         return;
     }
     let mut date = NaiveDate::from_ymd_opt(1970, 1, 1).unwrap().and_hms_opt(12, 11, 13).unwrap();
     while date.year() < 2008 {
-        verify_against_date_command_format_local(date_path, date);
+        verify_against_date_command_format_local(DATE_PATH, date);
         date += chrono::TimeDelta::days(55);
     }
 }