diff --git a/tempest/test.py b/tempest/test.py
index 22aa3f2..c6e3d6e 100644
--- a/tempest/test.py
+++ b/tempest/test.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 import uuid
 
 import fixtures
-import nose.plugins.attrib
 import testresources
 import testtools
 
@@ -43,11 +42,10 @@
 
 
 def attr(*args, **kwargs):
-    """A decorator which applies the nose and testtools attr decorator
+    """A decorator which applies the  testtools attr decorator
 
-    This decorator applies the nose attr decorator as well as the
-    the testtools.testcase.attr if it is in the list of attributes
-    to testtools we want to apply.
+    This decorator applies the testtools.testcase.attr if it is in the list of
+    attributes to testtools we want to apply.
     """
 
     def decorator(f):
@@ -60,7 +58,7 @@
                 f = testtools.testcase.attr(attr)(f)
                 if attr == 'smoke':
                     f = testtools.testcase.attr('gate')(f)
-        return nose.plugins.attrib.attr(*args, **kwargs)(f)
+        return f
 
     return decorator
 
@@ -194,40 +192,6 @@
         return True
     return False
 
-# there is a mis-match between nose and testtools for older pythons.
-# testtools will set skipException to be either
-# unittest.case.SkipTest, unittest2.case.SkipTest or an internal skip
-# exception, depending on what it can find. Python <2.7 doesn't have
-# unittest.case.SkipTest; so if unittest2 is not installed it falls
-# back to the internal class.
-#
-# The current nose skip plugin will decide to raise either
-# unittest.case.SkipTest or its own internal exception; it does not
-# look for unittest2 or the internal unittest exception.  Thus we must
-# monkey-patch testtools.TestCase.skipException to be the exception
-# the nose skip plugin expects.
-#
-# However, with the switch to testr nose may not be available, so we
-# require you to opt-in to this fix with an environment variable.
-#
-# This is temporary until upstream nose starts looking for unittest2
-# as testtools does; we can then remove this and ensure unittest2 is
-# available for older pythons; then nose and testtools will agree
-# unittest2.case.SkipTest is the one-true skip test exception.
-#
-#   https://review.openstack.org/#/c/33056
-#   https://github.com/nose-devs/nose/pull/699
-if 'TEMPEST_PY26_NOSE_COMPAT' in os.environ:
-    try:
-        import unittest.case.SkipTest
-        # convince pep8 we're using the import...
-        if unittest.case.SkipTest:
-            pass
-        raise RuntimeError("You have unittest.case.SkipTest; "
-                           "no need to override")
-    except ImportError:
-        LOG.info("Overriding skipException to nose SkipTest")
-        testtools.TestCase.skipException = nose.plugins.skip.SkipTest
 
 at_exit_set = set()