diff --git a/cassandra/query.py b/cassandra/query.py
index 76143da8..803c054b 100644
--- a/cassandra/query.py
+++ b/cassandra/query.py
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ class BoundStatement(Statement):
 
                 try:
                     self.values.append(col_type.serialize(value))
-                except struct.error:
+                except (TypeError, struct.error):
                     col_name = col_spec[2]
                     expected_type = col_type
                     actual_type = type(value)
diff --git a/tests/unit/io/test_libevreactor.py b/tests/unit/io/test_libevreactor.py
index 7f9f2615..ca303b83 100644
--- a/tests/unit/io/test_libevreactor.py
+++ b/tests/unit/io/test_libevreactor.py
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@ from cassandra.marshal import uint8_pack, uint32_pack
 
 try:
     from cassandra.io.libevreactor import LibevConnection
-except ImportError as exc:
-    raise unittest.SkipTest('libev does not appear to be installed correctly: %s' % (exc,))
+except ImportError:
+    LibevConnection = None  # noqa
+
 
 @patch('socket.socket')
 @patch('cassandra.io.libevwrapper.IO')
@@ -29,6 +30,10 @@ except ImportError as exc:
 @patch('cassandra.io.libevreactor._start_loop')
 class LibevConnectionTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
+    def setUp(self):
+        if LibevConnection is None:
+            raise unittest.SkipTest('libev does not appear to be installed correctly')
+
     def make_connection(self):
         c = LibevConnection('1.2.3.4')
         c._socket = Mock()
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_marshalling.py b/tests/unit/test_marshalling.py
index f0d295d3..e5d40f54 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_marshalling.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_marshalling.py
@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@ from datetime import datetime
 from decimal import Decimal
 from uuid import UUID
 
-from blist import sortedset
+try:
+    from blist import sortedset
+except ImportError:
+    sortedset = set
+
 try:
     from collections import OrderedDict
 except ImportError:  # Python <2.7
@@ -85,6 +89,7 @@ if platform.python_implementation() == 'CPython':
     # CPython
     marshalled_value_pairs += marshalled_value_pairs_unsafe
 
+
 class TestUnmarshal(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_unmarshalling(self):
         for serializedval, valtype, nativeval in marshalled_value_pairs:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_metadata.py b/tests/unit/test_metadata.py
index 7fe76069..d4d66b3e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_metadata.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_metadata.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import cassandra
 from cassandra.metadata import (TableMetadata, Murmur3Token, MD5Token,
                                 BytesToken, ReplicationStrategy,
                                 NetworkTopologyStrategy, SimpleStrategy,
-                                LocalStrategy)
+                                LocalStrategy, NoMurmur3)
 from cassandra.policies import SimpleConvictionPolicy
 from cassandra.pool import Host
 
@@ -203,22 +203,22 @@ class TestTokens(unittest.TestCase):
         for keyword in non_valid_keywords:
             self.assertEqual(table_metadata.is_valid_name(keyword), False)
 
-    def test_token_values(self):
-        """
-        Spot check token classes and values
-        """
-
-        # spot check murmur3
-        murmur3_token = Murmur3Token(cassandra.metadata.MIN_LONG - 1)
-        self.assertEqual(murmur3_token.hash_fn('123'), -7468325962851647638)
-        self.assertEqual(murmur3_token.hash_fn(str(cassandra.metadata.MAX_LONG)), 7162290910810015547)
-        self.assertEqual(str(murmur3_token), '<Murmur3Token: -9223372036854775809L>')
+    def test_murmur3_tokens(self):
+        try:
+            murmur3_token = Murmur3Token(cassandra.metadata.MIN_LONG - 1)
+            self.assertEqual(murmur3_token.hash_fn('123'), -7468325962851647638)
+            self.assertEqual(murmur3_token.hash_fn(str(cassandra.metadata.MAX_LONG)), 7162290910810015547)
+            self.assertEqual(str(murmur3_token), '<Murmur3Token: -9223372036854775809L>')
+        except NoMurmur3:
+            raise unittest.SkipTest('The murmur3 extension is not available')
 
+    def test_md5_tokens(self):
         md5_token = MD5Token(cassandra.metadata.MIN_LONG - 1)
         self.assertEqual(md5_token.hash_fn('123'), 42767516990368493138776584305024125808L)
         self.assertEqual(md5_token.hash_fn(str(cassandra.metadata.MAX_LONG)), 28528976619278518853815276204542453639L)
         self.assertEqual(str(md5_token), '<MD5Token: -9223372036854775809L>')
 
+    def test_bytes_tokens(self):
         bytes_token = BytesToken(str(cassandra.metadata.MIN_LONG - 1))
         self.assertEqual(bytes_token.hash_fn('123'), '123')
         self.assertEqual(bytes_token.hash_fn(123), 123)