diff --git a/test/cql-pytest/conftest.py b/test/cql-pytest/conftest.py
index a71868409c..0b0c72bc24 100644
--- a/test/cql-pytest/conftest.py
+++ b/test/cql-pytest/conftest.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import tempfile
 import time
 import random
 
-from util import unique_name, new_test_table, cql_session, local_process_id, is_scylla
+from util import unique_name, new_test_keyspace, keyspace_has_tablets, cql_session, local_process_id, is_scylla
 
 
 print(f"Driver name {DRIVER_NAME}, version {DRIVER_VERSION}")
@@ -220,3 +220,18 @@ def temp_workdir():
     """ Creates a temporary work directory, for the scope of a single test. """
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as workdir:
         yield workdir
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
+def has_tablets(cql):
+    with new_test_keyspace(cql, " WITH REPLICATION = {'class' : 'NetworkTopologyStrategy', 'replication_factor': 1}") as keyspace:
+        return keyspace_has_tablets(cql, keyspace)
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="function")
+def xfail_tablets(request, has_tablets):
+    if has_tablets:
+        request.node.add_marker(pytest.mark.xfail(reason='Test expected to fail with tablets experimental feature on'))
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="function")
+def skip_with_tablets(has_tablets):
+    if has_tablets:
+        pytest.skip("Test may crash with tablets experimental feature on")
diff --git a/test/cql-pytest/util.py b/test/cql-pytest/util.py
index 8de31aa9ca..b35883ad66 100644
--- a/test/cql-pytest/util.py
+++ b/test/cql-pytest/util.py
@@ -70,6 +70,33 @@ def is_scylla(cql):
     names = [row.table_name for row in cql.execute("SELECT * FROM system_schema.tables WHERE keyspace_name = 'system'")]
     return any('scylla' in name for name in names)
 
+def keyspace_has_tablets(cql, keyspace):
+    """ Return true if the keyspace was created with tablets.
+
+    We support running cql-pytest against an older version of scylla, so we do
+    the detection in a way that accounts for scylla possibly not even knowing
+    what tablets is.
+    For cassandra, this will always return no.
+
+    If the keyspace was created with tablets, it will have an entry in
+    `system_schema.scylla_keyspaces`, with `initial_tablets` set.
+    So here, we simply query this table, looking for a partition for the
+    appropriate keyspace. If the result has the `initial_tablets` column and it
+    is set, the keyspace has tablets.
+    """
+    if not is_scylla(cql):
+        return False
+
+    # Need to use network strategy, otherwise tablets will not be enabled.
+    res = list(cql.execute(f"SELECT * FROM system_schema.scylla_keyspaces WHERE keyspace_name='{keyspace}'"))
+    # The row migh exist due to storage related options, but the tablets related fields are null.
+    # So we check that:
+    # * the row exists
+    # * `initial_tablets` has a value
+    if not res:
+        return False
+    return getattr(res[0], "initial_tablets", None) is not None
+
 # A utility function for creating a new temporary keyspace with given options.
 # It can be used in a "with", as:
 #   with new_test_keyspace(cql, '...') as keyspace: