diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/include/have_xtrabackup.inc b/mysql-test/suite/galera/include/have_xtrabackup.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0dd693f2c63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/include/have_xtrabackup.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#
+# suite.pm will make sure that all tests including this file
+# will be skipped as needed
+#
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/suite.pm b/mysql-test/suite/galera/suite.pm
index 361743f1243..b7d157186d8 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/galera/suite.pm
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/suite.pm
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package My::Suite::GALERA;
+package My::Suite::Galera;
 use File::Basename;
 use My::Find;
 
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ return "No scritps" unless $cpath;
 my ($epath) = grep { -f "$_/my_print_defaults"; } "$::bindir/extra", $::path_client_bindir;
 return "No my_print_defaults" unless $epath;
 
+sub which($) { return `sh -c "command -v $_[0]"` }
+
 push @::global_suppressions,
   (
      qr(WSREP: wsrep_sst_receive_address is set to '127.0.0.1),
@@ -82,5 +84,19 @@ $ENV{PATH}="$epath:$ENV{PATH}";
 $ENV{PATH}="$spath:$ENV{PATH}" unless $epath eq $spath;
 $ENV{PATH}="$cpath:$ENV{PATH}" unless $cpath eq $spath;
 
-bless { };
+if (which(socat)) {
+  $ENV{MTR_GALERA_TFMT}='socat';
+} elsif (which(nc)) {
+  $ENV{MTR_GALERA_TFMT}='nc';
+}
 
+sub skip_combinations {
+  my %skip = ();
+  $skip{'include/have_xtrabackup.inc'} = 'Need innobackupex'
+             unless which(innobackupex);
+  $skip{'include/have_xtrabackup.inc'} = 'Need socat or nc'
+             unless $ENV{MTR_GALERA_TFMT};
+  %skip;
+}
+
+bless { };
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_autoinc_sst_xtrabackup.test b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_autoinc_sst_xtrabackup.test
index 30ce9bc4ceb..cd7621bfa6e 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_autoinc_sst_xtrabackup.test
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_autoinc_sst_xtrabackup.test
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 --source include/big_test.inc
 --source include/galera_cluster.inc
 --source include/have_innodb.inc
+--source include/have_xtrabackup.inc
 
 --connection node_1
 --let $connection_id = `SELECT CONNECTION_ID()`
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_ist_xtrabackup-v2.test b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_ist_xtrabackup-v2.test
index 8b399e77794..c44b0642342 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_ist_xtrabackup-v2.test
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_ist_xtrabackup-v2.test
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 --source include/big_test.inc
 --source include/galera_cluster.inc
 --source include/have_innodb.inc
+--source include/have_xtrabackup.inc
 
 --source suite/galera/include/galera_st_disconnect_slave.inc
 --source suite/galera/include/galera_st_shutdown_slave.inc
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2-options.cnf b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2-options.cnf
index 31bd1af07c2..1e29673c0ff 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2-options.cnf
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2-options.cnf
@@ -22,3 +22,4 @@ parallel=2
 encrypt=1
 encrypt-algo=AES256
 encrypt-key=4FA92C5873672E20FB163A0BCB2BB4A4
+transferfmt=@ENV.MTR_GALERA_TFMT
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2-options.test b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2-options.test
index 4573f176482..db2b706b6b8 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2-options.test
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2-options.test
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 # Initial SST happens via xtrabackup, so there is not much to do in the body of the test
 #
 
---source include/big_test.inc
 --source include/galera_cluster.inc
 --source include/have_innodb.inc
+--source include/have_xtrabackup.inc
 
 SELECT 1;
 
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2.cnf b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2.cnf
index 47cb3e02292..0025b259ec5 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2.cnf
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2.cnf
@@ -11,3 +11,5 @@ wsrep_provider_options='base_port=@mysqld.1.#galera_port;gcache.size=1;pc.ignore
 [mysqld.2]
 wsrep_provider_options='base_port=@mysqld.2.#galera_port;gcache.size=1;pc.ignore_sb=true'
 
+[sst]
+transferfmt=@ENV.MTR_GALERA_TFMT
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2.test b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2.test
index aac6822170a..f1fd0f3ddf3 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2.test
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2.test
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
---source include/big_test.inc
 --source include/galera_cluster.inc
 --source include/have_innodb.inc
+--source include/have_xtrabackup.inc
 
 # Save original auto_increment_offset values.
 --let $node_1=node_1
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2_encrypt_with_key.cnf b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2_encrypt_with_key.cnf
index 969516f5f3b..63d05104a37 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2_encrypt_with_key.cnf
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2_encrypt_with_key.cnf
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ wsrep_debug=ON
 tkey=@ENV.MYSQL_TEST_DIR/std_data/galera-key.pem
 tcert=@ENV.MYSQL_TEST_DIR/std_data/galera-cert.pem
 encrypt=3
+transferfmt=@ENV.MTR_GALERA_TFMT
diff --git a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2_encrypt_with_key.test b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2_encrypt_with_key.test
index 24d9589d111..2f685ca7184 100644
--- a/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2_encrypt_with_key.test
+++ b/mysql-test/suite/galera/t/galera_sst_xtrabackup-v2_encrypt_with_key.test
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 --source include/big_test.inc
 --source include/galera_cluster.inc
 --source include/have_innodb.inc
+--source include/have_xtrabackup.inc
 
 SELECT 1;