diff --git a/Lib/test/test_crypt.py b/Lib/test/test_crypt.py
index dc107d89709..cfb7341e20a 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_crypt.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_crypt.py
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 from test import support
 import unittest
 
-crypt = support.import_module('crypt')
+def setUpModule():
+    # this import will raise unittest.SkipTest if _crypt doesn't exist,
+    # so it has to be done in setUpModule for test discovery to work
+    global crypt
+    crypt = support.import_module('crypt')
 
 class CryptTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
@@ -29,8 +33,5 @@ class CryptTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertTrue(len(crypt.methods) >= 1)
         self.assertEqual(crypt.METHOD_CRYPT, crypt.methods[-1])
 
-def test_main():
-    support.run_unittest(CryptTestCase)
-
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    test_main()
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 5d49d0f56c8..bf6ab72c86c 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -620,6 +620,9 @@ Tests
 
 - Issue #16836: Enable IPv6 support even if IPv6 is disabled on the build host.
 
+- Issue #16919: test_crypt now works with unittest test discovery.
+  Patch by Zachary Ware.
+
 - Issue #16910: test_bytes, test_unicode, and test_userstring now work with
   unittest test discovery.  Patch by Zachary Ware.