diff --git a/Lib/test/test_os.py b/Lib/test/test_os.py
index 820c99c7a07..f17a19a7585 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_os.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_os.py
@@ -3123,6 +3123,7 @@ class TermsizeTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
 
 @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(os, 'memfd_create'), 'requires os.memfd_create')
+@support.requires_linux_version(3, 17)
 class MemfdCreateTests(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_memfd_create(self):
         fd = os.memfd_create("Hi", os.MFD_CLOEXEC)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tests/2019-05-30-10-57-39.bpo-37098.SfXt1M.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tests/2019-05-30-10-57-39.bpo-37098.SfXt1M.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..84e06e71869
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Tests/2019-05-30-10-57-39.bpo-37098.SfXt1M.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix test_memfd_create on older Linux Kernels.