diff --git a/ipykernel/tests/test_kernel.py b/ipykernel/tests/test_kernel.py
index 5b9b26682..e6af1e2d2 100644
--- a/ipykernel/tests/test_kernel.py
+++ b/ipykernel/tests/test_kernel.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import ast
 import io
 import os.path
+import subprocess
 import sys
 import time
 from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
@@ -14,7 +15,6 @@
 import pytest
 from packaging import version
 
-from IPython.testing import tools as tt
 import IPython
 from IPython.paths import locate_profile
 
@@ -242,7 +242,12 @@ def test_smoke_faulthandler():
 
 def test_help_output():
     """ipython kernel --help-all works"""
-    tt.help_all_output_test('kernel')
+    cmd = [sys.executable, "-m", "IPython", "kernel", "--help-all"]
+    proc = subprocess.run(cmd, timeout=30, capture_output=True)
+    assert proc.returncode == 0, proc.stderr
+    assert b"Traceback" not in proc.stderr
+    assert b"Options" in proc.stdout
+    assert b"Class" in proc.stdout
 
 
 def test_is_complete():
diff --git a/ipykernel/tests/utils.py b/ipykernel/tests/utils.py
index 6319c2144..daeccf64d 100644
--- a/ipykernel/tests/utils.py
+++ b/ipykernel/tests/utils.py
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@
 from queue import Empty
 from subprocess import STDOUT
 
-import nose
-
 from jupyter_client import manager
 
 
@@ -32,8 +30,9 @@ def start_new_kernel(**kwargs):
     """
     kwargs['stderr'] = STDOUT
     try:
+        import nose
         kwargs['stdout'] = nose.iptest_stdstreams_fileno()
-    except AttributeError:
+    except (ImportError, AttributeError):
         pass
     return manager.start_new_kernel(startup_timeout=STARTUP_TIMEOUT, **kwargs)
 
@@ -145,8 +144,9 @@ def new_kernel(argv=None):
     """
     kwargs = {'stderr': STDOUT}
     try:
+        import nose
         kwargs['stdout'] = nose.iptest_stdstreams_fileno()
-    except AttributeError:
+    except (ImportError, AttributeError):
         pass
     if argv is not None:
         kwargs['extra_arguments'] = argv
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index db5830a96..fc2828660 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -76,7 +76,6 @@ def run(self):
             "pytest !=5.3.4",
             "pytest-cov",
             "flaky",
-            "nose",  # nose because we are still using nose streams from ipython
             "ipyparallel",
         ],
     },