diff --git a/pandas/compat/numpy/__init__.py b/pandas/compat/numpy/__init__.py
index bd871c47fa08b..3499d631376d8 100644
--- a/pandas/compat/numpy/__init__.py
+++ b/pandas/compat/numpy/__init__.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 _np_version_under1p15 = _nlv < LooseVersion('1.15')
 _np_version_under1p16 = _nlv < LooseVersion('1.16')
 _np_version_under1p17 = _nlv < LooseVersion('1.17')
+_is_numpy_dev = '.dev' in str(_nlv)
 
 
 if _nlv < '1.13.3':
@@ -64,5 +65,6 @@ def np_array_datetime64_compat(arr, *args, **kwargs):
            '_np_version_under1p14',
            '_np_version_under1p15',
            '_np_version_under1p16',
-           '_np_version_under1p17'
+           '_np_version_under1p17',
+           '_is_numpy_dev'
            ]
diff --git a/pandas/tests/frame/test_constructors.py b/pandas/tests/frame/test_constructors.py
index 68017786eb6a6..f371f4e93a29e 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/frame/test_constructors.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/frame/test_constructors.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 import pandas as pd
 from pandas import (
     Categorical, DataFrame, Index, MultiIndex, RangeIndex, Series, Timedelta,
-    Timestamp, date_range, isna)
+    Timestamp, compat, date_range, isna)
 from pandas.tests.frame.common import TestData
 import pandas.util.testing as tm
 
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ def test_constructor_dtype_list_data(self):
         assert df.loc[1, 0] is None
         assert df.loc[0, 1] == '2'
 
+    @pytest.mark.xfail(compat.numpy._is_numpy_dev, reason="GH-26546")
     def test_constructor_list_frames(self):
         # see gh-3243
         result = DataFrame([DataFrame()])