diff --git a/circle.yml b/circle.yml
index b0cdf6735e..743608486e 100644
--- a/circle.yml
+++ b/circle.yml
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ test:
   override:
     - cd $IMPORTPATH && go test -v -race $(go list ./... | grep -v /vendor/)
     - cd $IMPORTPATH && go vet $(go list ./... | grep -v /vendor/)
+    - cd $IMPORTPATH && go test -v -run='^$' -bench=. $(go list ./... | grep -v /vendor/)
     - cd $IMPORTPATH && scripts/end2end_test.sh
-    - cd $IMPORTPATH && go test -run='^$' -bench=. $(go list ./... | grep -v /vendor/)
   post:
     - scripts/package.sh
 dependencies:
diff --git a/idx/cassandra/cassandra_test.go b/idx/cassandra/cassandra_test.go
index 98931f9be2..5d1d4f8ce9 100644
--- a/idx/cassandra/cassandra_test.go
+++ b/idx/cassandra/cassandra_test.go
@@ -218,13 +218,13 @@ func BenchmarkIndexing(b *testing.B) {
 	ix := New()
 	tmpSession, err := ix.cluster.CreateSession()
 	if err != nil {
-		b.Fatalf("can't connect to cassandra: %s", err)
+		b.Skipf("can't connect to cassandra: %s", err)
 	}
 	tmpSession.Query("TRUNCATE raintank.metric_def_idx").Exec()
 	tmpSession.Close()
 	stats, err := helper.New(false, "", "standard", "metrictank", "")
 	if err != nil {
-		b.Fatalf("can't connect to cassandra: %s", err)
+		b.Skipf("can't connect to cassandra: %s", err)
 	}
 	ix.Init(stats)
 
@@ -263,13 +263,13 @@ func BenchmarkLoad(b *testing.B) {
 	stats, _ := helper.New(false, "", "standard", "metrictank", "")
 	tmpSession, err := ix.cluster.CreateSession()
 	if err != nil {
-		b.Fatalf("can't connect to cassandra: %s", err)
+		b.Skipf("can't connect to cassandra: %s", err)
 	}
 	tmpSession.Query("TRUNCATE raintank.metric_def_idx").Exec()
 	tmpSession.Close()
 	err = ix.Init(stats)
 	if err != nil {
-		b.Fatalf("can't initialize cassandra: %s", err)
+		b.Skipf("can't initialize cassandra: %s", err)
 	}
 	insertDefs(ix, b.N)
 	ix.Stop()
diff --git a/idx/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_test.go b/idx/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_test.go
index c3982206f2..1346cd0e2b 100644
--- a/idx/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_test.go
+++ b/idx/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_test.go
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ func BenchmarkIndexing(b *testing.B) {
 	stats, _ := helper.New(false, "", "standard", "metrictank", "")
 	err := ix.Init(stats)
 	if err != nil {
-		b.Fatalf("can't connect to ES: %s", err)
+		b.Skipf("can't connect to ES: %s", err)
 	}
 
 	var series string