diff --git a/test/aggregator/test_aggregator.py b/test/aggregator/test_aggregator.py
index cde6a033743eb836eb43e6d65f7eebabeb195a35..e619bccee54e28d2fcef52735fc98814b7373c15 100644
--- a/test/aggregator/test_aggregator.py
+++ b/test/aggregator/test_aggregator.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 
 """Unit tests for the 'Aggregator' subclasses."""
 
-import typing
 from typing import Dict, Type
 
 import pytest
@@ -29,12 +28,13 @@ from declearn.test_utils import (
     GradientsTestCase,
     assert_dict_equal,
     assert_json_serializable_dict,
+    list_available_frameworks,
 )
 from declearn.utils import set_device_policy
 
 
 AGGREGATOR_CLASSES = list_aggregators()
-VECTOR_FRAMEWORKS = typing.get_args(FrameworkType)
+VECTOR_FRAMEWORKS = list_available_frameworks()
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(name="updates")
diff --git a/test/communication/test_grpc.py b/test/communication/test_grpc.py
index fe6a1effd66f30d23c8d65875622d8a110436c2b..da80ba9571e8b492cc5777c388b3f52cfee3c9a9 100644
--- a/test/communication/test_grpc.py
+++ b/test/communication/test_grpc.py
@@ -31,10 +31,14 @@ import asyncio
 import uuid
 from typing import AsyncIterator, Dict, Iterator
 
-import grpc  # type: ignore
 import pytest
 import pytest_asyncio
 
+try:
+    import grpc  # type: ignore
+except ModuleNotFoundError:
+    pytest.skip("GRPC is unavailable", allow_module_level=True)
+
 from declearn.communication.api.backend.actions import Ping
 from declearn.communication.grpc._server import load_pem_file
 from declearn.communication.grpc import GrpcClient, GrpcServer
diff --git a/test/functional/test_toy_reg.py b/test/functional/test_toy_reg.py
index 93fc05fbe88351d7fc8c8d375ae47e11b7d98ac4..c37f941fc2042871f43ad27dfb0735a6bbcde45b 100644
--- a/test/functional/test_toy_reg.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_toy_reg.py
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ from declearn.utils import set_device_policy
 
 # optional frameworks' dependencies pylint: disable=ungrouped-imports
 # pylint: disable=duplicate-code
-# false-positives; pylint: disable=no-member
 
 # tensorflow imports
 try:
@@ -104,7 +103,8 @@ else:
         return (y_pred - y_true) ** 2
 
 
-# pylint: disable=duplicate-code
+# pylint: enable=duplicate-code, ungrouped-imports
+
 
 SEED = 0
 R2_THRESHOLD = 0.9999
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ def get_model(framework: FrameworkType) -> Model:
     raise ValueError(f"Unrecognised model framework: '{framework}'.")
 
 
-def _get_model_numpy() -> SklearnSGDModel:
+def _get_model_numpy() -> Model:
     """Return a linear model with MSE loss in Sklearn, with zero weights."""
     np.random.seed(SEED)  # set seed
     model = SklearnSGDModel.from_parameters(
@@ -133,10 +133,12 @@ def _get_model_numpy() -> SklearnSGDModel:
     return model
 
 
-def _get_model_tflow() -> TensorflowModel:
+def _get_model_tflow() -> Model:
     """Return a linear model with MSE loss in TensorFlow, with zero weights."""
     tf.random.set_seed(SEED)  # set seed
-    tfmod = tf.keras.Sequential(tf.keras.layers.Dense(units=1))
+    tfmod = tf.keras.Sequential(  # pylint: disable=no-member
+        tf.keras.layers.Dense(units=1)  # pylint: disable=no-member
+    )
     tfmod.build([None, 100])
     model = TensorflowModel(tfmod, loss="mean_squared_error")
     with tf.device("CPU"):
@@ -148,7 +150,7 @@ def _get_model_tflow() -> TensorflowModel:
     return model
 
 
-def _get_model_torch() -> TorchModel:
+def _get_model_torch() -> Model:
     """Return a linear model with MSE loss in Torch, with zero weights."""
     torch.manual_seed(SEED)  # set seed
     torchmod = torch.nn.Sequential(
@@ -164,7 +166,7 @@ def _get_model_torch() -> TorchModel:
     return model
 
 
-def _get_model_haiku() -> HaikuModel:
+def _get_model_haiku() -> Model:
     """Return a linear model with MSE loss in Haiku, with zero weights."""
     model = HaikuModel(haiku_model_fn, loss=haiku_loss_fn)
     model.initialize({"data_type": "float32", "features_shape": (100,)})
@@ -427,6 +429,9 @@ async def async_run_client(
     await client.async_run()
 
 
+# similar structure in other functional tests; pylint: disable=duplicate-code
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_declearn_federated(
     framework: FrameworkType,
diff --git a/test/main/test_main_client.py b/test/main/test_main_client.py
index 861f1bc372cd0fa36bb2eb3e7a6597695ec10539..e6ed7c38f3b780646b7b1f5ec25e50433d679dbd 100644
--- a/test/main/test_main_client.py
+++ b/test/main/test_main_client.py
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ from declearn.dataset import Dataset, DataSpecs
 from declearn.communication import NetworkClientConfig
 from declearn.communication.api import NetworkClient
 from declearn.main import FederatedClient
-from declearn.main.privacy import DPTrainingManager
 from declearn.main.utils import Checkpointer, TrainingManager
 from declearn.metrics import MetricState
 from declearn.model.api import Model
@@ -37,6 +36,13 @@ from declearn.secagg import messaging as secagg_messaging
 from declearn.secagg.api import SecaggConfigClient, SecaggSetupQuery
 from declearn.utils import LOGGING_LEVEL_MAJOR
 
+try:
+    from declearn.main.privacy import DPTrainingManager
+except ModuleNotFoundError:
+    DP_AVAILABLE = False
+else:
+    DP_AVAILABLE = True
+
 
 MOCK_NETWK = mock.create_autospec(NetworkClient, instance=True)
 MOCK_NETWK.name = "client"
@@ -514,6 +520,8 @@ class TestFederatedClientInitialize:
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_initialize_with_dpsgd(self) -> None:
         """Test that initialization with DP-SGD works properly."""
+        if not DP_AVAILABLE:
+            pytest.skip(reason="Unavailable DP features (missing Opacus).")
         # Set up a mock network receiving an InitRequest and a PrivacyRequest.
         netwk = mock.create_autospec(NetworkClient, instance=True)
         netwk.name = "client"
@@ -555,6 +563,8 @@ class TestFederatedClientInitialize:
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_initialize_with_dpsgd_error_wrong_message(self) -> None:
         """Test error catching for DP-SGD setup with wrong second message."""
+        if not DP_AVAILABLE:
+            pytest.skip(reason="Unavailable DP features (missing Opacus).")
         # Set up a mock network receiving a DP InitRequest but wrong follow-up.
         netwk = mock.create_autospec(NetworkClient, instance=True)
         netwk.name = "client"
@@ -580,6 +590,8 @@ class TestFederatedClientInitialize:
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_initialize_with_dpsgd_error_setup(self) -> None:
         """Test error catching for DP-SGD setup with client-side failure."""
+        if not DP_AVAILABLE:
+            pytest.skip(reason="Unavailable DP features (missing Opacus).")
         # Set up a mock network receiving an InitRequest and a PrivacyRequest.
         netwk = mock.create_autospec(NetworkClient, instance=True)
         netwk.name = "client"
diff --git a/test/main/test_train_manager_dp.py b/test/main/test_train_manager_dp.py
index 352a1f2b7b7e92dc483c93af5432c11b364afbcc..3735f290b8e9da87be72d4dce2ce2024ed95307a 100644
--- a/test/main/test_train_manager_dp.py
+++ b/test/main/test_train_manager_dp.py
@@ -21,8 +21,12 @@ import os
 from typing import Any, Optional
 
 import pytest
-from opacus.accountants import RDPAccountant  # type: ignore
-from opacus.accountants.utils import get_noise_multiplier  # type: ignore
+
+try:
+    from opacus.accountants import RDPAccountant  # type: ignore
+    from opacus.accountants.utils import get_noise_multiplier  # type: ignore
+except ModuleNotFoundError:
+    pytest.skip("Opacus is unavailable", allow_module_level=True)
 
 from declearn.communication import messaging
 from declearn.dataset import DataSpecs