diff --git a/tests/system/suite_editors/tst_modify_readonly/test.py b/tests/system/suite_editors/tst_modify_readonly/test.py
index c5de75a8536..389ee0574a3 100644
--- a/tests/system/suite_editors/tst_modify_readonly/test.py
+++ b/tests/system/suite_editors/tst_modify_readonly/test.py
@@ -82,10 +82,12 @@ def testSaveChangesAndMakeWritable(modifiedFiles, readOnlyFiles):
             clickButton(waitForObject("{text='Make Writable' type='QPushButton' unnamed='1' "
                                       "visible='1' window=%s}" % readOnlyMBoxStr))
             try:
-                waitForObject(cannotResetStr, 3000)
-                # should not be possible
-                test.fail("Could not reset file '%s' to writable state." % currentFile)
-                clickButton("{text='OK' type='QPushButton' window=%s}" % cannotResetStr)
+                # avoid an AUT crash that happens frequently on the testing machines
+                if currentApplicationContext().isRunning:
+                    waitForObject(cannotResetStr, 3000)
+                    # should not be possible
+                    test.fail("Could not reset file '%s' to writable state." % currentFile)
+                    clickButton("{text='OK' type='QPushButton' window=%s}" % cannotResetStr)
             except:
                 if isWritable(currentFile):
                     test.passes("File '%s' resetted to writable state and saved." % currentFile)