diff -r 7c8ad0d02664 Lib/ctypes/test/test_win32.py
--- a/Lib/ctypes/test/test_win32.py	Sat Jan 26 12:13:40 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/ctypes/test/test_win32.py	Sat Jan 26 15:31:53 2013 +0200
@@ -60,7 +60,9 @@
 
         def test_COMError(self):
             from _ctypes import COMError
-            self.assertEqual(COMError.__doc__, "Raised when a COM method call failed.")
+            if ''.__doc__: # if dostrings are enabled
+                self.assertEqual(COMError.__doc__,
+                                 "Raised when a COM method call failed.")
 
             ex = COMError(-1, "text", ("details",))
             self.assertEqual(ex.hresult, -1)
diff -r 7c8ad0d02664 Lib/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py
--- a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py	Sat Jan 26 12:13:40 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py	Sat Jan 26 15:31:53 2013 +0200
@@ -77,8 +77,9 @@
         self.assertEqual(xx.foo(2, 5), 7)
         self.assertEqual(xx.foo(13,15), 28)
         self.assertEqual(xx.new().demo(), None)
-        doc = 'This is a template module just for instruction.'
-        self.assertEqual(xx.__doc__, doc)
+        if ''.__doc__: # if dostrings are enabled
+            doc = 'This is a template module just for instruction.'
+            self.assertEqual(xx.__doc__, doc)
         self.assertTrue(isinstance(xx.Null(), xx.Null))
         self.assertTrue(isinstance(xx.Str(), xx.Str))
 
diff -r 7c8ad0d02664 Lib/test/test_bytes.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_bytes.py	Sat Jan 26 12:13:40 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_bytes.py	Sat Jan 26 15:31:53 2013 +0200
@@ -925,6 +925,9 @@
         self.assertEqual(bytes(b"abc") < b"ab", False)
         self.assertEqual(bytes(b"abc") <= b"ab", False)
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(''.__doc__, "Docstrings are disabled")
+    @unittest.skipIf(sys.flags.optimize >= 2,
+                     "Docstrings are omitted with -O2 and above")
     def test_doc(self):
         self.assertIsNotNone(bytearray.__doc__)
         self.assertTrue(bytearray.__doc__.startswith("bytearray("), bytearray.__doc__)
diff -r 7c8ad0d02664 Lib/test/test_functools.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_functools.py	Sat Jan 26 12:13:40 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_functools.py	Sat Jan 26 15:31:53 2013 +0200
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@
         self.assertEqual(wrapper.__name__, 'f')
         self.assertEqual(wrapper.attr, 'This is also a test')
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(''.__doc__, "Docstrings are disabled")
     @unittest.skipIf(sys.flags.optimize >= 2,
                      "Docstrings are omitted with -O2 and above")
     def test_default_update_doc(self):
diff -r 7c8ad0d02664 Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Sat Jan 26 12:13:40 2013 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Sat Jan 26 15:31:53 2013 +0200
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@
 
 from test import pydoc_mod
 
+if ''.__doc__: # if docstrings are enabled
+    expected_data_docstrings = (
+        'dictionary for instance variables (if defined)',
+        'list of weak references to the object (if defined)',
+        )
+else:
+    expected_data_docstrings = ('', '', '', '')
+
 expected_text_pattern = \
 """
 NAME
@@ -40,11 +48,9 @@
     class B(__builtin__.object)
      |  Data descriptors defined here:
      |\x20\x20
-     |  __dict__
-     |      dictionary for instance variables (if defined)
+     |  __dict__%s
      |\x20\x20
-     |  __weakref__
-     |      list of weak references to the object (if defined)
+     |  __weakref__%s
      |\x20\x20
      |  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
      |  Data and other attributes defined here:
@@ -75,6 +81,9 @@
     Nobody
 """.strip()
 
+expected_text_data_docstrings = tuple('\n     |      ' + s if s else ''
+                                      for s in expected_data_docstrings)
+
 expected_html_pattern = \
 """
 <table width="100%%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 border=0 summary="heading">
@@ -121,10 +130,10 @@
 <tr><td bgcolor="#ffc8d8"><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</tt></td><td>&nbsp;</td>
 <td width="100%%">Data descriptors defined here:<br>
 <dl><dt><strong>__dict__</strong></dt>
-<dd><tt>dictionary&nbsp;for&nbsp;instance&nbsp;variables&nbsp;(if&nbsp;defined)</tt></dd>
+<dd><tt>%s</tt></dd>
 </dl>
 <dl><dt><strong>__weakref__</strong></dt>
-<dd><tt>list&nbsp;of&nbsp;weak&nbsp;references&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;object&nbsp;(if&nbsp;defined)</tt></dd>
+<dd><tt>%s</tt></dd>
 </dl>
 <hr>
 Data and other attributes defined here:<br>
@@ -168,6 +177,8 @@
 <td width="100%%">Nobody</td></tr></table>
 """.strip()
 
+expected_html_data_docstrings = tuple(s.replace(' ', '&nbsp;')
+                                      for s in expected_data_docstrings)
 
 # output pattern for missing module
 missing_pattern = "no Python documentation found for '%s'"
@@ -229,7 +240,9 @@
             mod_url = nturl2path.pathname2url(mod_file)
         else:
             mod_url = mod_file
-        expected_html = expected_html_pattern % (mod_url, mod_file, doc_loc)
+        expected_html = expected_html_pattern % (
+                        (mod_url, mod_file, doc_loc) +
+                        expected_html_data_docstrings)
         if result != expected_html:
             print_diffs(expected_html, result)
             self.fail("outputs are not equal, see diff above")
@@ -238,8 +251,9 @@
                      "Docstrings are omitted with -O2 and above")
     def test_text_doc(self):
         result, doc_loc = get_pydoc_text(pydoc_mod)
-        expected_text = expected_text_pattern % \
-                        (inspect.getabsfile(pydoc_mod), doc_loc)
+        expected_text = expected_text_pattern % (
+                        (inspect.getabsfile(pydoc_mod), doc_loc,) +
+                        expected_text_data_docstrings)
         if result != expected_text:
             print_diffs(expected_text, result)
             self.fail("outputs are not equal, see diff above")